Kilimanjaro climbing – Machame Route 7 days
Overview
Kilimanjaro climbing – Machame Route 7 days Itinerary, also known as the “Whiskey” route, is the most popular route on Kilimanjaro. Machame’s draw is in its scenic beauty. However, the trail is considered difficult, steep and challenging, particularly due to its shorter itinerary. Therefore this route is better suited for more adventurous folks or those with some high altitude, hiking or backpacking experience.
What to expect
The hike is led by expert guides, with years of experience climbing this majestic mountain, and you will also be assisted by a friendly crew of mountaineers to ensure your Kilimanjaro experience is truly unforgettable.
The route winds through a spectacular array of landscapes, which include verdant Afromontane forests, a heath zone of yellow helichrysum (also known as golden eternal flowers) and purple lobelia plants, alpine forests and glacial valleys, making for exceptional photographic opportunities
Pamoja Kilimanjaro & Safaris team will make sure your dreams become reality
Tour Plan
You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to Moshi town. You will meet our Kilimanjaro trekking expert who will brief you on your upcoming Kilimanjaro trekking, then rest until the next day morning.
Elevation: 5,380 ft to 9,350 ft
Distance: 11 km/7 miles
Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
Habitat: Rain Forest
The drive from Moshi to the Machame Gate takes about 1 hr. The journey passes through the village of Machame which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain. As we leave the park gate, we walk through the dense rain forest on a winding trail up a ridge until we reach the Machame Camp.
Elevation: 9,350 ft to 12,500 ft
Distance: 5 km/3 miles
Hiking Time: 4-6 hours
Habitat: Heath
This is a shortest day but steeper one. You will Wake up and get breakfast, start proceed your hiking for the second day where you will trek several uphill where there are several viewpoints from which you can see the plains and forests below and Kibo peak above and also mount Meru which is the second highest mountain in Tanzania, also as you gain high altitude you will notice changes in vegetations and the trees diminish in size, giving way to Kilimanjaro famous high altitude plants, Scenecio kilimanjari and Lobelia deckenii.
Elevation: 12,500 ft to 15,190 ft down 13044ft
Distance: 10 km/6 miles
Hiking Time: 6-7 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
We continue to the east up a ridge and then head southeast towards the Lava Tower – tall volcanic rock formation. We descend down to Barranco Camp through the strange but beautiful Senecio Forest to an altitude of 13,000 ft. Although you begin and end the day at the same elevation, the time spent at higher altitude is very beneficial for acclimatization.
Elevation: 13,044 ft to 13,106 ft
Distance: 5 km/3 miles
Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
We begin the day by descending into a ravine to the base of the Great Barranco Wall. Then we climb the non-technical but steep, nearly 900 ft cliff. From the top of the Barranco Wall we cross a series of hills and valleys until we descend sharply into Karanga Valley. One steeper climb up leads us to Karanga Camp. This is a shorter day meant for acclimatization.
Elevation: 13,106 ft to 15,331 ft
Distance: 4 km/2 miles
Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
We leave Karanga and hit the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the rocky section to Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the Southern Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest and enjoy an early dinner to prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are viewable from this position.
Elevation: 15,331 ft to 19,341 ft descent to 10065ft
Distance: 18 km/10 miles
Hiking Time: 13-14 hours
Habitat: Arctic
Very early in the morning (around midnight), we begin our push to the summit. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. The wind and cold at this elevation and time of day can be extreme. We ascend in the darkness for several hours while taking frequent, but short, breaks. Near Stella Point (18,900 ft), you will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see coming over Mawenzi Peak. Finally, we arrive at Uhuru Peak- the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa.
From the summit, we now make our descent continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut camp site, stopping at Barafu for lunch. The trail is very rocky and can be quite hard on the knees; trekking poles are helpful. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.
Elevation: 10,065 ft to 5,380 ft
Distance: 10 km/6 miles
Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
Habitat: Rain Forest
On our last day, we continue the descent to Mweka Gate and collect the summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. A vehicle will meet us at Mweka gate to drive us back to the hotel in Moshi.
