The Machame Route is known for its stunning scenery, gradual acclimatization, and high success rate, making it one of the most popular options for climbing Kilimanjaro.

Highlights of Machame Route

  • RAINFOREST

    The Machame Route begins with a lush rainforest hike that provides a cool and humid environment to begin the climb.

  • SCENIC HIKES

    The Machame Route offers scenic hikes through towering peaks and stunning alpine meadows, providing breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape.

  • ACCLIMATIZATION

    The Machame Route is designed for optimal acclimatization, allowing climbers to adjust to the altitude gradually over several days.

  • SUMMIT NIGHT

    The Machame Route offers a challenging summit night hike, culminating in a sunrise summit of Kilimanjaro's highest peak.

  • HIGH SUCCESS RATE

    With its focus on acclimatization and flexible itinerary, the Machame Route has a high success rate, making it a popular option for those who want to reach the summit.

5-Star Reviews for Popote

Below are some reviews specifically from clients who did Machame Route with us. See more of our fantastic testimonials on Tripadvisor and Google.

  • "My cousin and I did the 7 Day Machame Route and 3 Day Safari Tour with Popote and we had an amazing time! Redeem was very responsive to emails when we were planning our trip. We also had a fantastic team of guides..."

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  • "We chose Popote for the Machame Route, it is definitely the agency to go for! Before departure Sabino was great with his patience in clearing all our doubts. When we started, we discovered it was ..."

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  • "Our primary reason for visiting Tanzania was to trek up Kilimanjaro, having done safari with Popote last year. Sobino was his usual best in planning and scheduling the trek perfectly....Food was excellent..."

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Is Machame Route for Me?

The Machame Route is a challenging trek that offers stunning scenery. On average, hikers can expect to walk for 6-8 hours per day, covering a distance of about 8-15 kilometers. The route includes a maximum daily vertical gain of about 1,000 meters, with an average of 500-600 meters per day. This makes it ideal for experienced hikers and adventure seekers who are in good physical condition and want a more strenuous experience. However, the Machame Route may not be suitable for elderly people or young children, as the physical demands and high altitude can be challenging. It is also not recommended for those looking for a leisurely climb, as the daily walking distances and vertical gains are demanding.

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The Popote Advantage

We have guided more than 10,000 climbers on Kilimanjaro since 2011. The following 4 aspects are the most important for anyone wanting to climb Kili. And we guarantee uncompromising quality for all and more.

#1 Highly Experienced Guides

Popote's guides know the ins and outs of Kilimanjaro, are trained in emergency procedures and can provide vital support in case of any unexpected situations. They also bring a wealth of knowledge about the local culture, flora, and fauna, which will make your climb even more enriching. Besides, they also play a crucial role in making the climb fun and enjoyable. It can be through singing along the way, narating anecdotes from the past, or by bringing a sense of camaraderie to your team. As as you will see, they offer every encouragement and support you will ever need.

#2 Reliable Porters

Porters carry equipment and supplies, allowing climbers to focus on the climb without carrying heavy loads. They setup your camps each day, and dismantle them when its time to move on. Without their support climbing Kilimanjaro will be next to impossible for most of us. At Popote, we value our porters highly because of the part they play in making each climb, week after week, a success.

#3 Lip-Smacking Meals

Our chefs will serve large, healthy meals to keep you happy and well-fed on your Kilimanjaro climb. You’ll have hot meals at breakfast and dinner, freshly prepared with locally-sourced ingredients. We prepare all our food to strict hygiene standards, ensuring it’s delicious and safe to eat. Our menus are designed to be nutritionally-dense, with plenty of variety to cater to the energy demands of the trek.

#4 Top Quality Equipment

We only use Mountain Hardwear’s rugged, 4-season tents, designed specifically for mountain conditions. Built to accommodate three people, we only ever have two people in a tent. These tents are manufactured to withstand high winds, heavy rain and snow cover, making them ideal for the environment on Kilimanjaro.

Machame Route Itinerary

The itinerary below describes the 6 nights/7 day Kilimanjaro climb via the Machame route. To shorten the below itinerary to 6 days you skip the night in the Karanga Valley and instead walk straight from the Barranco Huts to the Barafu Huts in one day.

Day 0: Arrival in Tanzania

You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your arranged hotel in Moshi town. You will meet your guide who will brief you on your upcoming trek and do an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. Gear which is missing can be rented on this day.

