To climb Mount Kilimanjaro on the Machame route means to share the mountain with many other trekkers.
Ever since the budget operators discovered Machame the traffic on the route has been growing. It soon overtook the Marangu route as the most heavily trafficked climb route on Mount Kilimanjaro.
Day 1 – Machame Gate (1830 m/6000 ft) – Machame Huts (3030 m/9940 ft)
Walking distance: 5.5 km/3.5 miles
Walking time: 5-7 hours
Altitude gain: 1200 m/3940 ft
Day 2 – Machame Huts – New Shira Camp (3850 m/12630 ft)
Walking distance: 5.5 km/3.5 miles
Walking time: 4-6 hours
Altitude gain: 820 m/2690 ft
Day 3 – New Shira Camp – via Lava Tower (4640 m/15220 ft) – Barranco Huts (3985 m/13070 ft)
Walking distance: 10 km/6.2 miles
Walking time: 5-7 hours
Altitude gain: 135 m/440 ft (790 m/2590 ft to Lava Tower)
Day 4 – Barranco Huts – Karanga Camp (4040 m/13255 ft)
Walking distance: 5.5 km/3.5 miles
Walking time: 4-5 hours
Altitude gain: 55 m/185 ft
Day 5 – Karanga Camp – Barafu Huts (4680 m/15360 ft)
Walking distance: 3.5 km/ 2.2 miles
Walking time: 4-5 hours
Altitude gain: 640 m/2105 ft
Day 6 – Summit attempt via Stella Point (5752 m/18871 ft) to Uhuru Peak (5895 m/19340 ft) and descent via Mweka Route to Millenium Camp (3820 m/12530 ft) (or to Mweka Hut)
Walking distance: 5 km/3 miles ascent + 10 km/6.2 miles descent
Walking time: 5-6 hrs + 1-2 hours up, 5-6 hours down (the overall walking time may vary from 10 – 16 hours)
Altitude gain: 1072 m/ 3511 ft (Stella Point) or 1215 m/3980 ft (Uhuru Peak)
Descent: 2075 m/6810 ft
Day 7 – Millenium Camp – Machame Gate
Walking distance: 20 km/12.5 miles
Walking time: 5 hours
Descent: 1990 m/6530 ft
We’ve travelled the length and breadth of Tanzania and tested every possible route to enable us to curate itineraries that work absolutely seamlessly, taking in the country’s many highlights at just the right pace. Packed with unique experiences and handpicked hotels, our trips deliver unforgettable travel moments.
