7 Days Machame Route Kilimanjaro Climbing

Duration: 7 DAYS KILIMANJARO TREKKING

Location: 7 Days Kilimanjaro Machame Route-TANZANIA

Price: Inquire

Known as the “Whiskey” route, the Machame route is now the most popular route on the mountain. Compared with Marangu, the days on Machame are longer and the walks are steeper. The Machame route is considered a difficult route, and is better suited for more adventurous folks and those with some hiking or backpacking experience.

The route begins from the south, then heads east, traversing underneath Kilimanjaro’s southern ice field before summiting. The minimum number of days required for this route is six days, although seven days is recommended. The Machame route is scenically beautiful and varied. However, due to the heavy crowds, it loses some of its splendor.
Machame Kilimanjaro 7 Days

Day 0 : Pickup to Airport

You will be picked up from airport. From there you will go to the hotel in Moshi for an orientation on your trek. Your guides will be there to provide you with details on your trek and will also check your trekking gears.
Dinner and overnight at PANAMA GARDEN RESORT or similar hotel in Moshi

Day 01: Machame Gate (1,800m/5,905ft) to Machame Camp (3,000m/9,840ft)

Elevation Gain: 1,200 meters, 3,935 feet
Distance: 9 kilometers
At 9am, leave Moshi for Machame Gate, where you will meet the our porters and cooks that will spend the next seven days trekking with you to Uhuru Peak, the roof of Africa. Once you arrive, you will have a chance to wait at the gate while the staff registers your climb and the porters and guides make final preparations.

Your first day’s destination is Machame Camp. Each day, porters and cooks will walk ahead to set up the camp in time for your arrival. On the first day, hike through the moss-covered trees of Kilimanjaro’s cloud forest. The forest will thin at the end of the hike and vegetation will change to include heathers, tall grasses and wildflowers. If the weather is clear, view the surrounding area and your ultimate destination, Kibo Peak.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 02:Machame Camp (3,000m/9,840ft) to Shira Camp (3,840m/12,600ft)

Elevation Gain: 840 meters, 2,760 feet
Distance: 7 kilometers
Although considered to be the easiest day on the Machame Route, today’s trek includes several uphill sections. Carry plenty of drinking water, as the exposed hike can be hot on a clear day. There are several viewpoints from which you can see the plains and forests below and Kibo and Mawenzi peaks above.

As you gain altitude, notice the change in vegetation. The trees diminish in size, giving way to Kilimanjaro’s famous high altitude plants, Scenecio kilimanjari and Lobelia deckenii. After eating lunch, climb the Shira Plateau, created when Kibo’s lava flows filled the Shira crater. Continue to Shira Camp, where you will relax for the rest of the day. Kibo lies to the west and Mount Meru to the east.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day Three: Shira Camp (3,840m/12,600ft) to Barranco Camp (3,950m/12,960ft)

Total Elevation Gain: 690 meters, 2,264 feet
Distance: 10 kilometers
Although this up and down day ends with an elevation gain of only 110 meters, by early afternoon you will have climbed 690 meters to a height of 4,530 meters before beginning your descent to Barranco Camp. This day is crucial for acclimatization. After breakfast, hike east on the Shira Plateau before reaching the junction for the Shira and Lemosho Routes.

Continue on through the barren landscape before stopping for lunch. Shortly after lunch, reach the highest point of the day before descending quickly to Barranco Camp. Faster hikers can take a detour via Lava Tower, a 300-foot lava formation jutting out of the mountainside.
Barranco Camp, set among stands of Senecio kilimanjari, is considered to be the most scenic campsite on the Machame Route.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day Four: Barranco Camp (3,950m/12,960ft) to Karanga Valley (4,200m/13,780ft)

Elevation Gain: 250 meters, 820 feet
Distance: 7 Kilometers
Leave Barranco Camp after breakfast for Karanga Valley. The day begins with a 1.5 hour scramble up Barranco Wall. This is the hardest part of the day and in some places you will have to use your hands to pull your body up. After reaching the top make a short descent into the greener Karanga Valley. We generally camp on the ridge above the valley to allow for greater acclimatization.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day Five: Karanga Valley (4,200m/13,780ft) to Barafu Camp (4,600m/15,100ft)

Elevation Gain: 400 meters, 1,320 feet
Distance: 6 kilometers
After breakfast, begin the hike to Barafu Camp. On the way to Barafu, view several of Kibo’s glaciers as well as the junction that connects the descent route, Mweka, with the Machame trail. During day four, hike by the Heim, Kersten and Decken Glaciers. Although the trail to Barafu passes through alpine desert with little vegetation, Barafu Camp offers stunning views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. Try to sleep as soon as you finish dinner as you will awake before midnight for your summit hike.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 06: Barafu Camp (4,600m/15,100ft) to Uhuru Peak (5,895m/19,340ft) to Mweka Camp (3,100m/10,170ft)

Elevation Gain: 1,295 meters, 4,240 feet
Elevation Loss: 2,795 meters, 9,170 feet
Distance: 18 kilometers
Around midnight, begin the final ascent to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa. For the next six hours, hike by the light of your headlamp. The ascent to the crater rim is the most challenging part of the entire trek. The trail is very steep until you reach the crater rim at Stella Point. The hike from Stella Point to Uhuru Peak is a gradual climb and, as far as hikes go, not very difficult. The altitude, however, makes the hike long and tiring. The crater rim hike takes approximately one hour.

