Kilimanjaro Machame Route

9 days—Sometimes called the Whisky Route. This is a popular route up steep paths through magnificent forests.

$1750-3268 USD

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Safari summary

The Machame route begins at Machame Gate, at an altitude of 1800 metres, with an approach to the south west of the mountain. It passes through majestic rainforest on the first day, before continuing up the mountain to reach Shira Camp, where the Lemosho route joins from the west. From here you traverse the southern side of the mountain to Barranco via Lava Tower, and climb the Great Barranco Wall on your way to Barafu Camp. After reaching the summit, you will descend by the Mweka trail, rather than retracing your steps along the ascent route.

The Machame route is nicknamed the ‘Whiskey Route’ as it is considered more difficult than the ‘Coca Cola Route’, the nickname for the Marangu route. In reality, it is not more technically difficult, but is longer and in places steeper. The longer distance and the opportunity to ‘walk high, sleep low’ offer much better acclimatisation and as a result a very high success rate.

The Machame route is a good seven day hike for those who have not trekked much at high altitudes, with an effective extra day’s acclimatization, giving a better success rate. Experienced and already acclimatized mountaineers may opt for the more difficult 6 day ascent along the Machame route. With over 15 years of experience we have helped more than 12,000 people reach the summit of Kilimanjaro. With top quality equipment and the best guides on the mountain, we have a 95% success rate on every route that we operate. If you are looking for a specialist operator with an outstanding safety record, you are in the right place.

About this tour

	Tour type	Custom, tailor-made, private
	Main focus	Hiking \| trekking
	Activity level	Strenuous activity
	Best months	February, March, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
	Countries	Tanzania
	Parks	Kilimanjaro

Fine details

Safari highlights

Bird watching—with professional guide
Sightseeing | shopping | markets
Hiking | trekking

What’s included?

Accommodation
Airport transfers
Meals
Park fees

What’s not included?

International flights
Laundry
Spa treatments
Tips and gratuities
Visas

Itinerary

KILIMANJARO AIRPORT– KIZUMBA HOUSE

Kilimanjaro

Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport where you will be picked up and transferred to Kizumba House or similar for overnight bed and breakfast. Overnight at Kizumba House (bed and breakfast) or Similar.

Kizumba House

ARUSHA | MACHAME PARK GATE

Kilimanjaro

Altitude: 1,800 m – 3,100 m Hiking distance: 11 km Hiking time: 6 hours Your day starts early with a briefing, followed by breakfast and a 1:30 drive from Arusha to the Machame Park Gate. You will receive a packed lunch box at the gate and we advise you to bring bottled water available to purchase at Kizumba House in Arusha. After registering at the gate office, you start your ascent by entering the rain forest.

Machame camp.

MACHAME CAMP | SHIRA CAMP

Kilimanjaro

Altitude: 3,100 m – 3,840 m Hiking distance: 5 km Hiking time: 4–5 hours You rise early at Machame camp and after breakfast, you climb an hour or so to the top of the forest where you will be met with a gentler gradient through the moorland zone, where you will walk for another 2 hours. After a short lunch and rest, you continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau. By now you will be able to see in an easterly direction, the Western Breach with its stunning glaciers.

Shira camp.

SHIRA CAMP | LAVA TOWER |

Kilimanjaro

Altitude: 3,840 m – 3,940 m Hiking distance: 11 km Hiking time: 7–8 hours The route now turns east exposing you to a semi-desert and a rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you reach an altitude of 4630m after about a 5 hours walk. Lunch is served in a designated area before ascending the rocky scree path to Lava Tower (4600m). This will be the toughest day so far.

Barranco camp.

BARRANCO CAMP | KARANGA CAMP

Kilimanjaro

Altitude: 3,940 m – 4,035 m Hiking distance: 6 km Hiking time: 4–5 hours After breakfast we leave Barranco camp, hiking up Barranco Wall, which takes about an hour. You will then continue your way to Karanga camp, which translates to “Peanut camp”. This path has varying ascents and descents, which is a perfect way for you to enjoy your afternoon hike acclimatizing to your new surroundings.

Karanga Camp.

KARANGA CAMP | BARAFU CAMP

Kilimanjaro

Altitude: 4,035 m – 4,670 m Hiking distance: 4 km Hiking time: 3–4 hours Totally exposed to the ever-present gales, the tents are pitched on a narrow, stony, and dangerous ridge. Make sure that you familiarise yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid any accidents. The summit is now a further 1345m up and you will make the final ascent the same night. Prepare your equipment, ski sticks, and thermal clothing for your summit attempt.

Barafu camp.

BARAFU CAMP | SUMMIT |

Kilimanjaro

Altitude: 4,670 m – 5, 895 m – 3,100 m Hiking distance: 17 km Hiking time: 15+ hours You will rise around 23h30, and after some tea and biscuits, you shuffle off into the night. You head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through the heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. From Stella Point, you will normally encounter snow all the way on your 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak. The time you will spend on the summit will depend on the weather conditions.

Mweka Camp.

MWEKA CAMP | KIZUMBA HOUSE

Kilimanjaro

Altitude: 3,100 m – 1,800 m Hiking distance: 10 km Hiking time: 4-5 hours After Breakfast, from the Mweka Gate, you will continue down into Mweka village, normally a muddy hour walk. From Mweka village, you will be driven to Kizumba House where you will be served a delicious hot lunch, not to mention your chance to take a long overdue hot shower. Overnight in Kizumba House.

Kizumba House.