Machame

Machame, or the whiskey route, is among the best path which is mostly booked by travelers hiking the mountain Kilimanjaro National Park. The hikers who chose this route have a great chance of reaching the summit, however, it can be challenging reaching the goals due to the number of days opted by the climber. Seven days trip will give a hiker high chance of reaching to the top of the mountain. This route begins from Machame gate and ends up in Mweka gate. In addition, there are amazing camp sites such as Machame, Shira, Baranco and Barafu.

Itinerary (7 days)

Day 1: Machame Gate to Machame Camp

Highlights

  • Elevation: (5,380ft to 9,350ft)
  • Hiking Distance: 11km
  • Hiking time: 5-7hours rain forest
  • Accommodation: Machame Camp

 

Our Professional driver will pick you up from your hotel early in the morning and take you to Machame gate ready to start trekking. Along the way you will have an opportunity of seeing different attractions such as beautiful scenery across the rainy forest towards the mountain.

 

Day 2: Machame Camp to Shira 2 Camp

Highlights

  • Elevation: (9,350ft to 12,500ft)
  • Hiking Distance: 5km
  • Hiking time: 6hours rocky ridge, Shira plateau, heather and open moorlands
  • Accommodation: Shira Camp

 

Wake up early in the morning for breakfast and then continue with the trekking passing through steep rocky ridges going through the Shira Plateau, heather and open moorlands until you reach the Shira Camp for the overnight.

 

Day 3: Shira Camp 2 to Lava Tower to Buranco Camp

Highlights

  • Elevation: (12,500ft to 15,100ft)
  • Hiking Distance: 10km
  • Hiking time: 8hours Alpine Desert
  • Accommodation: Burranco Camp

 

The trekking starts after breakfast whereby you will be passing through the Alpine desert 7 kilometers away about 4-5 hours walking to the Lava Tower. Afterwards, you will continue with 3 hours walking by descending to burranco camp a distance of 3 kilometers from 15,190ft to 13.044ft where you will overnight.

 

Day 4: Burranco camp to Karanga camp

Highlights

  • Elevation: (13,044ft to 13,106ft)
  • Hiking Distance: 5km
  • Hiking time: 4-5hours Alpine desert
  • Accommodation: Karanga Camp

After breakfast you will carry on with a short trekking by descending down into the narrow valley up to the base of the great Burranco wall going up to the steep cliff nearly 900ft. On top of the Burrunco valley you will pass through a few hills and valleys until you descend to Karanga valley for the overnight.

 

Day 5: Karanga camp to Barafu camp

Highlights

  • Elevation: (13,106ft up to 15,331ft)
  • Hiking Distance: 4km
  • Hiking time: 4-5hours Alpine dessert
  • Accommodation: Barafu Camp

 

After breakfast, you will begin the 4 to 5 hours trekking walking through the alpine dessert joining the Mweka trail all the way up to the Barafu camp. This place offers the wonderful views of the mountain peaks Kibo and Mawenzi, hence gets a great experience of the Mountain Kilimanjaro. Dinner and overnight will be at Barafu camp.

 

Day 6: Barafu camp up to Uhuru peak; from Uhuru peak to Mweka camp

Highlights

  • Elevation: (15,331ft up to 19,341ft)
  • Hiking Distance: 17km
  • Hiking time: 14hours Arctic weather
  • Accomodation: Mweka Camp

 

After breakfast, the trekking begins from Barafu camp up to Uhuru camp and then from Uhuru peak down to Mweka camp. You will have a walking distance of 5 kms about 7-8 hours from Barafu camp up to Uhuru camp and then from the Uhuru peak to Mweka camp. After that you will descend up to Mweka camp a distance of 12 kilometers about 4-6 hours walk in an altitude of 10,065ft in the rain forest. The trek to the summit begins in the midnight because it is mental and physical challenging. The walking is accompanied with some stronger winds and coldness therefore, the hiking at this point is slower with short breaks. When you reach at Stella point, you will have amazing sunrise over the Mawenzi peak. After that you will continue to the Uhuru peak for the summit at the highest peak in Africa and the highest free standing mountain in the world. After the summit you will descend up to Mweka camp for dinner and overnight.

 

Day 7: Mweka camp to Mweka gate

Highlights

  • Elevation: (10,065ft up to 5,380ft)
  • Hiking Distance: 10km
  • Hiking time: 3-4hours rain forest
  • Accomodation: Hotel

 

Today you will descend from Mweka camp to Mweka gate where you will be awarded the certificates of merit and listen to the special dances from the tour guides and porters celebrating the success to be able to summit the mountain Kilimanjaro. Also you will have time to provide Tips to the guides, cook and porters and say goodbye. 

 

The package includes:

  • Airport transfers
  • Government taxes
  • Meals
  • Gate transfers
  • Cooking equipments
  • Rescue fees and emergency
  • Crew wages
  • Drinking water
  • Park and hut fees
  • Professional tour guides, cook and porters
  • Accommodation fees

 

The package excludes:

  • VISA fees
  • Alcoholic and soft drinks
  • Extra fees where is applied like penalty
  • Flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Personal hire gear such as trekking shoes
  • Tips for tour guides, porters and cook
  • Medication
  • Additional hotel stays in case you departed early from climbing with the climbing crew