Kilimanjaro 7 Days Machame Route
Tour highlights
The most popular route to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro these days is Machame route, and for good reason. This trail offers stunning views, a reasonable challenge, and plenty of time to acclimate, making it a good choice for those who have a bit of extra time in their schedule.
Machame route has been nicknamed the “Whiskey Route” because it is often perceived as being tougher than Marangu route, which is often referred to as the “Coca-Cola” route. Unlike that trail however, camping is allowed on Machame, which means trekkers will be sleeping in tents all the way to the summit.
Journey to the Top of Africa with Confidence
Itinerary idea in detail
- Elevation: 1811m/5942ft to 3021m/9911ft
- Altitude gained: 1210m
Departing from Moshi a 45-minute drive will take you through the Village of Machame to the Kilimanjaro National Park Gate. We will patiently wait for our permits to be issued while watching the hustle and bustle of operations as many crews prepare for the journey ahead Enjoy the beautiful rainforest scenery and windy trails while your guide tells you about the local flora and fauna and natural wildlife. At these lower elevations, the trail can be muddy and quite slippery. We highly recommend gaiters and trekking poles here.
- Elevation: 3021m/9911ft to 3839m/12,595ft
- Altitude gained: 818m
After a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, we emerge from the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, crossing the valley along a steep rocky ridge. The route now turns west onto a river gorge until we arrive at the Shira campsite. Temperatures begin to drop.
- Elevation: 3839m/12,595ft to 3986m/13,077ft
- Altitude gained: 147m
Although you end the day around the same elevation as when you began, this day is very important for acclimatization. From Shira Plateau we continue east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the Kibo peak before we then continue, South East towards the Lava Tower, called the “Shark’s Tooth” (elev. 4650m/15,250ft). Shortly after the tower, we come to a second junction, which leads to the Arrow Glacier. We then continue to descend to overnight at Barranco Camp.
- Elevation: 3986m/13,077ft to 4034m/13,235ft
- Altitude gained: 48m
After breakfast, we continue on a steep ridge up to the adventurous Barranco Wall to the Karanga Valley and the junction, which connects, with the Mweka Trail. This is one of the most impressive days to see the power, agility, and strength of your crew zip over this wall with what appears such ease. Overnight at Karanga Camp.
- Elevation: 4034m/13,235ft to 4662m/15,295ft
- Altitude gained: 628m
We continue up toward Barafu Camp, and once reached you have now completed the South Circuit, which offers a variety of breathtaking views of the summit from many different angles. An early dinner and rest as we prepare for summit night. Overnight at Barafu Camp.
- Elevation: 4662m/15,295ft to 5895m/19,341ft
- Altitude gained: 1233m
- Descent to 3106m/10,190ft
- Altitude lost: 2789m
Excitement is building as morning comes with an early start between midnight and 2 a.m. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek.
We continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers trying to stay warm and focused on the amazing sense of accomplishment that lies ahead. With a switchback motion in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. You will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise during your short rest here. Faster hikers may view the sunrise from the summit. From here on your remaining 1 hour ascent to Uhuru Peak, you are likely to encounter snow all the way.
Congratulations, one step at a time you have now reached Uhuru Peak the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the entire continent of Africa!
After photos, celebrations and maybe a few tears of joy we take a few moments to enjoy this incredible accomplishment. We begin our steep descent down to Mweka Camp, stopping at Barafu for lunch and a very brief rest. We strongly recommend gaiters and trekking poles for uncooperative loose gravel and volcano ash terrain. Well-deserved rest awaits you to enjoy your last evening on the mountain. Overnight Mweka Camp.
- Elevation: 3106m/10,190ft to 1633m/5358ft
- Altitude lost: 1473m
After breakfast and a heartfelt ceremony of appreciation and team bonding with your crew, it’s time to say goodbye. We continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. As the weather is drastically warmer, the terrain is wet, muddy and steep and we highly recommend Gaiters and trekking poles.
From the gate, a vehicle will meet you at Mweka village to drive you back to your hotel in Moshi (about 30 minutes). Enjoy a long overdue hot shower, dinner and celebrations!!
