6-Day Kilimanjaro Machame Route Trek to Uhuru Peak

Start your day early with a briefing, followed by breakfast and a 45-minute drive from Moshi (910m) to Machame village (1490m). Receive a packed lunch and buy mineral water in the village.

Depending on the condition of the road, it may be possible to drive from the village to Machame Gate, but if not, the muddy 3 km walk will take about 1 hour to complete.

After registering at the gate office, start your ascent and enter the rain forest almost immediately. There is a strong possibility of rain in the forest, which can transform the trail into a very soggy, muddy, and slippery experience.

Have a welcome lunch stop about halfway, then reach the Machame camping area in the late afternoon. Be prepared for night temperatures, which can drop to freezing point at this campsite.

Rise early at Machame Camp and, after breakfast, climb for an hour or so to the top of the forest, then continue for 2 hours at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone.

After a short lunch and rest, continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira Plateau. By now, you will be able to see, in an eastern direction, the Western Breach.

Spend the night at this exposed camp, which will be even colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping to well below freezing.

The route turns east into a semi-desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you reach an altitude of 4630m after about a 5-hour walk.

Eat lunch in a designated area before ascending the rocky scree path to Lava Tower (4630m). This is definitely the toughest day so far.

After lunch, descend again by almost 680m to the Barranco camping area. After reaching the high altitude of 4600m at Lava Tower, the true acclimatisation benefit of this day becomes clear.

The descent to Barranco Camp takes about 2 hours and offers great opportunities to lie below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, providing you with a memorable sunset while you wait for the preparation of your dinner.

After spending a night at the Great Barranco Wall, make your way up this awesome-looking obstacle, which normally turns out to be easier than anticipated. As you top out just below the Heim Glacier, appreciate just how beautiful Kilimanjaro really is.

The route heads down through the Karanga Valley over intervening ridges and valleys and then joins up with the Mweka Route. This is the preferred route down from the summit.

Turn left up the ridge and, after another hour or so, reach Barafu Hut. The last water stop on the route is the Karanga Valley, as there is no water at Barafu Camp. The summit is now a further 1345m up, and you will make the final ascent the same night.

Prepare your equipment, walking stick, and thermal clothing for your summit attempt.

Go to bed at around 7 pm and try to get some rest and sleep.

Wake up at around 11:30 pm and, after some tea and biscuits, shuffle off into the night. Head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This 8-hour walk to Stella Point is, for many climbers, mentally and physically the most challenging on the route.

At Stella Point (5685m), stop for a short rest and be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see, weather permitting. From Stella Point, you will normally encounter snow all the way on your 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak. The time you spend on the summit will depend on the weather conditions. Do not stop here for too long, as it will be extremely difficult to start again due to cold and fatigue.

Enjoy your accomplishment, then walk back to Barafu from the summit in about 3 hours.

Here, you will have a well-earned but short rest and collect the rest of your gear before heading down to Mweka Camp (3100m). The route is not difficult and will take you down the rock and scree path into the moorland and eventually into the forest. The camp is situated in the upper forest, and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Camp overnight.

After an early and well-deserved breakfast, it is a short 3-hour and scenic hike back to the park gate.

At Mweka Gate, sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Climbers who reached Stella Point (5685m) are issued green certificates, and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates.

From Mweka village, you will be served a delicious hot lunch.

Drive back to Moshi for a long-overdue hot shower, dinner, sparkling wine, and celebrations.

Transfer to the hotel for overnight B/B.