Kilimanjaro Machame Route hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Machame Route is the most popular way up Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa (5,895 m) and the world's highest free-standing mountain. Its nickname is the "Whiskey" route, because it is harder than the old "Coca-Cola" route, Marangu. It climbs from Machame Gate on the south-west side of the mountain through rainforest, heath and the Shira Plateau, then traverses below the glaciers of Kibo's southern face to Barafu Camp, from where climbers make the night push to Uhuru Peak. The descent is by the Mweka route. You sleep in tents at the official Kilimanjaro National Park (KINAPA) camps, and you must climb with a licensed guide and crew.

The route

Day 1 climbs through dense montane forest from Machame Gate (1,800 m) to Machame Camp at the edge of the heath. Day 2 goes steeply up a rocky ridge to the Shira Plateau and Shira 2 Camp (3,850 m), with views of Kibo and Mount Meru. Day 3 is the key acclimatisation day: you climb to the Lava Tower (about 4,630 m) and drop back to Barranco Camp (3,960 m) among giant groundsels. Day 4 starts with the Barranco Wall, a 250 m scramble on hands and feet, and continues to Karanga Camp. Day 5 is a short climb to Barafu Camp (4,673 m), the high camp. You leave Barafu around midnight, reach Stella Point on the crater rim at dawn and walk the last hour along the rim to Uhuru Peak. The same day you go back down to Barafu for a rest and on to Mweka Camp (3,100 m) or Millennium Camp, and on the last morning you walk through the forest to Mweka Gate (about 1,640 m).

This guide follows the line mapped on OpenStreetMap from Machame Gate to Uhuru Peak (38 km) and splits it into 6 stages, about 6.4 km each: the classic 7-day itinerary. The descent via Mweka (about 18-20 km, 1.5 days) is described in the text and stage notes. On the 6-day version, Karanga is skipped and you walk from Barranco to Barafu in one day.

Highlights

• The rainforest on day 1: tall trees, moss, colobus and blue monkeys
• Shira Plateau: a collapsed volcano with wide views to Mount Meru above the clouds
• Lava Tower and the Barranco Valley: a volcanic plug at 4,600 m and a valley of giant groundsels below the Breach Wall
• The Barranco Wall: the most famous scramble on the mountain, easier than it looks
• Sunrise from Stella Point and the glaciers of the southern ice fields on the way to Uhuru Peak

When to climb

KINAPA describes two dry seasons: late June to September and December to early March. These months have the clearest days and the best conditions, and July, August and the New Year period are the busiest. The main rains fall from March to May and the short rains in October and November; the forest is muddy and the summit can be deep in snow. Kilimanjaro is close to the equator, so day length hardly changes, but on summit night it is often -10 to -20 °C with wind chill at any time of year.

How many days do you need?

Book at least 7 days. The extra day at Karanga gives your body more time to adjust and improves your chance of reaching the top. The route already follows the "climb high, sleep low" rule on day 3. Plan a night in Moshi or Arusha before the climb for the briefing and gear check, and one after.

Permits, fees and booking

You cannot climb Kilimanjaro on your own. KINAPA issues permits only through licensed tour operators, who provide a guide, assistant guides, a cook, porters, tents and food. Choose an operator that pays and treats its porters fairly; partner operators of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) are a good sign. The operator price includes park fees. In the latest published TANAPA tariff (valid from January 2025; no newer tariff had been published by October 2026), a foreign adult pays USD 70 a day in conservation fees, USD 50 a night for camping and a USD 20 rescue fee, plus 18% VAT: about USD 970 for 7 days. Crew members pay a small fee, porters may carry no more than 25 kg, and children under 10 are not allowed above 3,700 m. Tipping the crew at the end is expected; ask your operator for its tipping guide before you go.

Getting there and away

Fly to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), between Moshi and Arusha. Most operators are based in Moshi, about 45 minutes by road from Machame Gate; Arusha is about 1.5 hours away. You need a passport valid for 6 months, a tourist visa (e-visa before travel, or on arrival at the main airports) and the mandatory Tanzanian Government travel insurance, bought online or on arrival. A yellow fever certificate is needed if you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk. Plastic carrier bags are banned. At the end, your operator collects you at Mweka Gate, 30 minutes from Moshi.

Money and phone signal

The currency is the Tanzanian shilling, but park fees, climbs and tips are usually paid in US dollars; bring clean, recent notes. ATMs in Moshi and Arusha give shillings and sometimes run out. Mobile signal is patchy on the mountain: there is often some coverage at the higher camps and on the summit, but none in the valleys. There is no power, so bring a power bank.

What to pack

Pack for every climate: light clothes for the forest, a warm fleece and a down jacket, waterproof jacket and trousers, thermal layers, a warm hat, thick gloves or mittens, a sleeping bag rated to -10 °C or lower, a head torch with spare batteries, trekking poles, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen. Bring water bottles for 3 litres and purification tablets. Porters carry your duffel bag; keep your water, snacks, rain gear and warm layers in your daypack.

Difficulty and safety

The Machame route is not technical, but it is hard. The danger is altitude: most climbers get headaches and poor sleep, and some get acute mountain sickness, which can turn into life-threatening HAPE or HACE. Walk slowly, drink well, tell your guide about every symptom, and go down if they get worse. Summit night is 6-8 hours of slow climbing in the cold and dark, followed by a long descent of about 2,800 m. The Barranco Wall needs your hands on a few short steps. In an emergency, your guide and the KINAPA rangers at each camp organise rescue by stretcher or helicopter; the national emergency number is 112, and the nearest major hospital is KCMC in Moshi. Your insurance must cover trekking to 6,000 m and helicopter evacuation.