"It was incredible opportunity to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro via the Machame Route with this travel operator. From start to finish, the entire experience was nothing short of exceptional. I am thrilled to share my overwhelmingly positive review of their services.
First and foremost, the professionalism and expertise of the entire the Kilimanjaro team were evident from the moment I made my initial inquiry. Their prompt and informative responses to all of my questions instilled confidence and excitement for the adventure ahead. They provided detailed information about the Machame Route, its highlights, challenges, and what to expect at each stage of the climb. Thanks FASA our guide for making our trek memorable.
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Also known as the “Whiskey” route, the Machame route is now the most popular ascent route on Mt Kilimanjaro. Compared with the Marangu route, the walking days on the Machame route are longer and the walks are steeper. However, the scenery is spectacular and landscape interesting. The Machame route is considered a difficult route, and is better suited for more adventurous trekkers and those with some hiking or backpacking experience.
The Machame route is scenically beautiful and varied. However, due to its popularity there are increased numbers of trekkers, it loses some of its splendour. The Machame route approaches the summit from the southwest and descends using the Mweka route, rewarding climbers with views of the expansive Shira Plateau, an optional scramble up Lava Tower, a climb up the Great Barranco wall, and a traverse underneath Kilimanjaro’s southern ice field.
Climbers sleep in supplied tents at designated campsites, and eat meals either outdoors or inside a large dining tent, depending on weather conditions. Bless Africa Tours staff will prepare all meals and set up and take down the tents.
The Machame route is a highly successful route to the summit as you climb high and sleep lower because of position of the campsites, which aids acclimatization. It also offers the opportunity to take an alternative route to the summit, either via Barafu camp or the less frequented and more difficult Western breach route. The minimum number of days required for this route is six days, although seven days is recommended to make the walk more enjoyable and improve acclimatization.
After arrival in Moshi and the hotel, there will be the opportunity to rest. Later there will be a meeting with the tour guide for a briefing about the trek and Mt Kilimanjaro and, very importantly, an equipment check.
Great experience with this tour operator. Organization was all perfect. Our head guide Filbert and his entire team were fantastic, they clearly knew what they were doing and that experience shone through the entire trek. Very professional, helpful, knowledgeable and competent.
This route, with its steep passages and higher altitudes, offers you occasional views of Mount Meru, Shira Ridge and Kibo summit as you make your way through lush rainforest, moorland and alpine desert.
The Machame Route, with its diverse landscape and fantastic views, offers a unique experience to test your will power, fitness finesse and mental strength. The route takes you through lush rainforest, where colobus monkeys roam, into heath and moorland, with its many ferns and ericas, until finally reaching the icy caps of the mountain top. Overnights on the Machame Route will be in tents. It is not difficulty to climb because you will be guided by our professional tour guide.
Machame variation is the ideal schedule for this route. On the 7 day Machame route, the trek from Barranco to Barafu is broken up into two days, allowing for a short day just prior to the summit attempt.
Normally March, April and May are the months with long rains and should be avoided.
November is usually short rains but it is not often rains all the days so Climbing is possible.
The best Months for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro are January, February and also August and September.
July can be colder and November to December can be wet.
The success rates with our guides are outstanding compared to the overall success rates for all climbers who attempt to reach the top
The most beautiful, but Technical, climbing skills required, is now often booked by many - a bit more expensive but worth it for frequent climbers. The climb involves crossing the breath rain forest and gives you an open view of the glacier when you reach the Shira Plateau situated in the middle of the moorlands.
Day 1 - Airport - Hotel in Arusha B/B
Day 2 - Transfers to Machame camp
Day 3 - Shira camp {3,800m}
Day 4 - Barranco camp {3950m}
Day 5 - Barafu camp {4,900m}
Day 6 - Summit {5,895m} - Mweka Camp
Day 7 - Mweka Camp - Arusha town hotel B/B
We provide all meals, head guide and assistant guide and porters and cook who will prepare all meals.
Machame, known as the "Whiskey" route, is a popular route to the mountain. Compared with Marangu, the days on Machame are longer and the walks are steeper. It is considered a difficult route, better suited for more adventurous folks, and those with some hiking or backpacking experience. Machame approaches from the southwest and descends using Mweka, rewarding climbers with views of the expansive Shira Plateau.
Of the seven main routes used to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the Machame route is one of the most popular paths. It is the route of choice for many people because it provides impressive views and a variety of habitats. About 50% of all climbers, and most seasoned climbers, mostly choose the Machame route.
Join us on a journey to the top of the roof of Africa, and we promise to present an adventure unlike any you've seen before.
For those who only have six days to climb Kilimanjaro, this climb through the Machame route is the best choice because of its acclimatization profile.
Compared to the other six day routes, the Machame route exposes the climber to higher elevations quicker (day three) which kickstarts the body's adaptation to altitude. However, this route requires that a person is in good shape to be able to tackle the challenging elevation gains and losses.
In particular, day four combined with day five makes for a very challenging schedule. Day four is a full day of hiking from Barranco to Barafu. Then after dinner and a partial night's sleep, the very long and exciting summit day begins around midnight.
To find out more about day-by-day activities, please see the itinerary.
