7 Days Kilimanjaro Climb Machame Route
Tour overview
The most beautiful route up Kilimanjaro. This tour, also referred to as the whiskey route, is rightly regarded as the most beautiful on Kilimanjaro. It is particularly varied in landscape and offers great views of Mount Meru and the Kibo. Next to the Marangu route, it is the most popular route on the mountain. The varied height profile allows for good acclimatization, the number of summit successes is therefore high. However, the route is steeper and at the Barranco Wall a simple climbing passage has to be overcome. The route requires you to be in good condition and is less suitable for inexperienced mountain walkers than the Marangu route. Accommodation is at camping sites in tents. The descent is via the Mweka route.
The Machame route is recommended by us as a 7 day tour. This includes an additional acclimatization day, which significantly increases the success to reach the summit. For experienced and very fit mountain hikers, the 6 day tour is also suitable. The fourth day of the shortened tour walks directly from the Barranco Camp to the Barafu Camp, as the intermediate stage over the Karanga Camp is omitted.
Tour Type
Duration
Tour Location
Airport Pickup
- Kilimanjaro Int. Airport (KIA)
Tour Highlights
- Most scenic route at Kilimanjaro
- Climbing passage in the Barranco Wall, surefootedness required
- Ascent over the Machame route and descent over the Mweka route
- Height profile has a positive effect on acclimatization
- Total distance about 65 km
Tour Itinerary
Kisambi Tours' representative will welcome you at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and accompany you to your accommodations for the night. Our guides are well connected with the country, so you'll be in good hands from the minute you arrive until you leave.
After breakfast and a general briefing for your upcoming tour (including equipment check), the drive first goes to the National Park gate, which takes about an hour. While your guide does the necessary formalities, you can relax and watch the various mountain teams in their preparation. As soon as everything is done, your adventure begins. In short time you will be immersed in the magnificent mountain forest with its huge jungle trees, ferns, moss carpets and lianas. With luck, you will observe the black and white colobus monkeys in the tree tops. After about 5 – 6 hours, you will reach the day’s destination – Machame Camp. This is just above the tree line at about 3010 meters above sea level. After dinner, you will spend your first night on Kilimanjaro.
- Elevation: 1,800m to 2,835m
- Hiking Time: 5-6 hours
- Distance: 11 km
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Habitat: Rainforest
After an early start, you will begin the day’s walk through heath and moorland before the trail becomes steeper and the landscape more open. Soon you will glimpse the summit region of Kilimanjaro. Today’s stage is shorter and you will soon arrive at the New Shira Camp, where the view of Kilimanjaro with its rock faces and hanging glaciers is something you should not miss – particularly at sunset. An early night will be needed tonight as tomorrow the trail becomes more strenuous.
- Elevation: 2,835m to 3,850m
- Hiking Time: 4-6 hours
- Distance: 5 km
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Habitat: Moorland
Today you will ascend approx. 800 meters, but the night is spent only slightly higher than the previous night at Shira Camp. This allows your body a better acclimatization for the further climb. The hike begins with a long ascent over the Shira Plateau to the Lava Tower. Here the vegetation becomes barren and turns into an alpine desert landscape. The path then leads through the extensive Barranco Valley, with its lobelias and the huge senecios. After approximately 6-7 hours you will reach the Barranco Camp, which many claim is the most beautiful camp on the mountain.
- Elevation: 3,850m to 4,600m (Lava Tower) to 3,900m
- Hiking Time: 6-7 hours
- Distance: 10 km
- Difficulty: Challenging
- Habitat: Alpine Desert
- Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Today we will lead you through the Barranco Wall and it is another day to help with acclimatization. The climbing is relatively easy, although sometimes you need to use hands to hold on. Enjoy the amazing views before you reach Karanga Camp after approx. 3-4 hours.
- Elevation: 3,900m to 3,995m
- Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
- Distance: 5 km
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Habitat: Alpine Desert
After a leisurely breakfast, you will set off for today’s destination, the Barafu Camp. The hike leads you through a barren landscape, and after 3-4 hours you reach the camp. For the rest of the day you can relax because tomorrow is summit day! After dinner, we will have a very early bedtime as tomorrow will be
exciting, but also exhausting and very long. Try to sleep a bit!
- Elevation: 3,995m to 4,673m
- Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
- Distance: 4 km
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Habitat: Alpine Desert
- Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
You will be woken around midnight. To strengthen yourself, you will first have a hot coffee or tea and a small snack. Using the light of your headlight, the next few hours are steadily upwards. After approximately 5-7 hours, in the early morning light, you will reach the crater rim at the Stella Point. After a short rest you will continue for about an hour to the highest point, the Uhuru Peak. Finally, it is done, and the rewards are fantastic views in all directions. The shadow that the Kilimanjaro casts over Mount Meru in the morning is a special experience. After you have enjoyed the summit, and taken a few memorable photos, it is time for the descent. At the Barafu Camp you have a short rest, where your mountain team will greet you with a hot drink and snacks. Afterwards, you will slowly go to Millenium Camp, where you will spend the last night at the
mountain.
- Elevation: 4,673m to 5,895m (Uhuru Peak) to 3,950m (Millenium Camp)
- Hiking Time: 10-14 hours
- Distance: 19 km
- Difficulty: Very Challenging
- Habitat: Arctic Summit / Alpine Desert / Rainforest
- Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
After breakfast, and strengthened by the increasingly oxygen dense air, you will begin a leisurely walk towards the Mweka Gate. The trail continues through the dense rainforest, and after about 2-3 hours you will reach the gate. At this point it will be time to say goodbye to your team. Once you arrive at the hotel, you can finally enjoy a well-deserved shower and celebrate your summit success.
