7 Days Machame Route Kilimanjaro

7 Days Machame Route Kilimanjaro

Machame route is also know as “Whiskey Route“, Its tougher compared to Marangu Route but the most scenic.

As for scenery, the Machame route is very spectacular eg Shira Plateau, the Lava Tower, the Barranco Wall…

Machame route has higher success rates 60% make to Summit. Its most popular and most crowded.

The seven day leaves plenty of time to recover, acclimatise and get ready for summit.

Itinerary

Day 1: Machame Gate (1830 m) - Machame Huts (3030 m

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
Walking distance: 8 km, Time: 3-5 hrs, Altitude gain= 840 m

Pick at 8:00am from hotel to Marangu gate(1,860 m) takes 2hrs. Registrations, meet your guide and porters then pack all equipments. Takes 1hrs to 2hrs.

Start Marangu Route walking through rain forest.

The path is wide a bit steep but the forest is amazing a real fairytale forest, lush and deep and green, albeit misty.

Lunch will be at a clearing near a stream. In 2hrs you will reach Machame Huts. Before the vegetation will change to the forest will open up.

Walking Highlights
• blue monkeys • colobus monkeys • Streams • colorful birdlife • lichens and mosses • variety of flowers

Machame Hut camps easily meets your needs in the best possible way. You can find frame mountain huts comprising of bunk bed at this hut or have at a camp with a tent and matress. At this place, all trekkers gather for the same purpose. You can interact with a lot of similar minded climbers
Duration: 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Machame Huts

Day 2: Machame Huts - New Shira Camp (3850 m)

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
Walking distance: 5.5 km Time: 4-6 hours Altitude gain: 820 m

In the morning you will start walk through the forest. Soon their will be no more trees. In moorland the dominating plant is heather.

You will get good view of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. The vegetation offers more open views. Through the hills across a few dry creeks.

Lunch stop will be 2hrs to the Shira Camp. (No pressure during walking. It takes as long as it takes!)
• Hills • Kibo Peak • Mawenzi peak • colobus monkeys • giant senecios and loblelias • creeks

Shira camp is an open area where you will rest for today and have dinner and overnight at the camp. You will be provide with a tent accommodation.
Duration: 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Shira Camp

Day 3: New Shira Camp - Barranco Huts (3985 m)

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
Walking distance: 10 km Time: 5-7 hours Altitude gain: 135 m.

In the morning you will start climbing up towards the Lava Tower, a 100 m/300 ft volcanic plug. Even the short heather disappears altogether to reveal the rocky ground of the lava ridges.

Lunch break near the Lava Tower you descend to the Barranco Valley. Sheltered by towering cliffs and is much greener.

The Barranco Camp the most spectacular campsite of this route, with fantastic views of Kibo, the Western Breach and the first of the southern glaciers.

This was an important day acclimatisation.

Walking Highlights
• Barranco Wall • Lava Tower • alpine desert • ridge • Mawenzi and Kibo peak•

The most spectacular camp in kilimanjaro because of the great views it has. Accommodation using tents at the camp.
Duration: 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Barranco Camp

Day 4: Barranco Huts - Karanga Camp (4040 m)

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
Walking distance: 5.5 km Time: 4-5 hours Altitude gain: 55 m

Early in the morning you will tackle the Barranco Wall for 1:30hrs. It is strenuous to climb and very steep.

The wall is exposed and you will use your hands to steady yourself, but you can pretty much walk all the way to the top and have a breathtaking view of kibo peak.

From there it's 2 hrs over volcanic scree to Karanga Valley Camp it is a green oasis, albeit a cold, windy one.

It is on the other side of the valley, spend the afternoon resting, exploring, the iridescent, malachite sunbirds that live there.

Duration: 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Karanga Camp

Day 5: Karanga Camp - Barafu Huts (4680 m)

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
Walking distance: 3.5 km Time: 4-5 hrs Altitude gain: 640 m

Today the walk is short but on steep path increasinlgy inhospitable landscape on the left will be Southern Glaciers. Lunch will be at Barafu Camp.

The advantage of the extra night at Karanga is give you plenty of time to rest, eat, acclimatise, recover and prepare for the summit attempt.

Barafu Camp is perched on a ridge in a landscape of barren and bleak.
• Hills • Valley • Ridge • Barren and bleak landscape • creeks

Barafu Camp
Duration: 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Barafu Camp

Day 6: Summit (5895 m)

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
Walking distance: 5.5 km(up) + 15 km Time: 10hrs+

Wake up at 11.00 and 11.30 pm. Get ready with your gear and have break fast. Around midnight start the hike to the summit you will see strings of little lights for climbers ahead of you.

As steep as the slope is the path itself isn't that bad. Take all the time you need.

There are two landmarks that are resting points only minutes. Then 1:30hrs after leaving the cave rocks appear on the path a bit slippery called Jamaican Rocks. Its another 1:30hrs to reach Uhuru Peak.

Descend for Lunch at barafu camp. You have no choice but to pack up your gear and keep going 3hrs to the Millenium Camp or Mweka Huts.

Duration: 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Millenium Camp or Mweka Huts

Day 7: Mweka Huts -Mweka Gate

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
Walking distance: 20 km Time: 5 hrs

After beakfast you set continue descending down. The path is already known so its just getting down to the mweka gate.

At the gate you'll have to clear more formalities, but eventually you will say good bye to your guides and you climb into the vehicle waiting for you and be carried away to your hotel for hot showers and cold beers.

After a hard treck of kilimanjaro drive back to Arusha you will spend the night at Arusha tourist inn hotel.

Duration: 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Arusha Tourist inn