Day 1
2,986 ft
Arrive · Kilimanjaro Intl.
JRO · · · ·
Airport pickup and transfer to Moshi. Evening briefing, gear-check, and an early dinner.
Route Guide · Southern Approach · Classic
MACHAME.
THE WHISKEY ROUTE.
Seven days on the route most climbers picture when they think of Kilimanjaro. Steep, varied, and the Barranco Wall.
02 · The honest overview
MACHAME.
WHISKEY ROUTE.
The classic. Steep, varied, and the route most climbers picture when they think of Kilimanjaro.
WHY BOOK THIS ROUTE
- The classic lineThe route most climbers picture, steep, scenic, and varied from the first hour.
- Strong acclimatizationThe Lava Tower climb-high-sleep-low day and a Karanga night keep summit odds high for a southern route.
- The Barranco WallA hands-on scramble up the mountain's most famous pitch, no technical gear, all reward.
- Scenery every dayForest, the Shira Plateau, the Southern Icefields, and the Barranco, all in one week.
HONEST DRAWBACKS
- High trafficThe busiest camping route on the mountain. For solitude, Rongai or the Northern Circuit win.
- Steep and demandingMore elevation gain and loss than the moderate routes, good fitness matters.
- Cold, exposed campsThe tented camps high on the southern face can be bitterly cold before the summit push.
03 · Day by day
THE ITINERARY
Day 2
5,905 → 9,840 ft
Machame Gate → Machame Camp
Rainforest · 11 km · 5 – 7 hrs
A steep, steady climb through dense rainforest, often muddy, always green, to the first camp on the forest edge.
Day 3
9,840 → 12,500 ft
Machame Camp → Shira Camp
Heath / moorland · 5 km · 4 – 6 hrs
Out of the trees onto the Shira Plateau, with the first big views of Kibo and the Western Breach.
Day 4
12,500 → 15,190 → 13,040 ft
Shira → Lava Tower → Barranco
Climb high · sleep low · 10 km · 6 – 8 hrs
The key acclimatization day. Up to Lava Tower for lunch, then down into the Barranco Valley beneath the Breach walls.
Day 5
13,040 → 13,110 ft
Barranco → Karanga
The Wall · 5 km · 4 – 5 hrs
The Barranco Wall first thing, an exhilarating hands-on scramble, then a short afternoon to Karanga Camp.
Day 6
13,110 → 15,330 ft
Karanga → Barafu
Summit camp · 4 km · 3 – 4 hrs
A short, steady climb to Barafu, the summit base camp. Eat early, sleep early, wake before midnight.
Day 7
15,330 → 19,341 → 10,065 ft
Summit · Uhuru Peak · Mweka
Summit day · 17 km · 12 – 15 hrs
Midnight start to Stella Point at sunrise, Uhuru by early morning, then the long descent down the southern flank to Mweka.
Day 8
10,065 → 5,381 ft
Mweka → Moshi
Certificates · 10 km · 3 – 4 hrs
A rainforest walk out to Mweka Gate. Certificate ceremony, hot showers, celebration dinner.
Day 9
2,986 ft
Departure or Safari add-on
JRO · · · ·
Late check-out and transfer to the airport, or onwards to the Serengeti.
04 · What you pay for
EVERYTHING
IN THE PRICE.
Included
- Park & gate fees (camping, rescue, summit, conservation)
- Two hotel nights — one pre-climb, one post-climb
- JRO airport transfers (both directions)
- WFR-certified lead guide on every climb
- 1:2 guide-to-climber ratio · max 12 per group
- Daily pulse-ox + Lake Louise altitude monitoring
- Emergency oxygen on every trek (Gamow bag on Northern Circuit)
- Helicopter evacuation insurance to 5,000 m
- Ferrino four-season tents + sleeping cot
- Three meals daily on the mountain
- Filtered, treated drinking water, unlimited
- KPAP-compliant porter wages, audited
Not included
- International flights to JRO
- Tanzania entry visa (~$100)
- Travel & medical insurance (required)
- Personal climbing gear (rental list provided)
- Lunch & dinner in Moshi
- Tips for guides & porters (~$340 / climber)
On the trail
GALLERY
Photography placeholders — final route images will replace these before launch.
Summit morning on the roof of Africa
High alpine terrain
Summit-night ascent
The final push to the top
High camp before summit night
Big country below the mountain
In their words
CLIMBERS ON
THIS ROUTE.
★★★★★5.0 · 461 reviews on Tripadvisor4.9★ on Google · Read all reviews →
Troyvia Tripadvisor★★★★★
Top notch professional organization
Your team was great. Had a wonderful experience. Couldn't have had more professional service. Everything was absolutely excellent. You have great people and I loved each and every one of them. Staff treated us like family — great people.
Read on Tripadvisor →
● Machame · 9 Days
Cherie Dvia Tripadvisor★★★★★
An amazing experience and fantastic guide service A–Z
This was the trip of a lifetime! Peak Planet got everything, and I mean everything, right! I went solo on the 7 day Machame trip and my guide Mussouri and his group made me feel safe, encouraged and valued. The food was outstanding — three course meals so tasty, and I'm a picky eater with absolutely zero issues. I also did the 2 day Safari and loved every moment of it, from the Ngorongoro Crater to Lake Manyara. Peak Planet is the only guide service that I would ever use! These guys are just fantastic!
Read on Tripadvisor →
● Machame · 7 Days + Safari
Nicola Ovia Tripadvisor★★★★★
Excellent Kilimanjaro experience with Peak Planet
We climbed Kilimanjaro via the Machame route in October on a private trip with Peak Planet. This was our second time climbing the mountain, and Peak Planet were outstanding from start to finish. The guides and porters were excellent, and health and safety was a priority throughout our journey to the summit — and we made it! The food, camping setup, and toilet facilities were far superior to our previous trip, and even the management of tips was handled professionally and transparently. A first-class experience!
Read on Tripadvisor →
● Machame · Private
05 · Upcoming departures
PICK A DATE
MACHAME
Arrival
Jan 03 2027
→
Departure
Jan 11 2027
12 of 12 spotsOpen
$2,959
Per climber · All in
MACHAME
Arrival
Jan 26 2027
→
Departure
Feb 03 2027
11 of 12 spotsOpen
$2,959
Per climber · All in
MACHAME
Arrival
Jul 03 2027
→
Departure
Jul 11 2027
12 of 12 spotsOpen
$2,959
Per climber · All in
MACHAME
Arrival
Aug 01 2027
→
Departure
Aug 09 2027
12 of 12 spotsOpen
$2,959
Per climber · All in
MACHAME
Arrival
Sep 10 2027
→
Departure
Sep 18 2027
12 of 12 spotsOpen
$2,959
Per climber · All in
MACHAME
Arrival
Sep 26 2027
→
Departure
Oct 04 2027
12 of 12 spotsOpen
$2,959
Per climber · All in
CodeRouteLengthDifficultyDatesAvailabilityPriceAction
06 · Our verdict
WOULD WE BOOK THIS ROUTE?
Machame is the classic for a reason, steep, scenic, and varied, with the Barranco Wall as its signature. Over seven days the acclimatization holds up well for a southern route.
“Fit climbers love Machame. Come for the Barranco Wall and the scenery, just know you will share the trail.”
Ben J., Experience Designer
07 · Ready to book?
GET A QUOTE
FOR THIS ROUTE.
Send a quote request and our team will reply within four hours with a full breakdown — no hidden fees, no upsells at the briefing.
From $2,689 per climber