TOUR OVERVIEW
FROM EXPERTS
Known as the “Whiskey route”, Truly Machame route is the most popular route and has a very high success rate of making it to the top. It offers beautiful and natural features of landscape. The accommodation on the way up and down is strictly camping (movable tents) only. This intermediate ascent and descent is the secret to a successful acclimatization and is the reason that this route has a high success rate. The Machame route is normally completed in a minimum of 6 days on the mountain.
ITINERARY
ARRIVE IN TANZANIA
- This day you will be picked up from the Airport and then transferred to the hotel in Moshi town for one night before trekking, there you will meet you guide for gear checkup and other issue.
PRICES AND PACKAGES
People in Group | Standard Package |
1-2 | 1770$ |
3-5 | 1680$ |
6-8 | 1590$ |
9+ | 1500$ |
People in Group | Standard Package |
1-2 | 1900$ |
3-5 | 1800$ |
6-8 | 1750$ |
9+ | 1700$ |
DAY BY DAY ITinerary
6 DAYS MACHAME ROUTE
Day 1: Machame gate to Machame camp
You will be picked up from the hotel or Airport for that day you arrived. The first day trekking begins at Machame Gate normally one hour’s drive from Moshi lies the gate to the Machame route. At the Gate you will meet your trekking crew, your guide, porters and cooker. There wil wel be a flurry of activity as porters assemble gear for the trek, where we complete park formalities. The first section of the route climbs steadily and passes through magnificent, dense rainforest. This path is less well-trodden so it can get somewhat overgrown in places and it is often wet and muddy underfoot.
- Elevation (ft): 5,400ft to 9,400ft
- Hiking time: 6-7 hours
- Distance: 11 km
- Habitat: Rain Forest
- Transport: Private
- Accommodation: Camping
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 2: Machame camp to Shira camp
On day two you will rise early, where by our route continues on up through the forest until we reach the steep ascent onto the Shira Plateau, The trek is relatively steep as you enter the low alpine zone which is characterized by moorlands and grasslands. Shira Camp 2 sits on a plateau which provides you with the first views of Kibo in the North-West and Mount Meru in the East. Day two takes approximately 4-6 hours and covers a distance of 5.4km / 3.4miles.
- Elevation (ft): 9,400ft to 12,500ft
- Hiking time: 5-6 hours
- Distance: 5 km
- Habitat: Moorland
- Accommodation: Camping
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 3: Shira cave to Barranco camp
Day three, walking now on high moorland, the landscape changes the entire character of the trek. We traverse the southwest side of Kilimanjaro, passing underneath the Lava Tower and the final section of the Western Breach and finally reach camp. The day has been spent at altitude (up to 4600m), Although you end the day at a very similar elevation to when you started from Shira Camp, it is arguably one of the most important days on your trek as it gives you a chance to climb high and sleep low which is important for proper acclimatization.
- Elevation (ft): 12,500ft to 13,000ft
- Hiking time: 6-8 hours
- Distance: 10 km
- Habitat: Semi Desert
- Accommodation: Camping
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 4: Barranco camp to Barafu camp
Day four on the Machame Route begins by descending into the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical, but long and tiring. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley, which is our last stop for fresh water before the summit. Note: Trekkers on the seven day route spend the night at Karanga Camp before continuing on to Barafu. This additional day is beneficial in terms of acclimatization.
- Hiking time:
7 hours
- Distance: Approximately 13 kilometers
- Habitat: Alpine Desert
- Accommodation: Camping
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 5: Barafu camp to Uhuru peak
Day five is summit night (and day)! We start off at around midnight, and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The views are spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella Point (5739m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround us and the views to jagged Mawenzi peak and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour’s walking takes us to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895m). We begin our descent by returning to Stella Point and then descending on scree slope and track back to Barafu Camp for breakfast, before finally heading down to Mweka Camp for a long well-earned rest.
- Hiking time: 8h to reach Uhuru Peak, 7 – 8h to descend to Mweka
- Distance: Approximately 7 kms ascent – 23 kms descent
- Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit
- Accommodation: Camping
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 6: Trek Mweka camp to Mweka gate
After Breakfast, From the Mweka camp, you will continue down into the Mweka village, normally a muddy and long hour walk. In the Mweka village drive to Springlands Hotel and you will be served a delicious hot lunch! You now drive back to Moshi. It is recommended and tips are highly appreciated at the end of their trip. Tips can be given to the Guide at Springlands Hotel. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Stella Point (5685m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates. And this will be the end of our trekking. Then you will be transferred to the hotel for the rest and preparation of the next day safari.
