Climb Mount Kilimanjaro in 7 Day -Via Machame Route
Price starts $1,820 USD
Looking to climb Mount Kilimanjaro the highest mount in Africa? Zazu Tanzania Safaris leads treks up the Machame route, a beautiful route on Mount Kilimanjaro that allows you to experience the southwest and south sides of the mountain since you go up one way and down another.
Climb Mount Kilimanjaro via Machame route, which is referred to as the “Whiskey Route,” is a good option for trekkers who are happy to brave a more challenging climb with some steep terrain and long days. It rewards the extra effort with some of the best scenery Kilimanjaro has to offer, which makes it a popular route with sometimes heavy traffic in peak months.
From late afternoon sunsets at Shira to the misty revelations of Kibo’s great Barranco Wall, the Machame Route offers the spunky hiker a continuous scenic slide show.
When you climb Mount Kilimanjaro all your equipment and supplies are carried by porters and a cook prepares all your meals. Unlike the Marangu Route where you sleep in huts, on the Machame you sleep in tents (tents are included), and the porters will pitch your tent for you. Meals are served in a dinner tent or on a blanket outside.
-The Number of Days you Need to Climb Mount Kilimanjaro
The Machame Route is normally completed in 6 days, but we recommend to do it in 7 days in case you would prefer more time of acclimatization. The Machame Route takes you high to Lava Tower (4,630 m/15,190 ft.) on day 3 then brings you down for an overnight at Barranco Camp (3,950 m/12,960 ft.). This intermediate ascent and descent is the secret to successful acclimatization and is the reason that this route has a high success rate of summiting, this is crucial information to know when you are deciding to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to make sure you summit successfully and safely.
Day 1: Arrival!
Arriving at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by one of our experienced driver guides, ready to greet and escort you to Green Mountain Lodge in Arusha or similar hotel.You will spend a night here before you start you climb Mount Kilimanjaro adventure!
Day 2:
Moshi (915 m/3,000 ft.) to Machame Gate (1,490 m/4,890 ft) to Machame Camp (2,980 m/9,780 ft)18 km, 5-7 hours Montane Forest
After an early breakfast in Moshi or Arusha, transfer to Machame Gate where you will meet the whole team of porters, guides, and cooks that will spend the next seven days trekking with you to Uhuru Peak, the highest point of Africa.
-Transit Time From Hotel to the Gate
The drive from Moshi is through coffee farms and villages to Machame Gate and it takes just under an hour, but from Arusha is approximately 1.5 hours. The road is paved for most of the way. Once you arrive, you’ll spend about an hour waiting at the gate while we register your climb Mount Kilimanjaro adventure and the porters and guides make final preparations.
After registering at the park office, you start your ascent and enter the rain forest immediately. Heavy rains on this side of the mountain often transform the trail into a soggy, slippery experience, so good footgear, trekking poles, and gaiters are useful.
You will enjoy a welcome lunch stop halfway up and will reach the Machame camp in the late afternoon. Your porters will arrive at camp before you and will pitch your tent before you arrive. In the evening, the porters boil drinking and washing water while the cook prepares your dinner. Night temperatures can drop to freezing at the Machame Camp.
Day 3:
Machame Camp (2,980 m/9,780 ft), to Shira Camp (3,840 m/12,600 ft), 5 hours
From Machame camp, you hike to Shira Camp. The first section is relatively steep and the altitude is gained rapidly. After a short lunch and rest, you continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira Plateau where you will be able to see Kilimanjaro’s great Western Breach with its stunning glaciers.
Sometimes, the walls of the Western Breach are draped with extensive ice curtains. After a short hike west, you reach the Shira campsite. The porters will boil drinking and washing water before serving dinner. The night at this exposed camp will be colder, with temperatures dropping below freezing.
This second day on the mountain takes us out of the rainforest and up a steep ridge into moorland. You’ll notice the vegetation getting sparser as we ascend and several distinct species, including the giant groundsel and lobelia, will soon be the only plants dominating the harsh landscape. We camp on the edge of Shira plateau which offers wonderful views of the snow-dusted Kibo peaks.
