6 Days 5 Nights Itinerary for the Mt. Kilimanjaro Route via Machame Route
With a total hiking distance of about 94 km, the Machame trek route has become one of the sought-after track paths for the Mount Kilimanjaro summit. It entails an entire eight-day itinerary around one of the most difficult and longest routes to take to climb Kilimanjaro.
Since it is established that the route is longer, you will notice that on many days you will climb high but sleep low. With this, climbers can acclimatize to higher altitudes better. This scenario is more suited for longer than shorter and direct climbs.
Two Summits of the Kilimanjaro on Machame Route
Acclimatizing to the daunting weather can make you successfully reach the top of the highest mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro. The tallest volcano in Africa has two main summits, such as:
- Craggy Mawenzi at 5149m
- Flat-topped and glaciated Kibo at 5896m
The Saddle, along the route, is a 5 km wide, high-altitude terrain with a semi-desert strip separating the two.
Climatic Zones along the Machame Route Trek
If you opt for the Machame-Mweka route, then you will witness five dramatically different climatic zones, such as the following:
- Summit glaciers
- Steep Screes
- Cliffs
- Afro-alpine Moorland Plateau
- Mossy Forests
- Cultivated Downhill Lands
Machame Route Trek Itinerary
Below, we have defined the requisite itinerary for the Kilimanjaro Summit through the Machame Trekking Route:
Day 1: Nairobi – Moshi
The climber will leave Nairobi in the wee hours with their transport. They will drive to Moshi and arrive in the evening. The dinner will be arranged for them at the Zebra Hotel along with an overnight stay.
Day 2: Machame Gate (1830m) to Machame Camp (3100m)
The daunting hike will take you an entire day, but the typical hiking time will last from five to seven hours. The distance from the Machame Gate to the Machame Camp is about 18 km. The main habitat of this region is the montane forest.
Day 3: Trekkers check in at the Park Gate
On the next day, the trekkers must check in at the park gate before starting their journey. The journey will entail the climber going from Machame Camp at 3100m to Shira Camp at 3840m. The typical hiking time for this day’s climb is around four to six hours. The distance of the trek is about 9 km. The type of habitat majorly prevalent in the region is Moorland.
Day 4: Shira Camp (3840m) to Lava Tower (4630m) to Barranco Camp (3860m)
This day’s trek entails the walk from Shira Camp to Lava and finally to Barranco Camp. The typical hiking time for this trek is around 5-7 hours, and the distance of the trek is about 15 km. The habitat here is semi-desert along with traces of alpine desert.
Day 5: Barranco Camp (3860m) to Karanga Valley – Barafu Hut (4400m)
Here, the climber has to hike from Barranco Camp to Karanga Valley. You can even have a stay at Barafu Hut. The hike time here is around three hours, and the distance is 7 km. The habitat is of Alpine Desert.
Day 6: Barafu Camp (4600m) to Uhuru peak (5895m) to Mweka Hut (3100m)
The hiking time for this combination of trek ascent and descent is around 6-8 hours for ascent and 7-8 hours for descent. The distance of the hike is 7 km for ascent and 23 km for descent. The trek is habitable with stone scree as well as ice-capped summits.
Day 7: Mweka Camp (3100m) to Arusha (1830m)
The descent will fall in elevation from 10,200ft to 6, 000ft, with a typical hiking time of 3-4 hours, covering roughly a distance of 15 km.