Trekking Price Comparison
| Price shown are per climber | 1 Climber | 2-4 Climbers | 5-8 Climbers | 9 + Climbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marangu Route 5 days | $ 1585 USD | $ 1500 USD | $ 1455 USD | $ 1400 USD |
| Marangu Route 6 days | $ 1695 USD | $ $1600 USD | $ 1555 USD | $ 1500 USD |
| Machame Route 6 days | $ 1845 USD | $ 1745 USD | $ 1700 USD | $ 1675 USD |
| Machame Route 7 days | $ 1925 USD | $ 1825 USD | $ 1745 USD | $ 1700 USD |
| Lemosho Route 6 days | $ 1855 USD | $ 1775 USD | $ 1700 USD | $ 1675 USD |
| Lemosho Route 7 days | $ 1955 USD | $ 1855 USD | $ 1755 USD | $ 1700 USD |
| Lemosho Route 8 days | $ 2025 USD | $ 1925 USD | $ 1825 USD | $ 1800 USD |
| Rongai Route 6 days | $ 1855 USD | $ 1775 USD | $ 1700 USD | $ 1675 USD |
| Rongai Route 7 days | $ 1955 USD | $ 1855 USD | $ 1775 USD | $ 1700 USD |
| Northern Circuit Route 9 days | $ 2225 USD | $ 2125 USD | $ 1975 USD | $ 1945 USD |
| Umbwe Route 6 days | $ 1855 USD | $ 1755 USD | $ 1700 USD | $ 1675 USD |
Included
- Oxygen Cylinder
- Medically qualified guides
- Twice a day medical health checkup, monitoring with pulse-oximeter and stethoscope.
- Midrange accommodations before & after the climb, bed & breakfast basis, double occupancy (Key’s Hotel, Panama Lodge, Lindini Lodge).
- Orientation meeting in Moshi and gear check as well.
- Pick up and drop off to the Airport (Private transfers)
- Kilimanjaro National Park permits, camping/hut fees.
- Government tax (18% VAT ON TOUR FEE AND SERVICE).
- Mobile toilet.
- Mountain climbing certificate
- Team Kilimanjaro rescue fees.
- Fair Wages for the mountain crew as approved by Kilimanjaro national park Authority, and Kilimanjaro Association of Tour operator (KIATO)
- 3-4 porters per climber, which includes porters to carry up to 30 lbs/ 13.6 Kgs. of your personal gear.
- 4-season mountain tents, double occupancy.
- Mess tent, tables, chairs, double layer sleeping bag -250 C, 3 inches thick mattress and trekking poles.
- All meals while on the climb + evening tea with popcorn or peanuts.
- As much treated water you can drink while climbing.
- Hot water for washing up daily.
Excluded
- Airfares and taxes.
- Tip to your guides, porters and cook.
- Lunch, dinner and drinks at hotel.
- Health requirements (Yellow Fever – compulsory depending on how you travel to Tanzania, Meningitis & Hepatitis A optional but recommended).
- Personal travel insurance.
- Laundry (available at the hotel).
- Items of a personal nature.
- Optional travel insurance.
- Personal hiking/trekking gear- Some gears available for rent.
- Snacks and personal medicine.
- Fast flight from the mountain to Moshi/ Airport price per trip $ 3000 and maximum 2 Pax. Pickup points Kosovo High Camp, Barafu Camp, Kibo Hut and Horombo Hut.
- Camping at Kosovo High Camp above Barafu Camp $ 150 per person and Crater Camping $ 200 per person.
| Price shown are per climber | 1 Climber | 2-4 Climbers | 5-8Climbers | 9+ Climbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marangu Route 5 days | $1,735 | $1,650 | $1,605 | $1,550 |
| Marangu Route 6 days | $1,845 | $1,750 | $1,705 | $1,650 |
| Machame Route 6 days | $1,995 | $1,895 | $1,850 | $1,825 |
| Machame Route 7 days | $2,075 | $2,005 | $1,895 | $1,850 |
| Lemosho Route 6 days | $2,005 | $1,925 | $1,850 | $1,825 |
| Lemosho Route 7 days | $2,105 | $2,005 | $1,905 | $1,850 |
| Lemosho Route 8 days | $2,175 | $2,075 | $1,975 | $1,950 |
| Rongai Route 6 days | $2,005 | $1,925 | $1,850 | $1,825 |
| Rongai Route 7 days | $2,105 | $2,005 | $1,925 | $1,850 |
| Northern Circuit Route 9 days | $2,375 | $2,275 | $2,125 | $2,095 |
| Umbwe Route 6 days | $1,855 | $1,905 | $1,850 | $1,825 |
Included
- Oxygen Cylinder
- Medically qualified guides
- Twice a day medical health checkup, monitoring with pulse-oximeter and stethoscope.
