Kilimanjaro Machame Route

The Whiskey Route: A Journey to the Roof of Africa

Imagine trekking through lush rainforest, camping beneath the stars and watching the landscape transform into an extraordinary, almost lunar-like world as you climb towards Africa's highest summit.

The Machame Route, also known as the Whiskey Route, is one of Kilimanjaro's established trekking routes. It takes you through changing landscapes, past the famous Barranco Wall and towards Uhuru Peak at 5,895 metres.

Unlike the Marangu Route, Machame uses tented camps, making life on the mountain part of the adventure.

At Mapping Your Travel, we've helped clients take on the Machame Route, and we can share their experiences and photographs alongside our own first-hand knowledge of Kilimanjaro.

We'll help arrange your trek, flights, accommodation and transfers, with the option to add a Tanzanian safari or Zanzibar beach stay after your climb.

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What Makes the Machame Route Different?

• Tented accommodation: Spend your nights in mountain camps, surrounded by Kilimanjaro's changing landscapes.

• Spectacular scenery: Trek through rainforest, heathland, volcanic terrain and high-altitude alpine desert.

• Time to acclimatise: The route passes Lava Tower before descending to Barranco, and longer itineraries can allow additional time at altitude.

• The Barranco Wall: Experience one of Machame's most memorable sections, involving a steep rocky ascent and some scrambling.

• A different descent: Return via the Mweka Route, giving you the opportunity to experience another side of the mountain.

• Experienced local mountain team: Trek with local guides and support staff who know Kilimanjaro.

Although Machame is a popular choice for trekkers, climbing Kilimanjaro remains a demanding high-altitude challenge. Your route, number of trekking days and time to acclimatise are important considerations when planning your adventure.

We've helped our clients experience the Machame Route first-hand.

The photographs featured on this page were taken by Brian Robinson, a Mapping Your Travel client who trekked the Machame Route, giving you a glimpse of the real landscapes, camps and experiences that make this journey so memorable.

Nicola from Mapping Your Travel has also trekked Kilimanjaro via the Marangu Route, so we can talk to you about the wider experience of climbing the mountain, from preparing for the trek to the challenges of altitude and summit night.

We'll help you explore the different route options and arrange a Kilimanjaro adventure around your interests and travel plans.

Example Machame Route Itinerary

This example follows a seven-day mountain itinerary, with an overnight stay at Karanga before continuing towards Barafu and the summit.

Exact walking times, camp locations and arrangements may vary depending on your chosen operator, itinerary, weather and conditions on the mountain.

Day 1: Arrive in Tanzania

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where you'll be met and transferred to your hotel near Moshi.  Settle in, meet your trekking team and prepare for the adventure ahead. Depending on your chosen package, your hotel may offer a swimming pool and other facilities for relaxing before the trek.

Day 2: Machame Gate to Machame Camp

Approx. 1,640m to 3,000m | Walking time: 5–7 hours

After breakfast and your trekking briefing, transfer to Machame Gate on the southern side of Kilimanjaro.  Your adventure begins with a walk through the mountain's lush rainforest, following winding trails beneath the forest canopy.

Arrive at Machame Camp, where you'll spend your first night on the mountain.

Day 3: Machame Camp to Shira Camp

Approx. 3,000m to 3,810m | Walking time: 4–6 hours

Leave the rainforest behind as the landscape opens into heathland and moorland.

The trail climbs along rocky terrain towards the Shira Plateau, where increasingly expansive views reveal another side of Kilimanjaro.

Continue towards Shira Camp for your overnight stay.

Day 4: Shira Camp to Barranco Camp via Lava Tower

Lava Tower: approx. 4,600m | Barranco Camp: approx. 3,900m

Walking time: approximately 6–8 hours

Today brings a dramatic change in scenery as you head towards Lava Tower, passing through increasingly stark volcanic landscapes.  The route climbs higher before descending towards Barranco Camp, where you'll spend the night at a lower altitude.

This pattern of gaining height during the day before sleeping lower is an important feature of the Machame itinerary.

Day 5: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

Today brings one of the Machame Route's most memorable challenges: the Barranco Wall.

Follow the steep, rocky trail upwards, using your hands for balance on some sections, before continuing through the Karanga Valley.

Arrive at Karanga Camp for your overnight stay.

Day 6: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

Karanga Camp: approx. 4,000m | Barafu Camp: approx. 4,600m

Continue through Kilimanjaro's increasingly exposed, high-altitude landscape towards Barafu Camp.

On a clear day, you may enjoy spectacular views towards the mountain's volcanic peaks.

Arrive at camp, eat and rest before the early-hours summit attempt.

Day 7: Summit Day - Uhuru Peak

Uhuru Peak: 5,895m

This is the day you've been working towards.

Your summit attempt usually begins during the night, climbing slowly towards Stella Point on the crater rim before continuing towards Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa.

Reaching the summit is an extraordinary achievement, but the day doesn't end there.  After your summit attempt, begin the long descent towards Mweka Camp, where you'll spend the night.

The ascent and descent can take many hours, and timings will depend on your pace, the weather and conditions on the mountain.

Day 8: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate

After breakfast, continue your final descent through Kilimanjaro's changing vegetation towards Mweka Gate.

From here, you'll be transferred back to your hotel near Moshi.

Time for a well-earned shower, a dip in the pool and perhaps a celebratory beer!

Day 9: Depart or Continue Your Tanzania Adventure

Transfer to the airport for your flight home, or make Kilimanjaro just the beginning of your Tanzanian adventure.  You could head out on safari, fly to Zanzibar or combine both experiences before returning home.

How Much Does the Machame Route Cost?

The cost of a Kilimanjaro trek varies depending on your travel dates, flights, number of trekking days, accommodation, group size and any additional experiences.

We can provide a current quotation for your preferred itinerary, including a safari or Zanzibar extension if you'd like to explore more of Tanzania.

Request a Kilimanjaro Quote

Machame, Marangu or Another Route?

Machame offers a different Kilimanjaro experience from the Marangu Route.

On Machame, you'll stay in tented camps, follow a route through Barranco and Karanga, and descend via Mweka.

Marangu uses mountain huts rather than tents and follows a different approach to the summit.

We'll help you compare the routes, accommodation, number of trekking days and overall experience before deciding which itinerary suits you.

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