Kilimanjaro Climbing ToursMachame Route: Zara Tours 6-Day Kilimanjaro Climb
The machame route is one of the standard tented lines up Kilimanjaro, and this 6-day version from Zara Tours is the cheapest Machame listing in the catalog. For $2,350 per person you get national park fees, rescue fees, all meals on the mountain, tents and two nights at the Springlands Hotel in Moshi, plus airport transfers to and from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). The route climbs through rainforest, crosses the Shira plateau and Lava Tower, scrambles the Barranco Wall and summits from Barafu Camp. Six days is the short end for Machame, and the page explains who should buy more acclimatisation days instead. See all Kilimanjaro climbing tours side by side.
About This Tour
Zara Tours runs this Machame route climb as a shared group of up to 12 per departure. You sleep in tents with sleeping mattresses on the mountain, and the crew of porters, a cook and a waiter does the camp work. The listing is bookable on Viator and carries a 4.9 rating from 636 reviews. Day 5 is summit night: you wake around 23:30, walk about 6 hours to Stella Point (5,685 m by the listing's figure), then 2 more hours to Uhuru Peak and down to Mweka Camp at 3,100 m.
The operator lists English, French and Spanish as guide languages, and the booking age band runs from 16 to 80. The listing says emergency oxygen is not included, so bring insurance with high-altitude evacuation cover. Green certificates go to Stella Point finishers and gold to Uhuru Peak, according to the listing.
$2,350, covering guides, porters, cook and waiter salaries, park and rescue fees, all meals on the mountain, tents, mattresses and 2 nights at the Springlands Hotel in Moshi with return JRO airport transfers.
6 days, with 5 nights camping on the mountain and 2 hotel nights in Moshi, one before and one after the climb.
Springlands Hotel in Moshi. Day 1 brings a briefing, breakfast and a 45-minute drive to Machame village (1,490 m).
Uhuru Peak, 5,895 m (19,341 ft), reached via Stella Point (5,685 m) from Barafu Camp (4,550 m), both heights as the listing gives them.
Tips for guides, porters, cook and waiters, climbing gear, visas, meals and drinks beyond the mountain menu, single room supplement, nights beyond the two standard hotel nights, items of a personal nature and emergency oxygen.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
Check Dates and Availability
Departures are shared groups capped at 12 climbers. Check availability for starting times before you book flights.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The 6-day Machame climb in brief
This machame route climb costs $2,350 per person for 6 days in a shared group of up to 12, with park fees, rescue fees, meals on the mountain and 2 Moshi hotel nights included. Emergency oxygen, tips, gear and visas are not.
Key takeaways
- Six days is the short end for Machame. The 7-day Machame climb adds a day for $2,425.
- The listing excludes oxygen and gear, so see what the price actually covers before you budget.
- The route profile and summit night are set out in the day-by-day itinerary.
- Six days on Machame and want even more margin? The 9-day Machame camping climb is the longer 9-day option.
What the Price Actually Covers
The $2,350 covers a lot, but it still leaves real items out. Everything below comes from the listing's own inclusion and exclusion lists.
In the Price and on Top
The inclusion list is long: guides, porters, cook and waiter salaries and their park entry, tents and sleeping mattresses, a first aid kit, pulse oximeters, a mess tent with camping chairs, tables and candles, all meals on the mountain, boiled water, national park fees, rescue fees, return transfers between Moshi and the mountain, and return airport transfers to and from JRO, plus 2 nights at the Springlands Hotel in Moshi.
What is missing matters just as much. Emergency oxygen is explicitly not included, so a booking with oxygen as standard, such as the 7-day Lemosho climb, is the one to compare. Tips, climbing gear, visas, meals and drinks not specified and any extra hotel nights come from your own pocket. No mandatory extras are stated by the listing beyond these exclusions.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Park and rescue fees | Yes | National park fees and rescue fees listed as included |
| Crew | Yes | Guides, porters, cook and waiter, with salaries and entry fees |
| Accommodation | Partly | 2 nights Springlands Hotel in Moshi, tents and mattresses on the mountain. Single supplement excluded |
| Meals | Partly | All meals on the mountain and boiled water. Meals and drinks not specified are excluded |
| Airport transfers | Yes | Return transfers to and from JRO |
| Emergency oxygen | No | Listed as not included |
| Tips | No | Guides, porters, cook and waiters. The listing says tips are appreciated at the end of the trip and can be given to the guide at Springlands Hotel |
| Gear and sleeping bag | No | Gear for your climb is excluded |
| Visa | No | Visas are excluded |
| Cancellation | Yes | Free cancellation 24 hours before departure for a full refund |
How It Compares on the Platform
Within this comparison, the 7-day Machame listing from ZAFS Tours sits at $2,425 but does not state whether park fees are covered, so ask before comparing the numbers. The 9-day Machame camping climb costs $2,455 and runs 9 days with 8 nights. The 7-day Lemosho climb from Altezza Travel costs $3,959 and bundles emergency oxygen and Wilderness First Responder guides.