- 4 STARS accommodations before & after the climb, FB. (WERUWERU RIVER LODGE, KIBO PALACE, KILI WONDERS HOTEL)
- Orientation meeting in Moshi and gear check as well.
- Pick up and drop off to the Airport (Private transfers)
- Kilimanjaro National Park permits, camping/hut fees.
- Government tax (18% VAT ON TOUR FEE AND SERVICE)
- Mobile toilet
- Mountain climbing certificate
- Team Kilimanjaro rescue fees
- Fair Wages for the mountain crew as approved by Kilimanjaro national park Authority, and Kilimanjaro Association of Tour operator (KIATO)
- 3-4 porters per climber, which includes porters to carry up to 30 lbs/ 13.6 Kgs. of your personal gear.
- 4-season mountain tents, double occupancy.
- Mess tent, tables, chairs, double layer sleeping bag -250 C, 3 inches thick mattress and trekking poles.
- All meals while on the climb + evening tea with popcorn or peanuts.
- As much treated water you can drink while climbing.
- Hot water for washing up daily.
Excluded
- Airfares and taxes.
- Tip to your guides, porters and cook.
- Lunch, dinner and drinks at hotel.
- Health requirements (Yellow Fever – compulsory depending on how you travel to Tanzania, Meningitis & Hepatitis A optional but recommended).
- Personal travel insurance.
- Laundry (available at the hotel).
- Items of a personal nature.
- Optional travel insurance.
- Personal hiking/trekking gear- Some gears available for rent.
- Snacks and personal medicine.
- Fast flight from the mountain to Moshi/ Airport price per trip $ 3000 and maximum 2 Pax. Pickup points Kosovo High Camp, Barafu Camp, Kibo Hut and Horombo Hut.
- Camping at Kosovo High Camp above Barafu Camp $ 150 per person and Crater Camping $ 200 per person.
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Review Scores
![Pamoja Kilimanjaro & Safaris]()
Anirban BAmazing experience with Pamoja Kilimanjaro & Safaris We group of 20 successfully completed Machame Route,7 Days on September,2023. Every support staff member was professional and extremely supportive. Our guides were very knowledgeable and helpful. Our team of 100 crews did everything to provide us with a memorable experience and achieving our goal of summiting with all the 20 members. We could not have achieved our goal without this fantastic team and their meticulous planning. We selected Pamoja Kilimanjaro & Safaris after negotiating with diferent safari companies. Pamoja is very reliable and reasonable in pricing. Simply Pamoja is exceptional! I would definitely recommend Pamoja to everyone.
WilliamOne of the best choice for trek Kilimanjaro or safari Just done 7 days trek and 5 days safari with Pamoja and I will say glad that I chose them. Entire crew are experienced, which leads me successfully reach uhuru and capture exciting moments during safari. The last one I had to mention is Richard - owner of Pamoja, you will find out that he is treating you as a friend far more than a customer.
Rex LReliable guides and meticulous pre-planning that you can trust. We say many recommendations for Pamoja on Taiwanese blogs. Before the trip began, we could sense Pamoja's dedication, and later, we discovered that the boss, Richard, personally handles all the things. What's even more surprising is that Richard even climbed with us for two to three days. As we had a member in our group who walked at a slower pace, we chose the seven-day Machame route. During this trip, we had the privilege of being guided by three outstanding guides: Israel, Omary, and Jovan, along with other incredibly friendly staff. Thanks to them, all five of us successfully reached the summit. The professionalism of our mountain guides was one of the trip's most crucial elements, and their attention to detail was evident right from the equipment check before departure.
立剛 陳Nice and warm team I got 6 days with this team and they treat me like family. The whole journey was so much fun and really feel u r taking care well from the morning washing water to summit warm honey tea. The owner Richard is also a nice person, and he is not only treat customer well but his employees. He can help u to solve a lot of problems and give u really good advice.