Overnight Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel 4 stars B&B. before being transferred to your journey home, safari or a relaxing trip to Zanzibar.
CERTIFIED ETHICAL CLIMBING:
We believe the tourism industry has an obligation and a great opportunity to protect the world’s natural habitats, cultural heritage sites, and communities. We actively promote environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
INCLUDES
- All meals on the hike.
- All Park entrance fees.
- All prices are quoted in US Dollars.
- Camping equipment if applicable (tents
- mattresses
- sleeping bags
- pillows
- table and chairs)
- Flying Doctors rescue insurance for the time of the tour with Smile With Us Africa.
EXCLUDES
- Flights (International)
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Tips for Guides, Porters & Chef
- Personal expenses in nature such as money for souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees etc.
- Visa fees (100 USD for American and 50 USD for non-American)
- Immunization documents (yellow fever recommended for visa processing on arrivals)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and /or park fees
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Words From Our Happy Clients
EXCELLENT Based on 106 reviews Posted on Claire BVerified Amazing Safari experience From start to finish, we had a fantastic experience. Everything was meticulously planned and we were communicated with at about every detail. Everyone that we encountered from the taxi drivers to the boat driver was lovely, very friendly and would do anything to make us happy. The flights were exciting, I've never been on a small plane before but we loved it. The safari itself was a once in a lifetime experience and Mr Famous and Elizabeth made it extremely special. We saw all of the animals, had a lovely breakfast and lunch out in the bush and even got to take a call of nature in the most natural place on earth! The safari lodges were beautiful and very comfortable, we didnt want to leave! Thomas and the other staff were very friendly and the food was delicious. We really enjoyed our safari walk around the bush and learnt so much about maasai life. The river boat safari was also a lot of fun and all of our guides were very knowledgeable.I highly recommend this excursion, it was the highlight of our trip to Zanzibar and we felt like VIPs. Thank you, Smile with us Tours.Posted on Joe MVerified Stefan in Mikumi Stefan in Mikumi was phenomenal. In one day we got close ups on all the best animals - lions, baboons, giraffes, antelopes, vervets, southern ground Hornbill and the rest. He really knew his stuff. Would recommend to anyone. A very reliable pick.Posted on Carl-Johan dVerified Safari at Mikumi National Park My friend and I went on a one day safari trip i Mikumi National Park.Our guide Stephano Boniphace was assigned to us and he took on his job very well! Stephano is very well educated and has a very profound attitude towards his job and with great pride he took us on a safari trip we will never forget! Stephano is very kind, caring and speaks with a very calm voice about everything and literally this guy knows EVERYTHING!!! It doesn’t matter if he is talking about small birds and leaves on the threes or elephants and lions, Stephano delivers his knowledge in an easy understandable way and he makes ANYTHING interesting!!!I highly recommend Stephano as a guide to anyone and if he gets a chance to get promoted I would say that that would be right man at the right place!Posted on AndyMBarberVerified Hands down the best tour! Absolutely incredible experience with Stephano from Smile With Us Tours on our 3-day safari, especially our unforgettable day in Mikumi National Park!Stephano is hands-down one of the best guides we’ve ever had—knowledgeable, calm under pressure, and full of passion for wildlife and Tanzanian culture. Despite it being rainy season—which always brings a few surprises—he handled every challenge with total professionalism and an easygoing attitude that kept the day flowing smoothly.We were thrilled to spot 3 of the Big Five (elephants, buffalo, and lions!) amidst the lush green scenery of Mikumi. The park itself is a hidden gem, especially during the wet season when the landscape bursts into vibrant life. Herds of zebra and wildebeest grazed the plains, giraffes moved elegantly through the trees, and hippos wallowed happily in flooded pools.After our game drive, Stephano took us on a fascinating visit to a Maasai village—a truly eye-opening cultural experience. The warmth and hospitality of the Maasai people, their traditions, and their songs and dances added such depth to our trip. It was humbling and unforgettable.We ended the day at Camp Bastian, a charming eco-lodge tucked into the forest with great food, friendly staff, and a relaxing atmosphere to unwind