7 Days 6 Night
The Machame route, also referred to as the "Whiskey route", is one of the most popular routes on Kilimanjaro and a favorite for us.
Machame route is one of the highest summit success rates given the topography and nature of the route which allows climbers to "trek high & sleep low" hence making it a more favorable route for acclimatization. This route offers some of the most spectacular scenery while on the mountain.
The Machame route starts in the south west side of the mountain and proceeds steeply north, traversing the Shira plateau and eventually joining the Shira and Lemosho routes just after the Shira cave camp.
The Machame route can be done in minimum 6 days but a 7 day trek is recommended to allow climbers been well rested and acclimatized before making the final ascent to the summit.
You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to Moshi town. You will meet our Kilimanjaro trekking expert who will brief you on your upcoming Kilimanjaro trekking, then rest until the next day morning.
The drive from Moshi to the Machame Gate takes about 1 hr. The journey passes through the village of Machame which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain. As we leave the park gate, we walk through the dense rain forest on a winding trail up a ridge until we reach the Machame Camp.
This is a short day but a steeper one. You will Wake up and get breakfast, start proceed your hiking for the second day where you will trek several uphill where there are several viewpoints from which you can see the plains and forests below and Kibo peak above and also mount Meru which is the second highest mountain in Tanzania, also as you gain high altitude you will notice changes in vegetation and the trees diminish in size, giving way to Kilimanjaro famous high altitude plants, Scenecio kilimanjari and Lobelia deckenii.
We continue to the east up a ridge and then head southeast towards the Lava Tower – tall volcanic rock formation. We descend down to Barranco Camp through the strange but beautiful Senecio Forest to an altitude of 13,000 ft. Although you begin and end the day at the same elevation, the time spent at higher altitude is very beneficial for acclimatization.
We begin the day by descending into a ravine to the base of the Great Barranco Wall. Then we climb the non-technical but steep, nearly 900 ft cliff. From the top of the Barranco Wall we cross a series of hills and valleys until we descend sharply into Karanga Valley. One steeper climb up leads us to Karanga Camp. This is a shorter day meant for acclimatization.
We leave Karanga and hit the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the rocky section to Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the Southern Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest and enjoy an early dinner to prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are viewable from this position.
Very early in the morning (around midnight), we begin our push to the summit. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. The wind and cold at this elevation and time of day can be extreme. We ascend in the darkness for several hours while taking frequent, but short, breaks. Near Stella Point (18,900 ft), you will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see coming over Mawenzi Peak. Finally, we arrive at Uhuru Peak- the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa.
From the summit, we now make our descent continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut camp site, stopping at Barafu for lunch. The trail is very rocky and can be quite hard on the knees; trekking poles are helpful. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.
On our last day, we continue the descent to Mweka Gate and collect the summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. A vehicle will meet us at Mweka gate to drive us back to the hotel in Moshi.
Explore Tanzania's most iconic trekking routes with our carefully designed packages.
No. of Days |
Solo Per person |
Group size 2-4 (Price/person) |
Group size 5-7 |
Group size 8 & Above |
Route Details |
6 Days/5 Night |
$2,080 |
$ 1,980/person |
$ 1,890 |
$ 1,760 |
No. of Days |
Solo Per person |
Group size 2-4 (Price/person) |
Group size 5-7 |
Group size 8 & Above |
Route Details |
7 Days/6 Night |
$ 2,140 |
$ 2,030/person |
$ 1,920 |
$ 1,860 |