Raveendra Kumar CHelped create wonderful memories. Pamoja Kili and Safaris overall provided a very good hiking and safari experience and I would highly recommend them to anyone planning to do either the hike or safari. Ours was a large group with 20 hikers and that meant a support crew of 105 people. Richard and his team managed the trip very well even for such a large group. Starting from the pickup at the airport to dropping us off back to the airport after the end of our trip was done in a smooth friendly manner. All the guides and porters that supported us during the hike were very knowledgeable, friendly and very supportive. They kept checking with us all through the hike to make sure everyone was doing fine. The food served during the hike was amazing and they did check everyone's vitals each evening. They also provided additional snacks for mid-hike snacking every day. The toilets were maintained well and cleaned periodically. They paced the hike so that everyone was comfortable. The only disappointment we had was the "celebration lunch" after we completed the hike. It was a big let down with just one type of banana stew. Looks like there was some miscommunication or misunderstanding by the chefs. When Richard was made aware of this, he apologized profusely and made it up by organizing a celebration dance event by hiring a group to perform in the evening at our hotel. They helped us beyond just the hike. They made us feel like their guests by taking us to good restaurants for dinner and making sure there was someone from their team always with us, whether we went for shopping or drinks or food. Richard personally joined most part of the hike and ensured everything was going smoothly. After the hike some of us went on the safari. The safari jeeps were clean and well maintained. The guides/drivers (Joshua/ Denise) were very knowledgeable and friendly. They would answer all the questions we had and provide lot of information on their own as well about animals, people the area we were visiting etc.. They were very professional and punctual. The places they had booked for our stay during the safari were awesome. Overall a very positive experience and I highly recommend Pamoja Kili safaris to anyone considering Kilimanjaro hike and safari.
Roam530431223567 days Lemosho trekking + 3 days Safari We had really good experience in Tanzania with the team Pamoja. We joined their 7 days Lemosho route tour to the Mount Kilimanjaro and also 3 days for Safari. Their trekking team is very professional and helpful. The guides were highly experienced and we felt so reassured to follow their steps and advices. They also took good care of us, even my wife got sick on the mountain, they knew how to make her feel better and summit to the top. The porters were very strong and helpful. We enjoyed a memorable trip with their help. I really recommand the Pamoja as your guide to summit the Kilimanjaro because they have experience in tailor making the trip for you. Also, they are good English speakers. If you have any problems, you can feel free to ask them and they are willing to give their helping hands. For the Safari trip, we have seen many different types of animals with detail explanations from the guide. However after the three days trip, we think 3 days are not enough for Safari. We will come back again for our next holiday.
p cGreat hike/safari experience but very poor communication/service from tour operator We did Kilimanjaro hike as well as Safari with Pamoja's team. Overall trip during the hike and safari was amazing and they crew went of the way for us to have a great experience. Our group consist of 20 people and we all were able to successful summit which is amazing (thanks to the guide/crew for the Pole Pole approach). I was very impressed with crews humbleness and willingness to help all along the way but I felt Richard being a owner/tour operator did fairly poor job for pre/post hike and safari which is as follows Beside this our experience for pre-hike and host hike was quite unpleasant and the same applied for Safari experience. After the hike, our post hike lunch feast, which included bare any food to eat and we ended up going to hotel and ordering food. Most important we wasted several hours instead of enjoying our time in Moshi. Our plan for safari was communicated after 10pm to leave for tomorrow 7am which was very poor. We requested few additional rooms during our safari, which was not provided. We came back from Safari after 6-7 hours of drive, we unloaded all all belonging during the rain in the hotel, we been told that our hotel reservation was not there and needed to move another hotel. This created a stressful at 9pm whereas some of us has to leave by 6am. These are sign of poor communication and not able to provide a basic service from planning/communication standpoint. I have forgotten a package in the JEEP, it took me to remind them 4-5 times before they redeliver my package and very poor communication. Although, I really like my trip with Richard and crew but all cumulative errors made the experience with this group pretty unpleasant feeling at the end! I hope that they really take this honest feedback seriously and provide better service for future customers. Thank you
Manoj JKilimanjaro with Pamoja ! We hiked with group of 20 and had great experience with Pamoja Team . The whole team of 100 plus staff took care of us like family and made sure our journey and summit is successful for all of us ! Thank you Pamoja Team Manoj Jha 🙏
GoPlaces44140003153Great experience and a lifelong memory Richard took good care of us, arranged everything for us including the mountain and safari, and it was totally perfect. Also very lucky to have Waziri and Apeles as our guide, we love them so much and the whole team. We will definitely visit Tanzania again.
chang fBad experience We waited so long before writting this review and see if they could apollogise for the bad service but they didnt.The crew were not that friendly like the other crews from diferent companies.This people dont care and they are totally liers and big big thieves.