  • Driving distance: 55 km
  • Driving Time: 1 hour

Day 1: Machame Gate to Machame Hut Camp

The drive starts from Moshi to Machame gate by passing through the Machame village which is located on the slopes of Kilimanjaro. After gate formalities and permits we start the hiking in the montane rainforests through mossy trails until we reach Machame hut camp.

  • Distance: 11km/7miles
  • Hiking Time: 5-7hours
  • Elevation: 5,380ft to 9,350ft
  • Habitat: Rain Forest

Day 2: Machame Camp to Shira 2 Camp

The trail begins with a gentle ascent through the moorland zone, which is characterized by large expanses of open grassland with low-growing shrubs and alpine flowers. The terrain is rocky and volcanic, with stunning views of the surrounding landscape. The hike offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and valleys, and a chance to see some of the unique and diverse flora and fauna of the area. Upon reaching Shira 2 Camp, you'll set up camp and spend the night in preparation for the next day's hike.

  • Distance: 5km/3miles
  • Hiking Time: 5-6hours
  • Elevation: 9,350ft to 12,500ft
  • Habitat: Heath

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

This day is characterized by a challenging hike from Shira Cave Camp (12,500 ft) to Lava Tower (15,000 ft) and then to Barranco Camp (13,000 ft). The trail begins with a gentle ascent through a high-altitude moorland landscape, with breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks and valleys. After a few hours of hiking, you'll reach Lava Tower, a towering rock formation that was once an active volcano. You'll take a break here to rest before continuing on to Barranco Camp. The day will be spent at altitude (up to 4600m), but we will have followed the mountaineering code of ‘walk high, sleep low’ to aid your body’s acclimatization to altitude.

  • Distance: 10km/6miles
  • Hiking Time: 6-8 hours
  • Elevation: 12,500ft to 15,190ft to 13,044ft
  • Vegetation: Alpine Desert

Day 4: Baranco Camp – Karanga Camp

Our day starts by descending into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical but long and tiring. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley. From here we have a steep climb up from Karanga valley to our night’s camp at Karanga camp, set at 3963m. For those feeling strong we will go for a mid-afternoon acclimatization trek up to around 4200m before descending back to camp for the night.

  • Distance: 5km/3miles
  • Hiking Time: 4-5hours
  • Elevation:13,044 ft – 13,106 ft
  • Vegetation: Alpine Desert

Day 5: Karanga Camp – Barafu Camp

After a good night’s rest and breakfast, we set off on our walk to Barafu camp at 4640m. The climb will take us across desolate scree slopes with no vegetation around us at all. It’s a tough steep walk made more difficult by the altitude. On arriving at camp we eat and spend the afternoon resting as we prepare for a long night and day ahead. It is important to keep hydrated and warm. We have an early dinner and then try to get some sleep as we will be getting up at between 11pm and 12pm to start the climb to the summit.

  • Distance: 4km/2miles
  • Hiking Time: 4-5hours
  • Elevation:13,106 ft to 15,331 ft
  • Vegetation: Alpine Desert

Day 6 –  Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp

We start off at around midnight and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The views are spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella Point (5739m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround us and the views to jagged Mawenzi peak and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour’s walking takes us to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895m). We begin our descent by returning to Stella Point and then descending on scree slope and track back to Barafu Camp for breakfast, before finally heading down to Millennium Camp for a long well-earned rest

  • Distance: 5km/3miles and 7km/4miles
  • Hiking Time: 6-8 hours and 2-4 hours
  • Elevation: 15,331 ft to 19,341ft and 12,434 ft
  • Vegetation: Arctic to Heath

Day 7 – Millennium Camp to Mweka Gate

A gentle trek takes us down through the rainforest to Mweka Gate, where we complete park formalities and receive certificates, which you can hang up with pride! We are then met by our vehicles and return to the hotel in Moshi, where you can treat yourself to a welcome shower then celebrate with cold drinks. Overnight at your arranged hotel.

  • Distance: 12km/7miles
  • Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
  • Elevation:12,434 ft – 5,380 ft
  • Vegetation: Rain forest 

Day 8 – Departure

Whether you go on a safari with us, or fly to Zanzibar or any other destination, out vehicle will be ready for your transfer at a time of your choosing.

Machame Route Prices

We do no compromise on safety and quality, so our prices are not the cheapest. However, they are also not unreasonably high like some other companies. We take a lot of pride in the value for money we provide to each and every client.

The per person prices below are based on how many people are booking the trek together.