Day 4:
Shira Camp (3,830 m/12,600 ft.), to Lava Tower (4,630 m/15,190 ft.), to Barranco Camp (3,950 m/12,960 ft.), 7 hours
Today you will hike east up a steepening path above the highest vegetation toward Kilimanjaro’s looming mass. After many hours of walking through a rocky landscape, you will reach the prominent landmark called Lava Tower at 4,630 m/15,190ft.
Lunch is taken as a picnic lunch en route to Lava Tower, then we descend for 2 hours below the lower cliffs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall to Barranco Camp at 3,950 m/12,960 ft. Stay alert for great photos opportunities on this hike! On this day, be careful to notice any ticking signs of altitude sickness.
Day 5:
Barranco Camp (3,950 m/12,960 ft.), to Barafu Camp (4,550 m/14,930 ft.), 8 hours
After spending a night under the imposing Great Barranco Wall, you climb this awesome obstacle, which turns out to be easier than it looks. The route then heads down through the Karanga Valley and goes over intervening ridges and valleys to join the Mweka Route, which will be your descent route. You have now completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. For now, all eyes are still on the summit, so turn left and hike up the ridge for another hour to the Barafu Hut.
Preparing your equipment and warm clothing for your summit climb is imperative. This should include replacing your headlamp and camera batteries, and to prevent freezing, consider carrying your water in a thermal flask. A relatively early dinner is taken before heading to rest for the evening.
Day 6:
Barafu Camp (4,550 m/14,930 ft), to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m/19,340 ft.), to Mweka Camp (3,100 m/10,170 ft), 7 km up, 23 km down 8 hours up, 7-8 hours down
At midnight you will begin your ascent to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa! For the next six hours, you will hike by flashlight. It is helpful to use a headlamp so your arms are free during the ascent. The ascent from Barafu to the crater rim is the most challenging part of the entire six-day trek. For much of the hike, you will walk on a gravel slope that causes you to slip back slightly with every step forward.
The going is extremely slow until you reach the crater rim at Stella Point (5,685 m / 18,650 ft.). 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 a psychological battle, and you will need to go very slowly to reach the top. The guide will advise you on how to make the hike easier. The crater rim hike takes about forty-five minutes and you should reach Uhuru Peak around sunrise.
After your 3-hour descent from the summit back to Barafu Camp, you will have a well-earned but short rest, collect your gear, and hike down a rock and scree path into the moorland and eventually into the forest to Mweka Camp (3,100 m/10,170 ft.).
This camp is in the upper forest, so you can expect mist or rain in the late afternoon. Dinner and washing water will be prepared, and the camp office sells drinking water, soft drinks, chocolates, and beer!
Day 7: Mweka Camp – Arusha!
Mweka Camp (3,100 m/10,170 ft.), to Mweka Gate (1,980 m/6,500 ft), to Moshi (890 m/2,920 ft.), 3 hours
Begin the hike back to Moshi and then Arusha through the beautiful rainforests.
After a well-deserved breakfast, it is a short, scenic, 3-hours hike back to the park gate. Don’t give your porters any tips until you and all your gear have reached the gate safely, but do remember to tip your staff at the gate.
At Mweka Gate, you can sign your name and add details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Climbers who reached Stella Point are issued green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak receive gold certificates.
In the Mweka Village, you will be served a delicious hot lunch after which you are driven back to Arusha for an overdue hot shower and comfortable night in the hotel. Accommodation & meals at Green Mountain Lodge
Trip Inclusions/Exclusions
- 2 nights hotel accommodation in Arusha (before & after the climb)
- Group transport to and from the ascent and descent gate
- Kilimanjaro National Park permits, camping or hut fees, rescue fees
- All the government taxes
- Professional mountain guides, assistant guides, porters, and chiefs.
- Supplementary oxygen
- Private portable toilet
- Mountain tents, double occupancy
- Sleeping mats
- Mess tents, tables, chairs, lanterns
- Three meals a day
Not included in price:
- Airfare
- Personal Gear & equipment
- Tips for your guides, cooks, and porters
- Lunch or dinner at the hotel
- Beverages at hotel
Costs of additional services:
- Single supplement, for a single tent, per trip $200
- An extra night of hotel accommodation
- Sleeping bag available for rental, per trip $40
- Trekking poles available for rental, per trip $20
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