6 – 7 days
Machame Route
The popular 'Whiskey' route: varied, scenic and efficient.
Duration
6 – 7 days
Difficulty
Moderate to challenging
Scenery
Excellent — rainforest, the Barranco Wall and glacier views
Sleeping
Camping
Approach
South-west
Route Overview
Machame is the mountain's best-known camping route, offering dramatic scenery and a good climb-high-sleep-low profile from day three onward.
The seven-day version adds a night at Karanga and noticeably improves how most climbers feel on summit night.
Best For
- Reasonably fit trekkers
- Climbers with limited time
- Those who want variety of landscape
Day by Day
Day 1
Machame Gate through rainforest to Machame Camp.
Day 2
Moorland ridges to Shira Cave Camp.
Day 3
Via Lava Tower to Barranco Camp.
Day 4
The Barranco Wall and on to Karanga Camp.
Day 5
Karanga to Barafu Camp.
Day 6
Summit night to Uhuru Peak, then down to Mweka Camp.
Day 7
Descend to Mweka Gate.
What to Pack
- • Four-season sleeping bag
- • Insulated jacket
- • Waterproof shell
- • Gaiters
- • Trekking poles
- • Sun protection
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a scramble rather than a climb, and no technical equipment is needed. Your guides will lead you through it section by section.
Seven, if you can. The extra acclimatisation night is worth more than any single piece of equipment.
Climb the Machame Route
Tell us when you'd like to climb and how much walking you've done recently. If a different route suits you better, we'll say so.