7 Days Climbing Kilimanjaro Machame Route
7 Days Climbing Kilimanjaro Machame Route
$ 2,300
$ 1,699
- Adult
- Child
Embark on the 7 Days Climbing Kilimanjaro Machame Route, expertly designed to enhance acclimatization and ensure a safe summit. Often referred to as the “Whiskey” route, this popular trail offers breathtaking scenic beauty and an unforgettable adventure. Unlike the 6-day variant, this route provides you with ample time to adapt to the altitude, significantly boosting your chances of reaching the summit.
As you traverse the Machame Route, prepare for a thrilling journey that is more challenging than others. This adventure is ideal for trekkers with some prior experience at high altitudes. Moreover, while the Machame Route is shorter, it is perfect for climbers who want a concise yet intense climbing experience. Remember, longer routes typically result in higher summit success rates.
Your 7 Days Climbing Kilimanjaro Machame Route journey begins with an overnight stay at Machame Camp. Subsequently, you’ll spend nights at Shira 2 Camp, Lava Tower Camp, Barranco Camp, and Karanga Camp. Finally, you will summit via Barafu Camp before descending through the Mweka Route. Each night, our dedicated porters will set up your tent at designated campsites, ensuring a comfortable stay amidst nature.
Additionally, we arrange a hotel room for you the night before your climb. After your descent, if you wish, we can book you into a cozy lodge to relax before your return flight. This adventure can seamlessly connect with a safari or a Zanzibar beach getaway.
Explore stunning landscapes, unforgettable wildlife, and majestic views while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro! For more details, check out our Kilimanjaro treks, safaris, or Zanzibar tours.
Duration
7 Days
6 Nights
Tour Type
Mid-Range
Language
English, French, Spanish, German
Highlights
- Make sure you wear well-fitting, comfortable hiking boots to avoid blisters.
- Drink as much water as possible, 4-5 liters a day if possible, or even more. Staying hydrated at all times reduces the symptoms of altitude sickness.
- Training and fitness play a crucial role in climbing Mount Kilimanjaro via the Machame route.
- Make sure you have everything you need in your day pack and gear list. Let us know in advance if anything is missing so that we can sort it out before you embark on your climbing adventure.
- Take it slow, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is not a race, it is a marathon.
Popular Features
Can Be Customized
Can Start Any Day
First time Africa travellers
Private Tour
Travel Itinerary
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Day 0
Arrival in Moshi
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport or the nearest airport to start your 7-day Machame Route trek, where you will be met by Paul Tour Safari representatives. After pick-up we will drive to your accommodation in Moshi is where you’ll spend the night in Kili Wonders Hotel
- 3 Hours
- Breakfast
Day 1
Machame Gate (1490m) – Machame Camp (2980m)
Hiking time: 7 hours
Distance: Approximately 18 kilometers
Habitat: Montane forest
After an early breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up from Arusha (1400m) and driven to the Machame Village. In the village, you can buy mineral water and will receive a packed lunch. From the village, depending on the road conditions, you will either continue driving 3 kilometers or walk to the Machame Gate (1490m). At the gate, the porters will organize and pack the belongings for the hike while you and your guide register with the Tanzania National Park (TANAPA). You will then begin your ascent into the rainforest. During this section of the hike, you should expect rain, mud, and fog. Also, be on the look out for wildlife, including Colobus monkeys! About halfway up the trail you will have a lunch break and you will reach the Machame Camp (2980) in the late afternoon or early evening. The porters and chef, who move very fast up the mountain, will reach camp before you and set up your tents, boil drinking water, and prepare snacks for your arrival. After washing up, a hot dinner will be served. For overnight, mountain temperatures may drop to freezing so be prepared!
- ACCOMODATION: Kilimanjaro Camping
- 7 Hours
- Breakfast , Lunch , Dinner
Day 2
Machame Camp (2980m) – Shira Camp (3840m
Hiking time: 6 hours
Distance: Approximately 9 kilometers
Habitat: Moorland
After an early morning breakfast, you will start you ascent leaving the rain forest and entering the heathland moorland vegetation. You will cross many streams and walk over a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau that leads to Shira Camp (3840m). At this campsite, you will be next to a stream and have a spectacular view of the Western Breach and its glaciers in the East. Similar to the first night, your tents will be set up prior to arriving at camp and the porters will prepare drinking and washing water for you. You will enjoy evening snacks then dinner prepared by our chef. Be prepared for a cold night as temperatures drop below freezing at this exposed camp.
ACCOMODATION: Kilimanjaro Camping
- 6 Hours
- Breakfast , Lunch , Dinner
Day 3
Shira (at 3840m) – Lava Tower (at 4630m) – Barranco camp (at 3950m)
Hiking time: 7 hours
Distance: Approximately 15 kilometers
Habitat: Semi-desert
Following an early morning breakfast, you will leave the moorland environment and enter the semi desert and rocky landscape. After 5 hours of walking east, you will be come face to face with the Lava Tower (4630m). Packed lunches are served at the Tower and hikers have the option of climbing the massive Lava Tower weather permitting. At this point of the hike, it is normal for hikers to start feeling the effects from the altitude including headaches and shortness of breath.
After lunch, you will descend from Lava Tower (4630m) to the Barranco Campsite (3950m). The 6800m descent gives hikers a huge advantage to allow their bodies to adjust to the conditions of high altitude. The descent to camp takes around 2 hours to reach. It is located in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall (“Breakfast Wall”). Drinking and washing water and dinner will be served as hikers view the sun setting.
