Machame Route
7 days—The Machame route, also known as the “Whiskey” route, is the most popular route on Kilimanjaro. Machame’s draw is in its scenic beauty.
$2450-2750 USD
pp
Safari summary
Known as the “Whiskey” route
The route, also known as the “Whiskey” route, is the most popular route on Kilimanjaro. Machame’s draw is in its scenic beauty. However, the trail is complex, steep, and challenging, mainly due to its shorter itinerary. Therefore this route is better suited for more adventurous folks or those with some high altitude, hiking, or backpacking experience.
The route approaches Mount Kilimanjaro from the south, beginning with a short drive from Moshi to Machame Gate. The path leads hikers through the rainforest to Shira Plateau. Here, many of Kilimanjaro’s routes converge. Then the route turns east and traverses underneath Kilimanjaro’s Southern Ice Field on a path known as the Southern Circuit before summiting from Barafu. Descent is made via the Mweka route.
About this tour
| Tour type | Custom, tailor-made, private | |
| Main focus | Hiking | trekking | |
| Activity level | Strenuous activity | |
| Best months | All months | |
| Countries | ||
| Parks |
Fine details
Safari highlights
- Hiking | trekking
What’s included?
- Accommodation
- Airport transfers
- Park fees
What’s not included?
- Hot air balloons
- Laundry
- Visas
Itinerary
DAY 1 Machame Gat to machame camp
Elevation: 5,380 ft to 9,350 ft Hiking Time: 5-7 hours Distance: 11 km | 7 miles Habitat: RainForest The drive from Moshi to the Machame Gate takes about 50 minutes. The journey passes through the village of Machame, located on the mountain’s lower slopes. 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.
DAY 2 Machame Camp to Shira camp
Elevation: 9,350 ft to 12,500 ft Hiking Time: 4-6 hours Distance: 5 km | 3 miles Habitat: Health We leave the rainforest glades and continue on an ascending path up to a steep, rocky ridge. On the Shira Plateau, we pass through heather and open moorlands, then cross a large river gorge to Shira 2 Camp
DAY 3 – Shira 2 Camp Baranco camp
Shira 2 Camp to Lava Tower Elevation: 12,500 ft to 15,190 ft Hiking Time: 4-5 hours Lava Tower to Barranco Camp Elevation: 15,190 ft to 13,044 ft Hiking Time: 2-3 hours Distance: 7 km | 4 miles Habitat: Alpine Desert Distance: 3 km | 2 miles Habitat: Alpine Desert We continue to the east up a ridge and then head southeast towards the Lava Tower – a 300 ft tall volcanic rock formation. We descend down to Barranco Camp
DAY4 Barranco Camp to Karanga camp
Elevation: 13,044 ft to 13,106 ft Hiking Time: 4-5 hours Distance: 5 km | 3 miles Habitat: Alpine Desert 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 more steep climb up leads us to Karanga Camp
DAY 5 Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
Elevation: 13,106 ft to 15,331 ft Hiking Time: 4-5 hours Distance: 4 km | 2 miles Habitat: Alpine Desert 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.
DAY 6 – Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak
Elevation: 15,331 ft to 19,341 ft Hiking Time: 7-8 hours Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp Elevation: 19,341 ft to 10,065 ft Hiking Time: 4-6 hours Habitat: Arctic Distance: 12 km | 7 miles 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 short, breaks.
DAY 7 – Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
Elevation: 10,065 ft to 5,380 ft Hiking Time: 3-4 hours Distance: 10 km | 6 miles Habitat: Rain Forest 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. From the gate, we continue another hour to Mweka Village. A vehicle will meet us at Mweka Village to drive us back to the hotel in Moshi.
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