9-Day Kilimanjaro Machame Route Climb
The classic “whiskey route”: steeper and more scenic than Marangu, through rainforest and across the Shira Plateau, with an acclimatisation day at Lava Tower before the summit at Uhuru Peak (5,895 m).
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights (7 days on the mountain)
- Starts and ends
- Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
- Route
- Machame up, Mweka down
- Sleeping
- Tented camps on the mountain; hotel before and after
- Summit
- Uhuru Peak, 5,895 m, via Stella Point
- Group size
- From 1 climber
- Fitness
- We advise when you enquire
- Best months
- We advise when you enquire
Price on request
We send you a personal quote for your dates and group.
Starting price per person.
Prices are a guide. Park fees and availability change, so we always confirm your exact price in a personal quote before you book. Your price depends on your group size and travel dates. Request a quote at any time, with no obligation to book.
Includes park fees, guides, crew, meals on the mountain and hotel nights before and after. A 30% deposit confirms your booking; the balance is due 30 days before you travel.
Overview
Machame is one of Kilimanjaro’s most popular routes, and one of its most beautiful. You climb through rainforest to Machame Camp, cross onto the Shira Plateau, then follow the “walk high, sleep low” rule: up to Lava Tower at 4,630 m for lunch and down to Barranco Camp for the night. After scrambling up the Barranco Wall you continue to Karanga and Barafu Camp, and set off for the summit around midnight. You descend by the Mweka Route.
Many companies also sell a six-day Machame climb that skips the night at Karanga. We plan seven days on the mountain, which gives your body more time to adjust to the altitude.
Highlights
- Rainforest on the first day and the Shira Plateau on the second
- Acclimatisation at Lava Tower (4,630 m) before sleeping at Barranco (3,976 m)
- The scramble up the Great Barranco Wall
- A night at Karanga for extra acclimatisation
- Sunrise near Stella Point and the summit, Uhuru Peak
Route
Kilimanjaro Airport → hotel → Machame Gate → Machame Camp → Shira Cave Camp → Lava Tower → Barranco → Karanga → Barafu → Uhuru Peak → Mweka Camp → Mweka Gate → hotel → Kilimanjaro Airport
Day by day
Arrival
All trekkers need to organise their own flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). From JRO we will arrange a private transfer to your hotel. That night or early the next morning you will meet your local Tanzania Willdcats Safaris representative and have a full pre-climb briefing.
Machame Gate to Machame Camp
Transfer from your hotel to Machame Gate for registration. Our porters prepare and pack our supplies and luggage before we start our ascent along the forest trail to Machame Camp at 2,850 m. We will stay here overnight.
Machame Camp to Shira Cave Camp
After breakfast we start walking, leaving the rainforest behind, and continue our ascent, crossing a small valley and up to a steep rocky ridge, covered with heather. Our route now turns west into a river gorge until we reach Shira Cave Camp. It will be colder tonight than the previous night with temperatures possibly falling below freezing.
Shira Camp to Barranco Camp via Lava Tower
Today we will climb to the base of Lava Tower (4,630 m) for lunch and acclimatisation. This will be our toughest day so far and you may, for the first time, feel the altitude. After lunch we will descend again by about 650 m to Barranco Camp, following the “walk high, sleep low” golden rule of acclimatisation. Our descent to Barranco Camp takes about 2 hours and offers great opportunities to take some beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The camp is situated in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall.
Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
A short, but fun, day starting with a scramble to the top of the Great Barranco Wall. We then traverse over scree to the Karanga Valley (about 3,995 m) beneath the icefalls of the Heim, Kersten and Decken Glaciers. We will stay overnight at Karanga campsite.
Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
We leave Karanga campsite behind to meet the junction connecting with the Mweka descent trail. From here we continue up to Barafu Camp. Here we can rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The camp offers amazing views of the summit and the two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo.
Summit day: Uhuru Peak, then down to Mweka Camp
You will be woken around 23:30 with tea and biscuits. We start our trek to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers through heavy scree up to Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging part of the trek. At Stella Point (5,756 m), we will stop for a short rest and hopefully be in time to witness the magnificent sunrise (weather permitting). We are now only an hour away from the summit, Uhuru Peak (5,895 m), the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. From the summit, we descend to Mweka camp site, via Barafu Camp for lunch. Trekking poles will be needed for the loose scree going down to Mweka Camp (3,068 m). Later in the evening, we will enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.
Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
Your final day on the trek, departing after breakfast we descend about 1,430 m to the Mweka Park Gate to pick up your summit certificates from the Park Headquarters. Transfer to your hotel.
Fly home, or continue your trip
After a good night’s rest we transfer you to Kilimanjaro International Airport, or on to a safari or Zanzibar.
Where you sleep
| Night | Camp, hut or hotel | Altitude |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hotel near Kilimanjaro | (named in your personal itinerary) |
| 2 | Machame Camp | 2,850 m |
| 3 | Shira Cave Camp | about 3,800 m |
| 4 | Barranco Camp | 3,976 m |
| 5 | Karanga Camp | 3,995 m |
| 6 | Barafu Camp | 4,673 m |
| 7 | Mweka Camp | 3,068 m |
| 8 | Hotel near Kilimanjaro |
Included
- Hotel nights before and after your climb
- Airport transfers
- Transfers to and from the mountain
- National park entry, camping, climbing and rescue fees
- A fully supported climb (an average of four support staff to each climber)
- All meals and drinking water on the mountain
- A clean, private portable toilet
- A dining tent and sleeping tents with foam mattresses
- Emergency oxygen and a first aid kit
- A certificate for your summit
Not included
- International flights and visas
- Tips for your guide and crew
- Travel insurance covering trekking up to 6,000 m
- Your personal trekking gear
- Snacks on the mountain
- Meals and drinks off the mountain
Make it yours
Add a safari
Add Zanzibar
Warm up on Mount Meru
Request a quote for this climb
Tell us your dates and how you like to travel. We will confirm availability and an exact price for your group. No obligation to book.
We reply within 24 hours.
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