- ACCOMMODATION: Kilimanjaro Camping
- 6 Hours
- Breakfast , Lunch , Dinner
Day 4
Barranco Camp (3950m) – Karanga Camp (3950m)
Hiking time: 4-5 hours
Distance: Approximately 5 kilometers
Habitat: Alpine desert
After an early morning breakfast, it is now time to conquer the Great Barranco Wall! Although it may look intimating at first glance, hikers state that this Class 2 hike is usually much easier than they anticipated. At the top of the Wall, you will have a view of Heim Glacier and will be above the clouds. The trail then winds up and down in the Karanga Valley. This is an ideal hiking day for acclimatization.
- 5 Hours
- Breakfast , Lunch , Dinner
Day 5
Karanga Camp (3959m) – Barafu Hut (4600m)
Hiking time: 2-3 hours
Distance: Approximately 4 kilometers
Habitat: Alpine desert
Following breakfast, you will leave Karanga Camp (3959m). The trail intersects with the Mweka Route, which is the trail used to descend on the final two days. As you continue hiking for an hour, you will reach Barafu Hut. This is the last water stop for the porters because there is no accessible water at Barafu Camp (4550m). The word “barafu” in Swahili means “ice” and this camp is located on a rocky, exposed ridge. Tents will be exposed to wind and rocks so it is important for hikers to familiarize themselves with the campsite before dark. An early dinner will be served so hikers can rest before attempting the summit the same night. Your guide will brief you in detail on how to prepare for summit night. Get to sleep by 19:00!
- 3 Hours
- Breakfast , Lunch , Dinner
Day 6
Barafu camp (4600m) – Uhuru Peak (5895m) – Mweka (3100m
Hiking time: 8 hours to reach Uhuru Peak, 7-8 hours to descend to Mweka
Distance: Approximately 7 kilometer ascent and 23 kilometer descent
Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit
Your guide will wake you around 23:30 for tea and biscuits. You will then begin your summit attempt. The route heads northwest and you will ascend over stone scree. During the ascent, many hikers feel that this is the most mentally and physically challenging part of the climb. In about 6 hours, you will reach Stella Point (5685m), located on the crater rim. After enjoying the magnificent sunrise, you will continue ascending for about 2 hours on a snow-covered trail to Uhuru Peak (5895m). Reaching the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro is a lifetime accomplishment! You will be able to spend a short time on the summit taking photographs and drinking tea before the descent to Barafu begins. The hike down to Barafu Camp takes about 3 hours.
At camp, you will rest and enjoy a hot lunch in the sun. After eating, you will continue descending down to Mweka Hut (3100m). The Mweka Trail will lead you through the scree and rocks to the moorland and eventually into the rain forest. Mweka Camp (3100m) is located in the upper rain forest, so fog and rain should be expected. You will have a dinner, wash, and rest soundly at camp.
- 8 Hours
- Breakfast , Lunch , Dinner
Day 7
Mweka camp (3100m) – Mweka Gate (1980m)
Hiking time: 3 hours
Distance: Approximately 15 kilometers
Habitat: Montane forest
Following a well-deserved breakfast, your staff will have a big celebration full of dancing and singing. It is here on the mountain that you will present your tips to the guide, assistant guides, chef(s), and porters. After celebrating, you will descend for three hours back to Mweka Gate. The National Park requires all hikers to sign their names to receive certificates of completion. Hikers who reached Stella Point (5685m) receive green certificates and hikers who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates. After receiving certificates. You will be served a hot lunch then you will drive back to Arusha for long overdue showers and more celebrations.
- 3 Hours
- Breakfast , Lunch
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Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s clarify your confusions. Here are some of the Frequently Asked Questions which most of our client asks.
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Where do I spend the night?
You will stay in a hotel on your arrival and the day after your climb,While on the Mountain, you will Camp in comfort in customized all-weather tents with upgraded zippers, flysheets, and closed-cell full-ground pads. Private solar-lit dining tents are provided daily. Hot meals are prepared from fresh ingredients by the camp’s chef. In the afternoons, hot drinks and snacks are provided
What Experience Do your Guides have?
We have the best guides in the mountain and all our clients have be very thankful for that. Our guides are knowledgable, friendly, are certified Wilderness First Responders (WFR), which means they have the tools to make critical medical and evacuation decisions. They receive annual training in emergency first aid and can prevent, recognize and treat altitude-related illnesses. Safety is our number one priority. Having the right outfitter makes the whole difference. We have very much confident to say that 98.9 percent of our clients make it to the summit.
What meals are provided and what kind of food do I expect?
Meals are included as mentioned in the itinerary. For breakfast there will be a choice of fruit, scrambled eggs, porridge, toast, jam, hot chocolate, coffee or tea. Lunch will be provided in form of a lunch box containing sandwiches, boiled eggs, chicken etc. For dinner you will enjoy soup and bread followed by meat or poultry along with starch (i.e. chips, mashed potatoes, pasta or rice) as well as vegetables. While breakfast and dinner are served in a mess tent equipped with a table and chairs, lunch is enjoyed en-route. Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements or food allergies and we will do our outmost to cater for them (only possible with advanced notification).
How difficult is the Machame Route?
Compared to the other routes, the Machame route is difficult as hikers have to climb the Great Barranco Wall on the fourth day and have to settle with a steep slope towards Kibo peak on summit night. It is important to note that overall, Mount Kilimanjaro does not necessarily require any technical mountaineering skills.
What should I pack and what equipment do I need?
We may supply some of the gear that will make your Mount Kilimanjaro climbing via the 7 days Machame route easier but there is some important gear that will be compulsory for you to purchase or hire. Some of this gear may include, well-fitting mountain climbing boots, headlamps, sunglasses, personal medication, camp, and a non-disposable water bottle
Tour Terms & Conditions
- Availability is subject to change