Compare all listings on the homepage under Kilimanjaro tours.
| Tour | Price per person | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Machame Route 6 Days (this listing) | $2,350 | 6 days |
| Machame Route 7 Days | $2,425 | 7 days |
| Machame Route 9 Days Camping | $2,455 | 9 days |
| Lemosho Route 7 Days | $3,959 | 9 days, 7 on the mountain |
Sources: Wikipedia, Mount Kilimanjaro, UNESCO, Kilimanjaro National Park
The montane forest trail. Photo: Jorge Láscar from Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Route Day by Day
The itinerary below follows the listing's own day plan, with the heights and hiking times as Zara Tours states them. Machame is a tented route, so the porters pitch camp each night.
Forest to Barafu in Four Days
Day 1 starts at the Springlands Hotel in Moshi (910 m) with a briefing, breakfast and a 45-minute drive to Machame village (1,490 m). After registration the trail climbs through montane forest to Machame Camp (2,980 m) in about 7 hours over roughly 18 km, and night temperatures can already drop to freezing. Day 2 climbs through moorland to Shira Camp (3,840 m) in about 6 hours over about 9 km.
Day 3 is the acclimatisation day: you reach Lava Tower at 4,630 m after about 5 hours, then drop almost 680 m to Barranco Camp (3,950 m) in about 2 hours. Day 4 crosses the Barranco Wall to Karanga Valley and on to Barafu Camp (4,550 m) in about 7 hours over about 13 km, with an early bed at around 19:00.
| Day | Route | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Machame Gate to Machame Camp, about 7 hours | 1,490 m to 2,980 m |
| 2 | Machame Camp to Shira Camp, about 6 hours | 2,980 m to 3,840 m |
| 3 | Shira to Lava Tower and Barranco Camp, about 7 hours | 3,840 m to 4,630 m, down to 3,950 m |
| 4 | Barranco to Karanga Valley and Barafu Camp, about 7 hours | 3,950 m to 4,550 m |
| 5 | Barafu to Stella Point, Uhuru Peak and Mweka Camp | 4,550 m to 5,895 m, down to 3,100 m |
| 6 | Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate | 3,100 m to the gate |
Summit Night and the Descent
You rise around 23:30 on day 5 and walk about 6 hours through heavy scree to Stella Point (5,685 m), which the listing calls the most mentally and physically challenging stretch on the route. From there it is normally snow all the way on the 2-hour climb to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 m, and the time you spend on the summit depends on the weather. The walk back to Barafu takes about 3 hours, then you continue down to Mweka Camp (3,100 m), about 23 km of descent in total.
Day 6 walks out from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate and returns to the Springlands Hotel in Moshi. Green certificates go to Stella Point finishers and gold to Uhuru Peak per the listing. Follow Alice and Nafika Tours give Stella Point as 5,756 m, so read 5,685 m as Zara Tours' own figure.
Who This Trip Rules Out
Six days suits confident, acclimatising trekkers on a budget. Several groups of travellers should book differently, and each has a linked alternative.
Check These Limits Before You Book
The listing is not recommended for travellers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health or pregnancy, and it asks for at least a moderate level of physical fitness. The booking age band runs 16 to 80, and the listing shows a minimum of 2 adults while the booking rule allows 1 traveller, so confirm the group size when you book. Emergency oxygen is excluded, which rules out anyone who wants it carried as standard. Budget for gear, tips, a visa and any meals and drinks not specified on top of $2,350, because none are in the price.
If six days on Machame feels tight, the honest answer is a longer itinerary. The Machame Route 7 Days climb adds an acclimatisation day. The Machame Route 9 Days Camping trek stretches to 8 nights. Prefer a gentler profile and oxygen included? Look at the Lemosho Route 7 Days climb or the Lemosho Route 8 Days climb. If tents are the problem rather than the days, the Marangu Route 5 Days climb sleeps in huts. New to Kilimanjaro entirely? Start with the routes compared on the homepage under climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
Altitude, Season and Paperwork
These are the facts about Kilimanjaro that apply to any Machame climb.
Seasons and Altitude
The dry seasons run January to mid-March and June to October, with rainy seasons late March to May and November. Average summit temperature is about minus 7 degrees Celsius, and the arctic zone above 5,000 m sees night temperatures of minus 20 to minus 10 C, so summit night is genuinely cold and needs the thermal clothing the listing tells you to prepare. On acclimatisation, altitude medicine classifies 3,500 to 5,500 m as very high and above 5,500 m as extreme.
About 40 percent of people get acute mountain sickness after a rapid ascent to 3,000 m, starting with headache plus nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite or fatigue. The listing carries pulse oximeters and a first aid kit, and the Lava Tower day at 4,630 m followed by the drop to Barranco is the built-in acclimatisation logic. Turn back if symptoms worsen, and read more about altitude on the Uhuru Peak page or the best time to climb Kilimanjaro guide.