Tanzania is blessed with some of the most spectacular peaks and hiking points around eastern Africa. The most intriguing of them all is the hike up Uhuru peak on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Mount Kilimanjaro attracts a lot of visitors annually who seeks the adventure of conquering the highest peak in Africa, and the highest free standing mountain in the world. Mount Kilimanjaro has different routes to the peak at 19340feet (5895meters) above sea level. One of these is the Machame Route which this tour will take.
Machame is a Zigzag route up and down trail. You will be hiking up and then hiking a bit down again to sleep low, which is very good for acclimatisation. Due to this reason, by taking this 7 days Machame Route your chance of reaching Mt. Kilimanjaro's summit will also be higher as you will be better acclimatized.
One of the most challenging points on the Machame route is the Baranco wall. We will pass it slowly and safely so there is not need to worry about this point. One of the highlights of this is of course reaching Uhuru Peak on Mt. Kilimanjaro, but, in fact, the entire climb and tour is a highlight.
On the way down, we will descent via the Mweka route. The sleeping mode on the Machame Route is camping.
For a day-by-day itinerary, please see the itinerary tab.
The 6-day Machame route is the most beautiful route up the famous Mount Kilimanjaro. The route is best suited to adventurous hikers looking for an authentic and rustic experience, as the route offers tented accommodation only, and all your equipment and supplies are brought up with help from a porter. A cook prepares all your meals. However, hikers will be rewarded with a scenic splendour that is not seen on the Marangu route, from late afternoon sunsets at Shira to the misty revelations of Kibo at the great Barranco Wall.
The Machame route is normally completed in a minimum of six days. The added benefit to the six days means you are afforded the most valuable commodity on the mountain – time to acclimatize.
This is our most successful and popular hiking route on Mt. Kilimanjaro, mainly as a result of the following two important factors. First, on day 3 of the hike, the topography of this route allows you to climb high and sleep low – as you start from Shira camp (3 847m) hike up to Lava Tower (4 642m) and then down to Barranco camp (3 984m) for overnight. Second, the summit attempt path from Barafu camp has less loose scree (rocks) compared to the summit attempt path from Kibo Hut, making it slightly easier to reach the crater rim.
NB: With small Additional cost we can book for you accommodation before or/and after summiting Mount Kilimanjaro.
I always dreamed of conquering Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, and the team has been a great partner in fulfilling this dream. I chose the Machame Route because it's a little more challenging but offers a lot of beautiful scenery. The sunsets of Shira and walking through the mist of the Barranco Wall - all in one word, it was a wonderful experience. Guides and porters were always on hand; they handled everything from the pitch of the tent to the cooking of the food perfectly. I'm grateful to this team.
The Kilimanjaro Machame route is one of the most popular routes for climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. The reason for its popularity is due to it being a very scenic route.
This is a long and hard trek, which reaches an altitude of 5895m. Even if you consider yourself fit, you might still find the climb very hard, depending on how well your body acclimatises to high altitude. There is no scientific way to determine how easily you acclimatise, and be aware that the acclimatisation process also differ from climb to climb.
Most of the trails on the Kilimanjaro trek are well defined and of good quality but some forest sections are often slippery and moorland paths can be very wet in poor weather conditions.
The final ascent to Uhuru peak is almost exclusively on loose rock without permanent footpaths. However, no technical skills are required. During the course of the trip we shall spend time at both high and low altitude, experiencing both extremely cold and quite hot conditions.
We will prepare for an early start every day on Kilimanjaro.
Kilimanjaro Trek through Machame Route is a 9-day trekking tour that offers amazing views, landscapes and experience. Also known as “the Whiskey Route”, Machame is considered one of the best routes for acclimatization as it follows the mountaineering code of hiking high and sleeping low.
The starting point of the route, Machame Gate is only an hour drive from Moshi town. Located on the southern slope of Mount Kilimanjaro, Machame Gate will lead you to the top along the exciting footpath, featuring tropical forests and diverse ecosystem. You will finish the trek in the Arctic desert in the summit area.
Camps along the trek are favorably located for a smooth and gradual acclimatization. On the 3rd day, Machame Route converges with Lemosho and Umbwe at Barranco camp.
While, it is possible to complete the trek in 6 days, we recommend 7 days for Machame route because it makes it easier to acclimatize and helps you get ample rest for the climb, maximizing your chances of reaching the top.
Conquer Mount Kilimanjaro via the Machame route during this seven-day, guided trek. Dubbed the ‘whiskey route’, Machame is longer than most of the other routes. However, the opportunity to walk high and sleep low along with the distance to the top mean better acclimatisation for travelers along with a high success rate.
Your climb begins at Machame Gate, located at an elevation of 1800 metres. Hike through a majestic rainforest on the first day of this trip, before continuing up the mountain to reach Shira Camp, where the Lemosho route joins from the west. From here you traverse the southern side of the mountain to reach Barranco and climb the Barranco Wall on your way to Barafu Camp. Having summited the mountain, you will descend via the Mweka trail rather than retracing your steps down the Machame route.
The Machame route is a good seven-day hike for travelers with no experience of trekking in high altitudes. However, experienced mountaineers comfortable with high elevations may opt for the more difficult six-day ascent using the same route.
Please note that you will be joining a group during this tour.