  • 7-Day Route Price

    1 person - $2,425

    2-5 persons - $2,135

    6-10 persons - $2,085

    11+ persons - $2,035

  • 6-Day Route Price

    1 person - $2,080

    2-5 persons - $1,830

    6-10 persons - $1,780

    11+ persons - $1,730

  • The climb cost includes

    Transfers:

    • Return transfer from Kilimanjaro International Airport to accommodation in Moshi
    • Return transfer from accommodation in Moshi to the entry gate into Kilimanjaro National Park

    Entry fees:

    • Park Fees: all park fees collected by Kilimanjaro National Park (conservation fees, camping fees, crew fees, vehicle fee, rescue fee and all others). 

    Accommodation:

    • Accommodation at 3* hotel in Moshi (WeruWeru Lodge) one night before and one night after the expedition. You will have all for a comfortable stay - friendly staff, clean rooms, Wi-Fi, restaurant and swimming pool
    • Tented accommodation on Mount Kilimanjaro (modern comfortable 4-season North Face VE-25 tents)

    Please note: by default, you will share a room and a tent with your travel companion. If you travel solo on a group expedition, we will room you with a same-sex participant. Single supplement is available upon request.

    Meals:

    • Breakfast in the hotel before and after the hike
    • All meals on the hike. You will find delicious energy-rich meals on our mountain menus. Our professional chefs will prepare assorted soups, garnishes, several types of fish and meat, fresh fruit and vegetables. Vegetarian/gluten-free/halal options are available at no extra cost
    • All drinks on the hike (coffee, tea, hot chocolate and water)

    Hiking and safety equipment:

    • 4-inch (10-cm) thick and comfortable sleeping mats;
    • All group equipment (dining tent, table, chairs, crockery and cutlery)
    • If you choose extra comfort package you additionally will have walk-in tents, sleeping cots, hot water bottles for the night as well as portable toilets included
    • Oxygen cylinders and oximeters
    • GPS-tracking service
    • Complete medical kits including Diamox.

    Climbing crew:

    • Professional guides licensed by Kilimanjaro National Park. All guides are holder of Wilderness First Responder certification. All of them have 7+years of successful experience
    • Dedicated support crew (assistant guides, camp master, porters, cooks, etc.)

    It goes without saying that we treat our porters, cooks and guides as well and fairly. It is an unbiased evaluation of our commitment to fair treatment of our mountain crews.

    Taxes:

    • 18% VAT, 1% TDL and 0.3% Service Levy. Popote Africa is an honest and responsible tour operator working in full compliance with the tax law of the United Republic of Tanzania.
  • The climb cost excludes

    • International flights
    • Tips (250-300 USD per climber for the whole mountain crew)
    • Visa fee (100 USD for American citizens and 50 USD for all others)
    • Personal gear rentals
    • Lunch and dinner at the hotel (before and after the climb)
    • Portable toilets (if required - 250 USD per unit, one can be shared between 3 people)
    • Mountaineering insurance. You'll need special insurance for climbing Kilimanjaro that covers high-altitude trekking up to 6000 m

FAQs for Machame Route

  • How difficult is the Machame Route?

    The Machame Route is designed to provide ample time for acclimatization, with a slower pace and lower daily altitude gain compared to some of the other routes. This gradual pace helps reduce the risk of altitude sickness, making it a popular choice. However it still includes the challenging ascent up the Barranco Wall and a steep climb to the summit on the final night.

  • How long is the Machame Route?

    The Machame Route on Kilimanjaro is approximately 63 kms (39 miles) in length from start to finish. It is usually done over 7 days, but a shorter 6-day itinerary is also possible. The average daily altitude gain is about 700m per day, with the summit day climb of 1200m.

  • What is Machame Route's summit success rate?

    Due to it’s "climb high, sleep low" profile, summit success rates on the Machame route are very high. Whilst there are no official statistics, the average success rate across all operators is 85% for the 7 day trek and a 73% success rate for the 6 day trek. However, we have a 95% summit success rate for the Machame route.

  • How is the scenery on the Machame Route?

    The scenery is extremely varied and you will pass through 5 climatic zones on your way to the summit. The trek begins in rain forest on the lower slopes before continuing up into the low alpine zone of wild grasslands and moorlands.

    From there you trek into the high alpine zone before reaching the glacial zone. You will encounter many incredible vistas and visit stunning places such as Shira Plateau, Barranco and Lava Tower.

Why choose Popote?

Read about all that make us one of the best outfitters running Klimanjaro climbs.