The Kilimanjaro Machame route is the most popular and ‘easiest’ way to climb Kilimanjaro. A gorgeous route with a broad variety of landscapes.
During these 7 days we’ll be camping at the established campsites and reach the top of Kilimanjaro at day 5 or 6 at sunrise. You’ll climb together with a excellent team; professional guides, porters and a cook. Our guides will lead you to the summit and provide you with all the necessary information, tips & tricks to maximise your chances of a successful climb. All of our guides are specially trained and have years of experience. Our porters will carry all your belonings, tents & food, so you can climb at ease with only your daypack. The cook is your best friend, he’ll make sure you’ll never feel hungry.
On the first day of the Kilimanjaro Machame route, we’ll drive from Moshi to the gates of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park. On the way we’ll pass the village Machame, which lies below the mountain. After reaching the gate, we’ll begin our final preparations.
Starting from the gate, our hike brings us trough the forest at the foot of Kilimanjaro, all the way to the first camp. Here we rest, have dinner together and overnight.
After your first breakfast on the mountain, we’ll proceed climbing up. The path takes starts off steeper than the day before. We will pass trough the rainforest and past a steep rocky ridge. If you’re lucky you might see some views on Kibo, the top of Kilimanjaro. The route takes us further untill we reach the Shira Plateau. Once reached, you will be able to see the Western Breach with its stunning glaciers. A short while after this, we will reach Shira Campsite where we’ll have dinner and overnight. Make sure you have warm clothes with you, because it gets a lot colder from here on.
From the Shira Plateau, we´ll continue on a desert-like rocky landscape towards the Lava Tower or “Shark’s Tooth”. For most people, this is the toughest day of the climb. Here is the highest chance of breathlessness and headache due to the high altitude. So make sure to take one step, and one breath at a time. Slowly Slowly. Once we’ve reached Lava Tower, we will head down once again, towards the Barranco Camp. The way down has beautiful views of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. A great moment to take a photo. After about two hours we’ll reach the camp, which is situated in a valley below the Breach and the Great Barranco Wall,
Here we will enjoy dinner and rest our bodies from the impact of the high altitude. This day is necessary to let your body acclimatize as we will ‘climb high and sleep low’. This will prepare your body for a successful summit day.
Even though this day is ‘optional’, it is still strongly recommended. We climb according to the ‘climb high, sleep low’ principle, which gives your body the chance to get used to the high altitudes. This increases your chance of reaching the summit and is highly recommended for inexperienced climbers.
After Breakfast, we will depart from Barranco Camp and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall and further through the Karanga Valley. Here you will get the chance to see the glaciers up close. After, we will have Lunch and a little break at the Karanga Valley campsite. Here you can view the Mawenzi Slopes as well as the Tanzania Sugar Plantation farms. Before returning to the campsite for dinner and overnight stay, you can take a short walk in the surrounding area.
In the early morning, we will leave Karanga Valley campsite, onwards to the junction that will take us on the Mweka Trail. From here we’ll continue to the Barafu Hut at 4600m high, which offers views of the summit. At this point, we have completed the Southern Circuit. This is a great moment to grab your camera, as the two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are visible from this site. Here we will set up camp, so we can overnight with our eyes on the prize.
Make sure to eat well and drink lots, as tonight is summit night!
In the early, early morning. Still shivering from our short and cold night, we will enjoy warm coffee or tea together to lift our spirits. Now we will hike in the dark, with flashlights towards the summit of Uhuru peak at 5895meters high. Once at the top, we will enjoy one of the world’s most incredible sunrises. Such moments make the climb well worthwhile. You’ve made it! Uhuru Peak is the highest point of Kilimanjaro ánd the whole of Africa. A place never to forget.
Make sure to bring two sets of clothing. The night will be bitterly cold, but after the sun rises over the peak of Kilimanjaro, the temperature will quickly rise. After the summit, we will make our descent straight down to the Mweka Hut Campsite, stopping at Barafu Camp for lunch. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest. Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and some well-earned sleep.
Hopefully well rested and not too soar from the long hike the other day, we will have breakfast. We continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy.
The car will be waiting for you at the Mweka Gate to take you back to hotel in Moshi for a hot shower.
Before and after the climb, we provide a stay in our climbers accommodation in Moshi, where we have a good last night and mentally prepare for the climb to come.
On the Machame Route we camp at the established campsites mentioned in our day-to-day. On this route we will camp in tents. Our tents are of high quality, capable of withstanding the sometimes harsh conditions on Mt. Kilimanjaro. The tents will be carried by our porters, who will walk up front to set up camp for you. Once you arrive at the campsites, you can relax without having to worry about setting up camp.
The cook will prepare 3 good meals a day, so you can take on everyday like a champion. A good meal provides the energy you need to take on the mountain. During the climb, drinking water will be provided, which will be refilled with a water filter at various points on the mountain.
2persons 3persons 4-5persons 6-8persons 9+persons
6 day route €1840 €1810 €1760 €1720 €1670
7 day route €1940 €1870 €1830 €1790 €1750
*Prices are per person.
*It’s possible to join a group
Tip: Go on Safari, Spend a couple of days on Zanzibar or check out one of our many other activities!