- Elevation: 3,950m to 1,640m
- Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
- Distance: 10 km
- Difficulty: Easy
- Habitat: Rainforest
- Breakfast; Lunch
Includes
- Kilimanjaro trekking according to the itinerary
- Professional, English-speaking guide
- Mountain crew (cook, summit porter& porters)
- Overnight stays in tents
- Camping equipment (tents, sleeping mats, tables, chairs )
- Meals according to the itinerary
- Drinking water, tea & coffee
- Oxygen tank and oximeters
- All national park fees
- Transfer from the hotel to the National Park gate and back
Excludes
- Alcohol and soft drinks
- Sleeping bag
- Flights
- Visa fees
- Tips
- Personal spending money for souvenirs
- Travel insurance
- Airport Transfer
- Pre and Post climb Hotel Accommodation
Gallery
GROUP DISCOUNT
Group adventures have a predetermined charge per person based on group size. However, we offer optional options for specific private and tailor-made preferences that are best suited to you, your family, and friends.
| GROUP SIZE | PRICE PER PERSON |
|---|---|
| 1 Pax | $ 2100 |
| 2 Pax | $ 1880 |
| 3 Pax - 4 Pax | $ 1740 |
| 5 Pax - 6 Pax | $ 1700 |
| 7 Pax | $ 1680 |
HIKING FAQ'S
Best time to climb Kilimanjaro is a major Kilimanjaro Faq’s asked by most of the trekkers. Mount Kilimanjaro can be ascended year around and all the Kilimanjaro routes will support climbing Kilimanjaro round the year. As Kilimanjaro is near to equator the region experiences a very less extremes of winter and summer weather, rather it has wet and dry seasons. Hence, the Best Time To Climb Kilimanjaro is dry season which is warm. It is advised to avoid climbing Kilimanjaro during wet season for beginners. However, if you are with a professional climber and have all the safety precautions taken, then climbing Kilimanjaro in wet season would be really adventures. This also depends on your preference of Kilimanjaro Routes. You will need to choose best Kilimanjaro route and also choose a longer itinerary for better acclimatization.
The weather in Kilimanjaro is considered as wet season and dry season. Before knowing about Best Time To Climb Kilimanjaro”, the weathers and climates are very important to decide for Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. All the Kilimanjaro routes pass the ecological or climatic zones where the weather tends to change hourly due to the high-altitude condition and the trade winds. The wet season has more rainfall and dry season has lesser rainfall with more dry days. The main climatic zones are: Cultivation zone, Rainforest zone, Heath or moorland zone, Highland dessert zone and Artic zone. Each zone are unique in its own way and also have a distinct weather conditions all the way.
The Kilimanjaro Food during your climb will help you to avoid from Kilimanjaro Altitude Sickness. The menu on Kilimanjaro is designed to ensure your food intake matches your level of exertion. It will provide you with a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables. When you are at altitude you could start to feel uneasy and your appetite may be suppressed, so the meals prepared at high altitude usually contain more carbohydrates and less protein to help you to digest your food. Your meals will be prepared by your cooks on Kilimanjaro and the food will be carried by your porters. You will be provided with Porridge, Toast, Pancakes, Egg, Smoked sausages, Tea, coffee and Hot chocolate. Sandwiches, Hard boiled eggs, Biscuits, Fruit juice. Soup, Pasts, Rice, Potatoes, Chicken, Beef, vegetables, Salad and Fresh fruits.
The Kilimanjaro Food during your climb will help you to avoid from Kilimanjaro Altitude Sickness. The menu on Kilimanjaro is designed to ensure your food intake matches your level of exertion. It will provide you with a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables. When you are at altitude you could start to feel uneasy and your appetite may be suppressed, so the meals prepared at high altitude usually contain more carbohydrates and less protein to help you to digest your food. Your meals will be prepared by your cooks on Kilimanjaro and the food will be carried by your porters. You will be provided with Porridge, Toast, Pancakes, Egg, Smoked sausages, Tea, coffee and Hot chocolate. Sandwiches, Hard boiled eggs, Biscuits, Fruit juice. Soup, Pasts, Rice, Potatoes, Chicken, Beef, vegetables, Salad and Fresh fruits.
It is better to check with your doctor or centre of disease control before leaving for any recommendations. This one of the major Mount Kilimanjaro Facts you should take into considerations. However, while entering Tanzania you will need a yellow fever vaccination certificate and also malaria vaccination certificate. Apart from these other vaccinations are not compulsory. However, it is better to consult your doctor for Vaccinations for Kilimanjaro if you have asthma or any chronic health problems.
The usual ratio is three or four local staff for each climber, although small groups may have four or five staff per climber. The staff usually consists of an English speaking guide or guides, a professional cooker, and gear-carrying porters. We encourage you to interact with your staff. They are all trustworthy, local people who have grown up in the shadow of the mountain. Many of them have climbed the peak a hundred or more times.
We can measure each day in walking hours rather than kilometers. Most days, other than the summit day, will begin with breakfast around 6:30 AM and departure at 7 AM. You will walk four to five hours with a break for lunch followed by another hour or two of hiking in the afternoon. These days are not long or difficult and you will be advised to walk slowly.
We recommend a minimum of eight days from the USA and Europe, although some people may wish more time for the trip. We can customize itineraries or routes to offer more days in the park(s). Some people may wish to climb nearby Mount Meru as well. If you have more than eight or nine days, you can choose any of the main routes on the mountain and still have time for a wildlife safari before or after your trip.
Words from Our happy Clients
We have received feedback from our clients, and Kisambi Tours is rated 5/5 by them. Customers grant us this honor because we are constantly committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure that their safari is completely satisfactory.
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