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Trek Up Kilimanjaro
Climbers scrambling up the rock of the Barranco Wall, porters among them

Machame Route

The most popular route on Kilimanjaro, and deservedly so — but popular means busy, and six days is short for the altitude it covers.

6–7 days
On the mountain
62 km
Total distance
5,895 m
Highest point
Camping
Sleeping
Machame Route altitude profile, in brief. Full data is given in the table below.
Machame Route altitude profile, in brief
Day Location Altitude (m) Distance (km) Overnight
1 Machame Gate 1,800 0 No
1 Machame Camp 3,000 11 Yes
2 Shira Camp 3,840 16 Yes
3 Barranco Camp 3,900 26 Yes
4 Karanga Camp 3,995 31 Yes
5 Barafu Camp 4,673 35 Yes
6 Uhuru Peak 5,895 43.5 No
6 Mweka Camp 3,100 52 Yes
7 Mweka Gate 1,640 62 No
Sleeping altitudes, night by night

In short

Machame climbs steeply out of the rainforest on the southern side and follows a varied, scenic line around the mountain. Its profile naturally forces climb-high-sleep-low days, which helps; its crowds and its shorter itineraries do not.

What it does well

  • Spectacular and varied terrain, including the Barranco Wall.
  • The natural profile creates climb-high-sleep-low days without needing detours.
  • Well-established camps and a trail the crews know intimately.
  • Shorter drive to the trailhead than Lemosho.

What to weigh up

  • The busiest route on the mountain — expect company at every camp.
  • Day two is a steep, sustained climb out of the forest.
  • The six-day version compresses the acclimatisation and we would rarely recommend it for a first climb.

Route facts

6–7 days
Recommended length
62 km
Total distance
5,895 m
Highest point
South
Approach side
Mweka
Descent route
Camping
Sleeping
Challenging
Difficulty
Jan · Feb · Mar · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct
Best months

The altitude profile

Circles mark sleeping altitudes. Those are what your body adapts to — the high points you walk over during the day matter far less.

Machame Route elevation profile Route Sleeping altitude
Machame Route elevation profile. Full data is given in the table below. 2,000 m 3,000 m 4,000 m 5,000 m 6,000 m Machame Cam 3,000 Shira Camp 3,840 Barranco Ca 3,900 Karanga Cam 3,995 Barafu Camp 4,673 Uhuru Peak 5,895 Mweka Camp 3,100
Machame Route elevation profile
Day Location Altitude (m) Distance (km) Overnight
1 Machame Gate 1,800 0 No
1 Machame Camp 3,000 11 Yes
2 Shira Camp 3,840 16 Yes
3 Barranco Camp 3,900 26 Yes
4 Karanga Camp 3,995 31 Yes
5 Barafu Camp 4,673 35 Yes
6 Uhuru Peak 5,895 43.5 No
6 Mweka Camp 3,100 52 Yes
7 Mweka Gate 1,640 62 No

The route, camp by camp

As walked on our 7 Days Machame Route itinerary, with the altitudes it gives.

N Mawenzi Machame Gate1,800 m Machame Camp3,000 m Shira Camp3,840 m Lava Tower Barranco Camp3,900 m Karanga Camp3,995 m Barafu Camp4,673 m Uhuru Peak5,895 m Mweka Camp3,100 m Mweka Gate1,640 m
Ascent Descent Overnight camp Schematic map, not to scale: positions are approximate and not for navigation. Altitudes are from our itineraries. Terrain: SRTM (NASA), via Terrain Tiles on AWS.
  1. 01 Machame Gate gate 1,800 m
  2. 02 Machame Camp camp 3,000 m
  3. 03 Shira Camp camp 3,840 m
  4. 04 Lava Tower landmark —
  5. 05 Barranco Camp camp 3,900 m
  6. 06 Karanga Camp camp 3,995 m
  7. 07 Barafu Camp camp 4,673 m
  8. 08 Uhuru Peak summit 5,895 m
  9. 09 Mweka Camp · descent camp 3,100 m
  10. 10 Mweka Gate · descent gate 1,640 m

Who this route suits

A good fit for

  • Trekkers with previous multi-day hiking experience
  • Climbers with seven days available
  • Those who want a varied, dramatic trail

Probably not for

  • Climbers who want solitude
  • Anyone considering the six-day version as their first time at altitude

Itineraries on this route

Before you decide

At a glance

Acclimatisation 4/5
Trail traffic 1/5
Difficulty 4/5
Scenery 5/5
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