Machame Route Options
Possibly the most scenic route to the summit, Machame boasts several paths to its highest point and back. En route to Uhuru, emerge onto high-alpine deserts with amazing views of ice fields and the peak of Mt Kilimanjaro! Known as the "Whiskey Route" because of the tougher challenge, this path leads you through magnificent forests before traversing a ridge leading through moorland to the Shira Plateau. It offers great scenery beneath the glaciated precipices of the southern ice fields before summiting from the higher Barafu Camp.
Each of the Machame routes includes one day prior to the mountain and one day after returning from the mountain.
6 Day Machame Route
ITINERARIES
Day 1:
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport After arriving at the Airport you will be picked up by a High Mountain Edge representative and transferred to your hotel in Moshi. Later on, your guide will come to brief you about the trek and do an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. Overnight and dinner at your hotel in Moshi.
Day 2:
Machame Gate (1800 m) to Machame Camp (2835 m)
Approx. hiking time: 7 hours
Distance covered: 11 km
Habitat: Montane forest
Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included
After breakfast you will be picked up at the hotel around 8:00 am and transferred to Machame gate. On the way you will see coffee and banana plantations grown by Chagga people. After arriving at Machame gate you will go through some park formalities such as registration then you will start your Mount Kilimanjaro climbing at the Machame gate. Your first day hike is through a tropical rain forest up to Machame camp (2835 m). On the route you will have a picnic lunch. Overnight at Machame camp.
Day 3:
Machame Camp (2835 m) to Shira Cave Camp (3750 m)
Approx. hiking time: 3 hours
Distance covered: 5 km
Habitat: Moorland
Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included
You start to hike around 8:00 am. You will climb an hour to the top of the forest and then 1 hour at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone. After a short lunch (snacks) and break, you continue up a rocky ridge, the Shira plateau. At this point you will be able to see an eastern direction, the western breach with its stunning glacier. Overnight at Shira Campsite (3750 m).
Day 4:
Shira Cave Camp (3750 m) to Barranco Camp (3900 m)
Approx. hiking time: 6 hours
Distance covered: 10 km
Habitat: Alpine desert
Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included
To take advantage of acclimatization, we will hike to high altitude and then descend to a lower altitude. The trek will take us into alpine desert up to lava tower (4600 m) before descending to Baranco Camp (3900 m). This descent to Barranco Camp takes about 3 hours and offers great opportunities to take some beautiful pictures of the Western Breach and Barranco wall. The campsite is situated in a valley below the Barranco wall which should provide you a memorable sunset while waiting for dinner. Overnight at Barranco Camp (3900 m).
Day 5:
Barranco Camp (3900 m) to Barafu Camp (4640 m)
Approx. hiking time: 8 hours
Distance covered: 8 km
Habitat: Alpine desert
Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Today our Kilimanjaro trek takes us from Baranco Camp, famous for its giant groundsels. We will ascend the great Barranco wall, which divides us form the southern slopes of Kibo. Climbing the Barranco wall it’s a climb over rocks. The route is not technical, but long and tiring and it will take us at Karanga Camp where we will have lunch and our last stop for water before the summit. Afterwards we will continue to walk through the alpine desert towards Barafu Camp (Base Camp, 4640 m).
Day 6:
Barafu Camp (4640 m) to UHURU PEAK (5895m) then down to Millenium Camp (3950 m)
Approx. hiking time: 12-15 hours
Distance covered: 15 km
Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included
We will wake up very early, at around 00:00, some light tea with cookies will be ready for you. We will climb scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The view is spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella point (5756 m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Then it will take us 1 hour form Stella point to Uhuru peak (5895 m) were you take some photos for a few minutes before we start descending to Barafu Camp for lunch and some rest, and then walk down to Millennium Camp (3950 m) for dinner and overnight.
Day 7:
Millennium Camp (3950m) to Mweka Gate (1630m)
Approx. hiking time: 5 hours
Distance covered: 14 km
Habitat: Moorland & tropical rain forest.
Meal: breakfast and lunch included
After breakfast you continue the final descend, it’s a couple of hours further now from Millennium Campsite to Mweka Gate, where you will collect your certificates. After complete park formalities and receiving the certificates, a private car will take you back to your hotel where you can have a warm shower. It’s definitely time to celebrate!
Day 8:
Departure /other destination in Tanzania Later in the evening or the next day you will be transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport to board your home bound flight. Also High Mountain Edge can organize an affordable safari trip to one of the best wildlife parks in Tanzania such as Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater or Serengeti National Park.
END OF TOUR
RATES:
Prices (quoted in USD/per person)
1 person – $1900/person
2-4 people – $1775/person
5-9 people – $1680/person
10+ people – $1550/person
Included in the price:
– Two nights’ accommodation in the hotel;
first night includes dinner &breakfast, last
night
Includes dinner
– Private transport to / from Kilimanjaro
International Airport to your hotel in Moshi
– Qualified guides with mountain crew
– National park fees
– 18% VAT on tour fees and services
– All camping accommodations including
mountain tents
– Transport Rescue fees
– All meals on the mountain (breakfast, lunch
and
dinner)
– Guides and porters accommodations and
their
entry fees on the mountain
– Pulse oximeter
– First aid kit
– Emergence oxygen
–Sleeping bag and sleeping mats
–Katady filtered water throughout the trek
–Fair wages to guides and porters as
approved by
Kilimanjaro National Park
authority
Not Included:
– Flights
– Visa
–Rescue insurance
– Tips to mountain crew (usual: guides $20,
Cook
$15, porter $10 per day)
– Items of personal nature Laundry services
– Portable flush toilet with a toilet tent is extra
($150)
7 Day Machame
ITINERARIES
Day 1:
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport After arriving at the Airport you will be picked up by a High Mountain Edge representative and transferred to your hotel in Moshi. Later on, your guide will come to brief you about the trek and do an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. Overnight and dinner at your hotel in Moshi.
