Machame Route
The Machame route, known by locals as the whisky route, starts from Machame Gate and travels upwards through the montane forest characterized by dense vegetation, a muddy trail, and a short section of steep climbs.
Itinerary
Day of arrival.
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met by an Omura representative who will transfer you to your hotel. There, you will be given time to settle in before a meet and greet with your guides. In this meeting, we will brief you on what to expect on Mount Kilimanjaro and answer any last-minute questions you may have. After the briefing, we recommend an early night for an early pick-up the following day.
Day 1.
After breakfast, you will be collected from the hotel around 8:00 a.m. and will be driven to Machame Gate. After the registration process, we will start the climb steadily through dense rainforest. This path can be overgrown in places and it is often wet and muddy underfoot. During dinner, you will be briefed for the following day by your head guide.
Camp: Machame Gate to Machame Camp
Elevation: 1,640m (5,380ft) to 2,850m (9,350ft)
Distance: 11km (7 miles)
Trekking Time: 5-7 hours
Vegetation Zone: Rainforest
Day 2.
Today's route continues up through the forest until we reach the steep ascent onto the Shira Plateau. The trek is relatively steep as we enter the low alpine zone which is characterized by moorlands and grasslands. Once at camp, the first views of Kibo Peak in the northwest and Mount Meru in the east are visible. During dinner, you will be briefed for the following day by your head guide.
Camp: Machame Camp to Shira Camp
Elevation: 2,850m (9,350ft) to 3,810m (12,500ft)
Distance: 5.4km (3.4 miles)
Trekking Time: 5 hours
Vegetation Zone: Rainforest and Low Alpine Zone
Day 3.
Today we continue up the southwest side of Mount Kilimanjaro taking us past the distinct pinnacle of the Lava Tower (4600m), our high point for the day and a great place to enjoy your lunch. In the afternoon we make a steep descent to our camp for the night, located in the base of the Great Barranco Valley sheltered by towering cliffs with extensive views of the plains below. During dinner, you will be briefed for the following day by your head guide.
Camp: Shira Camp to Barranco Camp
Elevation: 3,810m (12,500ft) to 3,976m (13,044ft)
Distance: 10.8km (6.7 miles)
Trekking Time: 8 hours
Vegetation Zone: Low Alpine and High Alpine
Day 4.
After breakfast, we start the steep climb of summiting Barranco Wall. Whilst hiking up the gorge, experience the kissing rock alongside spectacular views of the valley. After the climb, we take a short break allowing you to take photos in front of the Kibo volcano before continuing to camp. For those feeling strong, we will go for an afternoon acclimatization trek up to around 4,200m (13,779ft) before descending back to camp for the night. During dinner, you will be briefed for the following day by your head guide.
Camp: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
Elevation: 3,976m (13,044ft) to 3,995m (13,106ft)
Distance: 5.5km (3.4 miles)
Trekking Time: 5 hours
Vegetation Zone: High Alpine
Day 5.
Today you trek to Barafu Summit Camp, the starting point for a night summiting Uhuru Peak (5,895m). You will climb steep desolate slopes before reaching base camp. After regaining strength, you have to complete an acclimatization hike towards the intermediate Kosovo Summit Camp (4,800 m) and then back to Barafu Camp. After an early dinner, we recommend resting and sleeping before being awoken at 11 pm to prepare for the summit climb. During dinner, you will be briefed for the following day by your head guide.
Camp: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
Elevation: 3,995m (13,106ft) to 4,673m (15,331ft)
Distance: 3km (1.9 miles)
Trekking Time: 3 hours
Vegetation Zone: High Alpine
Day 6 (Summit Day).
We start the summit climb at midnight and walk upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing slowly but gain incredible height over a short distance. We will reach the crater rim at Stella Point (5739m) as the first rays of sunlight begin to show. Here we will take a short break to watch the sunrise over Africa. You will have spectacular views of the ice cliffs within the crater surrounding us and views of Mawenzi Peak. We continue for another hour up to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895m). We begin our descent back to Barafu Camp for breakfast. After a short rest, you will continue to descend to Mweka Camp. During dinner, you will be briefed for the following day by your head guide.
Camp: Barafu Camp to Mweka Camp
Elevation: 4,673m (15,331ft) to 5,895m (19,341ft) to 3,068m(10,065ft)
Distance: 16.4km (9.6 miles)
Trekking Time: 13-15 hours
Vegetation Zone: Glacial, High Alpine, Low Alpine, Rainforest
Day 7.
A gentle trek takes us down through the rainforest to Mweka Gate, where we complete park formalities and present you with a certificate confirming you summited Mount Kilimanjaro. We are then met by our vehicles and transferred back to your hotel for a well-earned rest and celebration with your guides.
Camp: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
Elevation: 3,068m (10,065ft) to 1,640m (5,380ft)
Distance: 9.1km (7.5 miles)
Trekking Time: 3 hours
Vegetation Zone: Rainforest
Final Day.
After breakfast, a vehicle will transfer you to your next destination. If you have additional time we recommend you extend your stay. Omura offers safari packages to see nature at its finest or maybe a relaxing beach trip to Zanzibar.