Fees, Visas, Tips and Insurance
Park fees and rescue fees are in this price, which matters: the official TANAPA tariff sets the Kilimanjaro conservation fee at US$70 per person per day for visitors aged 16 and over, plus a public campsite fee of US$50 per night. Tips are not included and amounts are operator opinions, with one operator suggesting US$250 to US$300 per hiker. Visas are excluded: the Tanzanian embassy lists the ordinary single-entry visa at US$50 and the multiple-entry visa at US$100.
Insurance is also on the exclusion list, and operators recommend mountaineering cover for trekking up to 6,000 m with helicopter evacuation, since the park rescue fee does not cover a full evacuation. You fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), which this listing picks up and drops off. For costs beyond the tour price see the cost to climb Kilimanjaro guide, and for the airport itself see Kilimanjaro airport.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day numbers and clock times below come from the listing's own itinerary.
-
Day 1
Briefing and the forest
Briefing and breakfast at the Springlands Hotel in Moshi (910 m), a 45-minute drive to Machame village (1,490 m) and a 7-hour forest climb of about 18 km to Machame Camp (2,980 m). Night temperatures can reach freezing.
-
Day 2
Onto the Shira plateau
About 6 hours and 9 km through moorland and up a rocky ridge to Shira Camp (3,840 m), with the Western Breach in view to the east. A colder, exposed night.
-
Day 3
Lava Tower and Barranco
The acclimatisation day. About 5 hours to Lava Tower at 4,630 m, lunch, then a drop of almost 680 m in 2 hours to Barranco Camp (3,950 m) below the Barranco Wall.
-
Day 4
The Wall and Barafu
About 7 hours and 13 km over the Barranco Wall through Karanga Valley to Barafu Camp (4,550 m). Bed around 19:00 after preparing headlamps, thermal clothing and a thermal flask for water.
-
Summit night
Barafu to Uhuru Peak
Wake around 23:30. About 6 hours of scree to Stella Point (5,685 m), then 2 more hours, usually in snow, to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m). Time on top depends on the weather.
-
Day 5 descent
Down to Mweka Camp
About 3 hours back to Barafu, then on to Mweka Camp (3,100 m). Around 23 km of descent after the summit push.
-
Day 6
Mweka Gate and home
Walk out from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate, collect your certificate, and return by vehicle to the Springlands Hotel in Moshi.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of what this listing does well and where it falls short.
What we genuinely like
- Park fees and rescue fees are in the $2,350 price
- Two hotel nights at the Springlands Hotel and return JRO airport transfers are included
- 4.9 from 636 reviews makes it the most reviewed Machame listing in the catalog
- Pulse oximeters, a first aid kit and the Lava Tower acclimatisation profile are part of the plan
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund
The honest downsides
- Six days is the short end for Machame, and success on 6-day itineraries has been reported well below 7- and 8-day versions in the one cited park dataset
- Emergency oxygen is not included, though pulse oximeters are
- Gear for your climb, tips, visas, meals and drinks not specified and extra hotel nights all come on top
- The age band shows a minimum of 2 adults while the booking rule allows 1 traveller, so check group size before paying
Who it's NOT for: Travellers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health or pregnancy, and anyone who wants oxygen carried as standard or more than six days to acclimatise.
Questions About This Machame Route Climb
How much does this Machame route climb cost?
The listing price is $2,350 per person for 6 days in a shared group of up to 12. Park fees, rescue fees, mountain meals and 2 Moshi hotel nights are in the price. For the full cost picture including tips and visas, see the cost to climb Kilimanjaro guide.
Is 6 days long enough for the Machame route?
It is the short end. One cited 2006 park dataset reported a 44 percent success rate on 6-day itineraries against 64 percent on 7 days, and no audited public dataset exists. If you want the extra day, the Machame Route 7 Days climb is a direct comparison.
What is not included in the price?
Emergency oxygen, tips for guides, porters, cook and waiters, climbing gear, visas, the single room supplement, meals and drinks not specified, and nights beyond the two standard hotel nights. The tour comparisons on the Kilimanjaro climbing tours homepage show what other listings bundle in.
How hard is summit night on this itinerary?
You wake around 23:30, walk about 6 hours to Stella Point (5,685 m) and 2 more hours to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m), then descend about 23 km to Mweka Camp (3,100 m). Read what the Uhuru Peak guide says about the top before you decide.
Which airport should I fly into?
Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). This listing includes return transfers to and from JRO, and the airport sits about 40 km from Moshi according to Wikipedia. Practical detail is in the Kilimanjaro airport guide.
Do I need travel insurance for this climb?
Insurance is listed as excluded, and operators recommend mountaineering cover for trekking up to 6,000 m with helicopter evacuation, since the park rescue fee does not cover a full evacuation. General preparation advice is in the climbing Mount Kilimanjaro guide.
Do I sleep in tents or huts on this Machame route?
In tents with sleeping mattresses, and the porters pitch them. Marangu is the only hut route on the mountain, so if you want walls and a roof, look at the Marangu Route 5 Days climb instead, which also runs from the Springlands Hotel.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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