- Hiking time: 3 hours
- Distance: Approximately 15 kilometers
- Habitat: Forest
- Accommodation: Camping
- Meals: Breakfast
7 DAYS MACHAMEROUTE
Day 1: Machame gate (1790m) to Machame camp (3010m)
You will be picked up from the hotel or Airport for that day you arrived. The first day trekking begins at Machame Gate normally one hour’s drive from Moshi lies the gate to the Machame route. At the Gate you will meet your trekking crew, your guide, porters and cooker. There wil wel be a flurry of activity as porters assemble gear for the trek, where we complete park formalities. The first section of the route climbs steadily and passes through magnificent, dense rainforest. This path is less well-trodden so it can get somewhat overgrown in places and it is often wet and muddy underfoot.
- Distance covered: 10.8km / 6.7mi
- time taken: 6 hours
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Day 2: Machame camp (3010m) to Shira camp (3845m)
On day two you will rise early, where by our route continues on up through the forest until we reach the steep ascent onto the Shira Plateau, The trek is relatively steep as you enter the low alpine zone which is characterized by moorlands and grasslands. Shira Camp 2 sits on a plateau which provides you with the first views of Kibo in the North-West and Mount Meru in the East. Day two takes approximately 4-6 hours and covers a distance of 5.4km / 3.4miles.
- Distance covered: 5.4km / 3.4mi
- time taken: 5 hours
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Day 3: Shira cave (3845m) to Barranco camp (3960m)
Day three, walking now on high moorland, the landscape changes the entire character of the trek. We traverse the southwest side of Kilimanjaro, passing underneath the Lava Tower and the final section of the Western Breach and finally reach camp. The day has been spent at altitude (up to 4600m), Although you end the day at a very similar elevation to when you started from Shira Camp, it is arguably one of the most important days on your trek as it gives you a chance to climb high and sleep low which is important for proper acclimatization.
- Distance covered: 10.8km / 6.7mi
- time taken: 8 hrs
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Day 4: Barranco camp (3960m) to Karanga camp (3963m)
Our day starts by descending into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical but long and tiring. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley. From here we have a steep climb up from Karanga valley to our night’s camp at Karanga camp, set at 3963m. For those feeling strong we will go for a mid-afternoon acclimatization trek up to around 4200m before descending back to camp for the night.
- Distance covered: 5.5km / 3.4mi
- time taken: 5 hours
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Day 5: Karanga Camp (3963m) to Barafu camp (4640m).
After a good night’s rest and breakfast, we set off on our walk to Barafu camp at 4640m. The climb will take us across desolate scree slopes with no vegetation around us at all. It’s a tough steep walk made more difficult by the altitude. On arriving at camp we eat and spend the afternoon resting as we prepare for a long night and day ahead. It is important to keep hydrated and warm. We have an early dinner and then try to get some sleep as we will be getting up at between 11pm and 12pm to start the climb to the summit.
- Distance covered: 3km / 1.9mi
- time taken: 3 hours
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Day 6: Barafu camp (4640m) to Uhuru peak (5895m) & Down to Millennium Camp (3790m)
We start off at around midnight, and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The views are spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella Point (5739m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround us and the views to jagged Mawenzi peak and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour’s walking takes us to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895m). We begin our descent by returning to Stella Point and then descending on scree slope and track back to Barafu Camp for breakfast, before finally heading down to Millennium Camp for a long well-earned rest.
- Distance covered: 13.4km / 8.3mi
- time taken: 12 – 15 hours
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Day 7: Trek Millennium Camp (3790m) to Mweka Gate (1630m)
A gentle trek takes us down through the rain forest to Mweka Gate, where we complete park formalities and receive certificates, which you can hang up with pride! We are then met by our vehicles and return to the hotel in Moshi, where you can treat yourself to a welcome hot shower.
- Distance covered: 12.1km / 7.5mi
- time taken: 6 hours
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
- the climb cost includes