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Trek Kilimanjaro National Park — Northern Tanzania, Tanzania

Kilimanjaro: The Machame Route to Uhuru Peak

Six days from rainforest to glaciers on the 'Whiskey Route', the most scenic way up Kilimanjaro, camping from gate to gate and topping out at Uhuru Peak (5,895 m), the roof of Africa.

Kilimanjaro: The Machame Route to Uhuru Peak
Photo: Sergey Pesterev · CC BY-SA 4.0
Duration
6 days
Distance
62 km
Ascent
4900 m
Difficulty
Expert
Best season
Dry seasons: January–March and June–October; avoid the long rains of April–May

The Machame Route is the most popular and, many say, the most beautiful path up Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain on Earth. Nicknamed the ‘Whiskey Route’ for its tougher, more rugged character next to the gentler ‘Coca-Cola’ Marangu Route, it climbs through five climate zones — rainforest, moorland, alpine desert and finally the arctic summit — in a single walk.

The main challenge is altitude, not technical difficulty: there is no climbing, but the thin air near the top makes summit night the hardest thing many trekkers ever do. The Machame profile helps: it follows a ‘climb high, sleep low’ pattern on day three that aids acclimatization and gives the route a high summit-success rate over six or seven days.

Getting there. Fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and base yourself in Moshi or Arusha. Guided trips run from there to the Machame Gate.

Rules & guides. Independent trekking is not allowed in Kilimanjaro National Park — you must climb with a licensed operator, guides and porters. Park fees are substantial and included in operator packages.

Good to know:

Day 1

Machame Gate to Machame Camp

Machame Gate (1,800 m) → Machame Camp (2,835 m) 11 km ↑ 1200 m

Register at the Machame Gate and climb a muddy forest trail through dense montane rainforest alive with birds and colobus monkeys, gaining height steadily to Machame Camp at the top of the tree line.

Segments

  1. Into the rainforest 11 km ↑ 1035 m

    Machame Gate (1,800 m) → Machame Camp (2,835 m)

    Muddy montane rainforest track

    A long, steady climb on a forest path — often wet and slippery — through thick rainforest to the first night's camp at the edge of the trees, with first glimpses of Kibo above.

Day 2

Machame Camp to Shira Camp

Machame Camp (2,835 m) → Shira Camp (3,850 m) 5 km ↑ 850 m

Leave the forest for open moorland of heather and giant lobelia, climbing a steeper rocky ridge onto the broad Shira Plateau — the filled caldera of an ancient volcano — with Kibo’s ice fields ahead.

Segments

  1. Onto the Shira Plateau 5 km ↑ 1015 m

    Machame Camp (2,835 m) → Shira Camp (3,850 m)

    Heath and moorland, rocky ridge

    A shorter but steeper day climbing out of the heather onto the vast Shira Plateau, one of the mountain's three volcanic cones, to camp on the open plateau at 3,850 m.

Day 3

Shira to Barranco via Lava Tower

Shira Camp (3,850 m) → Barranco Camp (3,960 m) 10 km ↑ 750 m

A ‘climb high, sleep low’ day across alpine desert to the Lava Tower at 4,600 m, then a descent into the lush Barranco Valley among giant senecio plants, netting little elevation gain but training the body for the thin air of the summit.

Segments

  1. Up to the Lava Tower 7 km ↑ 750 m

    Shira Camp (3,850 m) → Lava Tower (4,600 m)

    Alpine desert, rock

    Climb steadily across bleak alpine desert to the Lava Tower, a 4,600 m volcanic plug where you stop for lunch — the high point of the day and the acclimatization test.

  2. Down to Barranco 3 km ↑ 0 m

    Lava Tower (4,600 m) → Barranco Camp (3,960 m)

    Descent into a green valley

    Descend into the sheltered Barranco Valley, dotted with giant senecio and lobelia, to camp beneath the great Barranco Wall — sleeping lower than the day's high point to aid acclimatization.

Day 4

Barranco Wall to Karanga Camp

Barranco Camp (3,960 m) → Karanga Camp (3,995 m) 5 km ↑ 500 m

A short but memorable day starting with the scramble up the Barranco Wall — steep but non-technical — followed by a rollercoaster of ridges and valleys to Karanga Camp, the last water point before the summit push.

Segments

  1. The Barranco Wall 2 km ↑ 300 m

    Barranco Camp (3,960 m) → Top of the Barranco Wall (4,200 m)

    Steep rock scramble

    Climb the Barranco Wall, a roughly 270 m cliff of switchbacks and hand-over-hand scrambling — the most exhilarating stretch of the route, with big views back over the valley.

  2. Ridges to Karanga 3 km ↑ 200 m

    Top of the Barranco Wall → Karanga Camp (3,995 m)

    Alpine desert ridges and valleys

    Cross a series of ridges and drop into the Karanga Valley before a final climb to Karanga Camp, the last camp with running water before the summit approach.

Day 5

Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

Karanga Camp (3,995 m) → Barafu Camp (4,670 m) 4 km ↑ 700 m

A deliberately easy half-day up through barren alpine desert to Barafu Camp, the summit base camp, where you rest, eat and sleep early before a midnight start for the top.

Segments

  1. Up to Barafu base camp 4 km ↑ 675 m

    Karanga Camp (3,995 m) → Barafu Camp (4,670 m)

    Rocky alpine desert

    A short, steady climb over rock and scree to Barafu ('ice' in Swahili) Camp on an exposed ridge — reach it by early afternoon to rest and prepare for the midnight summit attempt.

Day 6

Summit day: Barafu to Uhuru Peak, then down to Mweka

Barafu Camp (4,670 m) → Mweka Camp (3,100 m) 17 km ↑ 1225 m

The hardest and greatest day. Set off around midnight and climb by headlamp up steep scree to Stella Point on the crater rim for sunrise, then along the rim past the glaciers to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa. After the summit you descend all the way to Mweka Camp in the forest to sleep.

Segments

  1. Barafu to the crater rim (Stella Point) 4 km ↑ 1086 m

    Barafu Camp (4,670 m) → Stella Point (5,756 m)

    Steep loose scree, extreme cold

    The crux of the climb: a slow, cold, dark ascent of steep switchbacking scree, walking 'pole pole' for five to seven hours to reach Stella Point on the crater rim around dawn.

  2. Stella Point to Uhuru Peak 1 km ↑ 139 m

    Stella Point (5,756 m) → Uhuru Peak (5,895 m)

    Gentle crater-rim path past glaciers

    Follow the crater rim for about an hour past the hanging glaciers to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 m — the summit of Kilimanjaro and the highest point on the African continent.

  3. Descent to Mweka Camp 12 km ↑ 0 m

    Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) → Mweka Camp (3,100 m)

    Long scree and forest descent

    Retrace the route down to Barafu for a rest, then keep descending through alpine desert and moorland into the rainforest to Mweka Camp for a final, well-earned night on the mountain.