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Duration
7 Days / 6 Nights
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Starts
Kilimanjaro Airport
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Ends
Kilimanjaro Airport
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Travel
Private & guided
Tour Overview
The 7-Days Kilimanjaro Machame Route, also known as the Whiskey route, is one of the most popular and rewarding routes on Mount Kilimanjaro. It is a favorite of many climbers, offering a balance of challenge and scenery. Known for its high summit success rate, the Machame route allows climbers to benefit from the "trek high, sleep low" technique, which improves acclimatization by gradually ascending the mountain and then descending to sleep at lower altitudes.
This route begins on the southwest side of Kilimanjaro and climbs steeply northward, passing through diverse landscapes, including lush rainforests, alpine meadows, and rocky terrains. The route traverses the Shira Plateau before joining the Shira and Lemosho routes after the Shira Cave Camp. This itinerary is recommended to allow climbers enough time to acclimatize properly before making the final push to the summit.
The 7-Days Machame Route offers some of the most spectacular views on Kilimanjaro, from the dense forest at the base to the barren, high-altitude landscapes near the summit. It is an ideal route for climbers who want to experience the diverse ecosystems of the mountain while enjoying excellent chances of reaching the top.
Places You'll See
Day-by-Day Itinerary
You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Moshi town; you will meet your guide who will brief you on your upcoming trek and do an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. The missing gear can be rented on this day.
After breakfast you will be transferred to the Machame gate. From the gate of the recently repaired path leads through the last foothills of the fertile cultivated land. Shortly afterwards, the path rises and leads through the dense, deep green and still moist mountain rain forest up to the Machame Camp.
Through Busch forests and moorland leads past the way of powerful Lava bridges. A little later the first Seneca’s and lobelia can be seen around noon, where this section is mostly shrouded in dense fog.
The ascent through the dark, almost vegetation-free gravel desert of lava rock with a bit of luck here the Kilimanjaro shows for the first time up close! The path leads up to just below the Lava Tower (up to about 4450 m) and then down into the Barranco Valley. This area with its alpine vegetation is one of the highlights along the Machame Route.
After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall, to the Karanga Valley campsite. This is a short day meant for acclimatization.
After breakfast, we leave Karanga and hit the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be seen from this position.
Very early in the morning (midnight to 2am), we continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. You head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. At Stella Point (18,600 ft), you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting). From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all the way on your 1-hour ascent to the summit. At Uhuru Peak, you have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. Faster hikers will see the sunrise from the summit. From the summit, we now make our descent continuing straight down to the Mweka Camp site, stopping at Barafu for lunch. You will want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.
The path leads to a mostly wet, slippery path through the dense cloud forest steeply downhill to Mweka Gate. Transport back to your hotel in Moshi.
Price Includes
- All transfers to the mountain and back to your hotel
- Professional, experienced, and friendly mountain guides
- Medical evacuation with Kilimanjaro Search and Rescue> Flying Doctors.
- Two nights and accommodations-one before and after the trek in good hotels.
- Guides, Porters, Cook salaries and park fees
- Pulse oximeter – To measure the oxygen level, for each climber daily
- Portable Emergency Oxygen tanks
- Quality, waterproof, four-season private mountain sleeping tents
- Sleeping Mattress
- All meals while on the Mountain
- Quality Mess tents with table and chairs
- Large portions of fresh, healthy, nutritious food
- Clean, purified drinking water
- Crisis management and safety procedures
- Fair and ethical treatment of porters
- Conservation fees (part of park fees)
- Camping or Hut fees (part of park fees)
- Rescue fees (part of park fees)
- Arrival and Departure transfers
- All Government Tax and Park Entrance Fees
- VAT (18% charged by the Government)
Price Excludes
- Laundry, Tips, Sleeping Bags, Beverages/Drinks, Accommodation Before The Trek And Climbing Gears
- International Flights
- Visas
- Items Of Personal Nature
- Any Other Extras Not Detailed In The Above Itinerary
Experiences on this trip
Mount Kilimanjaro TreksEnquire About This Safari
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