Upon reaching Uhuru, take as many photos as you would like,enjoy the scenery and the views and you allowed to do anything that you would enjoy to do before beginning the descent to Mweka Camp. On the way down from Uhuru, enjoy views of the mountain, crater, clouds and glaciers. At Barafu Camp, eat breakfast and take a short break. You still have another three to five hours to go before reaching Mweka Camp.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 07: Mweka Camp (3,100m/10,170ft) to Mweka Gate (1,500m/4,920ft)

Elevation Loss: 1,600 meters, 5,250 feet
Distance: 10 kilometers
After breakfast, finish the trek with a descent to Mweka Gate. Your last hike on Kilimanjaro is a beautiful one, passing through Kilimanjaro’s cloud forest. Watch your step during the descent, as the trail can be slippery. Our vehicles will be waiting at the lower station of Mweka Gate to take you back to Moshi.

At Mweka Gate gate you sign your name and details in a register book. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Stella Point are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m), receive Golden certificates.
You now drive back to Moshi for a long overdue hot shower, dinner descent bed and celebrations!!
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Included

Dinner and overnight at PANAMA GARDEN RESORT or similar hotel in Moshi.

Remarks
When arranging for your international air tickets, note that it is usually cheaper to disembark at Nairobi in Kenya. You then take a shuttle bus to Arusha at a cost of US$ 30.

This shuttle bus leaves at 0800 and 1400 hrs daily from either Nairobi or Arusha. The drive takes 5 hours. If you wish to make use of this option, please indicate so.

7 Days Machame Route Includes:

– Transfers with pick up and drop off at Arusha or Airport
– Park entrance & rescues fees
– Accommodation and meals as indicated in the itinerary
– Accommodation in tents with 2 persons per tent during climb
– Services of a cook to prepare meals during the climb
– Service of a mountain guide (English speaking) and porters
– Government taxes

7 Days Machame Route Excludes:

– Extras at the hotel i.e. drinks, telephone, laundry etc.
– International flight
– Departure tax
– Tips to guides, porters and drivers
– Climbing equipment and sleeping bags

What to bring
A) Waterproof hiking boots,
B) Rain suit, sleeping bags,
C) Flashlights,
D) Sunglasses balaclava,
E) Hand gloves,
F) Night shoes
G) Large plastic bags -essential for wetness in case of rain

Our all-time favorate the Machame route is the most scenic route on Kilimanjaro.
The Machame route allows you to experience the southwest and south side of Kilimanjaro, traversing up and down and over river valleys on the southern slopes, this increases the body’s ability to naturally acclimatize more properly and increase your chance for success.
All equipment and supplies are carried by porters and a cook prepares all your meals. Meals are served in a dinner tent or on a blanket outside.
From late afternoon sunsets on the Shira Plateau, to the misty revelations of Kilimanjaro great Barranco Wall, the Machame Route offers hikers a continuous scenic slide show. The Machame route is also referred to as the “Whiskey Route”.
The Machame route is highly recommended for people experiencing high altitude mountaineering for the first time. A minimum of 6 days on Mount Kilimanjaro is needed, but for more comfort and to increase your chance of success, 7 days are recommended. Accommodation on this route will be in tents, included in the package, and the porters will pitch your tent for you.

Why choose the Machame route?

The Machame route we have found is definitely of the most opted for routes to consider for your adventure up Kilimanjaro. While it is not the longest route to reach the summit, the old adage for better acclimatization of “climb-high, sleep-low” comes to mind when using this tented route, with climbs to ridges and descents to valleys marking the approach days to Barafu Camp, base camp for summit, which will definitely aid hikers in their quest to reach the summit.

Why not to consider the Machame route?

Long, challenging route, popularity of this route makes it a busy route.

What is the Machame route success rate for hiking on Kilimanjaro?

Official statistics are not available from the Kilimanjaro national park, but the success rate will depend on the days that you spend on Kilimanjaro.
The Machame route can be done in 6 days or 7 days. We recommend to take 7 days, although 6 days will allow adequate acclimatization.
The Machame route, compared to the other routes, will offer you a high chance or reaching the summit.
No route on Kilimanjaro will guarantee you reaching the summit, but is that not the reason why you want to climb Kilimanjaro? You want to challenge yourself, with the reward being worth so much more at the end.
With our years of experience and logistical systems in place, we offer our clients a 100% chance of reaching the summit, helping you prepare for your adventure from mental and physical aspect.
Anybody with average fitness levels, the right equipment and armed with knowledge of what lies ahead will stand a good chance of successfully summitting Kilimanjaro and no prior experience is required due to it not being a technical climb at all. Unfortunately though, altitude affects each person differently, irrespective of age, gender and fitness levels and the fear of ‘will I get sick?” plagues all of us before the time. Only when on the mountain will you know if your body is able to adapt physiologically to the decreasing oxygen levels in the air and decreasing atmospheric pressure.

Recommended days to plan for on the Machame route?

The Machame route can be done in 6 or 7 days. We recommend to take 7 days, although 6 days will allow
adequate acclimatization.

What is the distance from the park gate to the summit of Kilimanjaro on the Machame route?

From the Machame park gate to Uhuru Peak, the top of Kilimanjaro has been calculated by the Kilimanjaro National park to be 40 km.