Duration
7 days
Tour type
Private tour
Group size
1-12 people
Physical level
Challenging
Customizable
Yes, request changes
Minimum age
10 years
Languages
English, French, Spanish, German
Machame is the most popular route on Kilimanjaro, and it earns the place. You leave the rainforest at the Machame Gate, cross the moorland of the Shira Plateau, touch 4,630 m at Lava Tower for acclimatization, then climb the Barranco Wall before the summit push from Barafu. The profile of climbing high and sleeping low gives your body time to adapt. A licensed head guide, assistant guides, cook and porters carry the mountain for you; you carry only a daypack. Camping is in tents, with hot meals prepared fresh on the mountain. Expect a long summit night, a sunrise from Stella Point and a descent to Mweka Gate where your certificate is waiting.
$3,350Per person
Trip type
High-altitude trek, not a technical climb: no ropes or climbing experience needed
Fitness level
Good general fitness and the ability to walk 5 to 8 hours a day for multiple days in a row
Age
Minimum age 10, most climbers are teens through 60s with the right preparation
Health notes
Consult a doctor if you have heart, lung, or blood pressure conditions. Altitude affects everyone differently regardless of fitness.
Drive to Machame Gate (1,640 m), register, then hike through montane forest to Machame Camp (about 3,010 m). 11 km, 5–7 hours.
Climb through heather and giant lobelia to Shira Camp (about 3,840 m). 5 km, 5–6 hours.
Ascend to Lava Tower (about 4,630 m) for lunch and acclimatization, then descend to Barranco Camp (about 3,970 m). 10 km, 6–7 hours.
Scramble up the Barranco Wall, cross the valleys and reach Karanga Camp (about 3,995 m). 5 km, 4–5 hours.
A short climb to Barafu Camp (about 4,673 m), then rest and an early dinner before the summit night. 4 km, 3–4 hours.
Start around midnight, climb by headlamp to Stella Point (5,756 m) and Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) at sunrise, then descend to Mweka Camp (about 3,100 m). Roughly 12–15 hours of walking in total.
Walk down through rainforest to Mweka Gate (1,640 m), receive your summit certificate and transfer to Moshi. 10 km, 3–4 hours.
Starts in Moshi, ends in Moshi.
Other stops
What's arranged for you to sleep and eat each night of the trip.
What this operator recommends bringing on the trip.
Fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), about 45 minutes from Moshi. Your guide meets you on arrival, and the briefing and gear check take place the evening before the climb. Machame Gate is roughly a one-hour drive from Moshi.
Per person, based on group size. Request a quote for an exact price for your dates.
| Season | 1 to 6 people |
|---|---|
| Group size | 1 to 6 |
| Per person (adult) | $3,350 |
| Per person (child) | $0 |