after an action-packed day.This safari was the perfect mix of adventure, nature, and culture, all made possible by Stephano’s expert guiding. Smile With Us Tours exceeded all expectations—we couldn’t recommend them more highly.Posted on Andreas DVerified Beautiful and exciting safari Excellently organized, exceptionally competent and super friendly guides! Very nice accommodation. The trip was a great experience!Posted on andrea sVerified Highly recommended Fantastic experience! The guys picked us up at our hotel and took us to the airport. From there we landed directly inside Nyerere Park. We visited the park both in the morning and in the evening. They offered us an excellent lunch in total relaxation. Really Super recommendedPosted on Jim JVerified Taking the road less travel to experience Tanzania wildlife reserves as you would have 75 years ago I worked directly with Smile with Us Tours in Africa to book a 9-day safari in southern Tanzania to the lesser visited parks--Nyerere, Mikumi, Udzungwa Mountains, and Ruaha National Parks. I was assigned to the travel program as curator of education at a top US zoo, so I knew wildlife safari operations and possibilities. I purposely chose these lesser visited parks as I wanted to experience African ecosystems and wildlife without the crowds and swarms of vehicles--I wasn't disappointed as three days we only encountered two to four other vehicles! We saw a plethora of wildlife, including birds and the landscape was beautiful and the ecosystem was intact.Smile with Us Tours in Africa worked with me to customize their 8-day fly by safari and even arranged a visit to a site they had never gone to before. They listened and added a variety of activities, 2-night drives, a walking safari with rangers, and two cultural experiences with the Maasai. The daily itinerary was full, but our driver/guide shortened a couple of days so we could relax at our "camps".The three camps where we stayed at were very nice and the staff worked diligently to take care of our needs and desires. Smile with Us Tours offered the option to upgrade our camps if we wished. The food was varied and offered a variety of local and continental dishes. There were always choices and plenty of vegetables and fruits.Our driver/guide went out of his way to listen to us and work to meet our wishes and expectations (as much as possible). He worked 12-14 hours each day and provided us with some extra experiences and tastes that were not part of the itinerary. It was nice to have additional guides join us and help lead the safari drives, boat trip, night drives, hikes and walking safari. Our driver/guide recognized that he needed to improve on his English comprehension, but overall, he very good as a leader and his personality was fun loving, yet serious and concerned that we had a great experience.The land cruiser was adequate, but showed some wear and tear as the roads were rough on a vehicle. There was plenty of room in the vehicle and the roof raised to allow all of us good viewing of the wildlife we encountered. We had a couple of minor maintenance issues, but they were remedied quickly or taken to the "shop" after we were dropped off at camp.All in all, great value for the 9-day safari and I would recommend you book with Smile with Us Tours in Africa.Posted on rabia_hVerified Bumpy rides but all good fun we did 2 day safari day one was Tarangire national park we had 1 night stay at farm of dreams lodge and second day we did norongoro creater it was such a surreal experience. Defo one ticked off the bucket list, our driver was great very informative and great company, food and drink was included but what I can say is the standard of food could be better, and the cars could be more modern but apart from that it was great, I would say bring your own snacks and bring warm clothing for the mornings, they are bitter cold, we had booked the whole package with smile with us so they arranged transport to and from the airportPosted on Lee AVerified The best!! From the absolute start we were treated exceptionally. Our driver Abduhl was very prompt and couldn’t have been nicer The flight over was amazing and once we arrived at the park the same treatment resumed Our guide Kennedy and our driver Dula were an amazing duo! We managed to spot so many animals and Kennedy was on hand to give us information about them. His knowledge of the whole savanna was incredible. I’d give this tour 100 stars if I couldPosted on Rodrix1967Verified Great Safari Experience ! Excellent safari experience with Smile With Us. Everything went well, a very competent, knowledgeable and professional team with a lot of empathy for us. We always feel safe and accompanied. Very happy with this safari. I recommend Smile With Us. Congratulations and continue your work showing Africa and defending the environment and animals.