Day 2:
Machame Gate (1800 m) to Machame Camp (2835 m)
Approx. hiking time: 7 hours
Distance covered: 11 km
Habitat: Montane forest
Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included
After breakfast you will be picked up at the hotel around 8:00 am and transferred to Machame gate. On the way you will see coffee and banana plantations grown by Chagga people. After arriving at Machame gate you will go through some park formalities such as registration then you will start your mount Kilimanjaro climbing at the Machame gate. Your first day hike is through a tropical rain forest up to Machame camp (2835 m). On the route you will have a picnic lunch. Overnight at Machame camp.
Day 3:
Machame Camp (2835 m) to Shira Cave Camp (3750 m)
Approx. hiking time: 3 hours
Distance covered: 5 km
Habitat: Moorland
Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included
You start to hike around 8:00 am. You will climb an hour to the top of the forest and then 1 hour at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone. After a short lunch (snacks) and break, you continue up a rocky ridge, the Shira plateau. At this point you will be able to see an eastern direction, the western breach with its stunning glacier. Overnight at Shira Campsite (3750 m).
Day 4:
Shira Cave Camp (3750 m) to Barranco Camp (3900 m)
Approx. hiking time: 6 hours
Distance covered: 10 km
Habitat: Alpine desert
Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included
To take advantage of acclimatization, we will hike to high altitude and then descend to a lower altitude. The trek will take us into alpine desert up to lava tower (4600 m) before descending to Baranco Camp (3900 m). This descent to Barranco Camp takes about 3 hours and offers great opportunities to take some beautiful pictures of the Western Breach and Barranco wall. The campsite is situated in a valley below the Barranco wall which should provide you a memorable sunset while waiting for dinner. Overnight at Barranco Camp (3900 m).
Day 5:
Barranco Camp (3900 m) to Karanga Camp (4000m)
Approx. hiking time: 4 hours
Distance covered: 6 km
Habitat: Alpine desert
Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included
After breakfast we continue up a steep ridge to the great Barranco wall, then you climb this imposing obstacle which turn to be easier than it looks. Topping out just below the item 6 lacer you can now appreciate just how beautiful Kilimanjaro really is. With Kibo glaciers soaring overhead, you descend into the lush Karanga Valley camp site. From the camp you can look east and see the jugged peaks of Mawenzi. After a hot lunch in camp, your afternoon is at leisure for resting. This short day is very important for you acclimatization since your summit push is about to start.
Day 6:
Karanga Camp (4000 m) to Barafu Camp (4640m)
Approx. hiking time: 3 hours
Distance covered: 4 km
Habitat: Alpine desert
Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included
After breakfast you will start hiking to Barafu Camp (4640 m). On the way you will have a good view of the Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. After arriving at the campsite we have lunch and a long rest waiting for long-night and a day ahead. Dinner will be early and then try to get some sleep as we will be getting up around midnight to start climb to the summit
Day 7:
Barafu Camp (4637 m) to UHURU PEAK (5895m) then down to Millenium Camp (3950 m)
Approx. hiking time: 12-15 hours
Distance covered: 15 km
Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included
We will wake up very early, at around 00:00, some light tea with cookies will be ready for you. We will climb scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The view is spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella point (5756 m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Then it will take us 1 hour form Stella point to Uhuru peak (5895 m) were you take some photos for a few minutes before we start descending to Barafu Camp for lunch and some rest, and then walk down to Millennium Camp (3950 m) for dinner and overnight.
Day 8:
Millennium Camp (3950m) to Mweka Gate (1630m)
Approx. hiking time: 5 hours
Distance covered: 14 km
Habitat: Montane Forest
Meal: breakfast and lunch included
After breakfast you continue the final descend, it’s a couple of hours further now from Millennium Campsite to Mweka Gate, where you will collect your certificates. After complete park formalities and receiving the certificates, a private car will take you back to your hotel where you can have a warm shower. It’s definitely time to celebrate!
Day 9:
Departure /other destination in Tanzania. Later in the evening or the next day you will be transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport to board your home bound flight. Also High Mountain Edge can organize an affordable safari trip to one of the best wildlife parks in Tanzania such as Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater or Serengeti National Park.
END OF TOUR
PRICING:
Prices (quoted in USD/per person)
1 person – $2000/person
2-4 people – $1870/person
5-9 people – $1800/person
10 + people – $1660/person
Included in the price:
– Two night accommodation in the hotel; first
night
includes dinner &breakfast, last night
includes
dinner
–Private transport to / from
Kilimanjaro
International Airport to your
hotel in Moshi
– Qualified guides with mountain crew
– National park fees
– 18% VAT on tour fees and services
– All camping accommodations including
mountain tents
– Transport Rescue fees
– All meals on the mountain (breakfast, lunch
and
dinner)
– Guides and porters accommodations and
their
entry fees on the mountain
– Pulse oximeter
– First aid kit
– Emergence oxygen
– Sleeping bag and sleeping mats
– Katady filtered water throughout the trek
– Fair wages to guides and porters as
approved by
Kilimanjaro National Park
authority
Not included:
– Flights
– Visa
–Rescue insurance
– Tips to mountain crew
– Items of personal nature Laundry service
– Portable flush toilet with a toilet tent is extra
($150)