Machame Gate (1490m)
Machame - Hiking time: 7 hours
Distance: Approximately 18 kilometres
Habitat: Montane forest
After an early breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up from Moshi or Arusha and driven to the Machame Village. In the village, you can buy mineral water and will receive a packed lunch. From the village, depending on the road conditions, you will either continue driving 3 kilometres or walk to the Machame Gate (1490m). At the gate, the porters will organize and pack the belongings for the hike while you and your guide register with the Tanzania National Park (TANAPA). You will then begin your ascent into the rainforest. During this section of the hike, you should expect rain, mud, and fog. Also, be on the lookout for wildlife, including Colobus monkeys! About halfway up the trail, you will have a lunch break and you will reach the Machame Camp (2980) in the late afternoon or early evening. The porters and chef, who move very fast up the mountain, will reach camp before you and set up your tents, boil drinking water, and prepare snacks for your arrival. After washing up, a hot dinner will be served. For overnight, mountain temperatures may drop to freezing so be prepared!
- Daily fresh and hot water
- Professional mountain team: guides, porters, and cook
- Accommodation pre- and post-climb with breakfast
- Round-trip airport transfers to Moshi
- All meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Emergency oxygen and first aid available
- All applicable fees and taxes covered
- Quality camping gear provided
- Flights and Visas
- Travel & Health Insurances (Yellow fever vaccination is compulsory)
- Gratuities
- items of personal nature
- Personal hiking/trekking gear–you opt to rent the gears from equipment stores in Moshi
- Optional but highly recommended Portable toilet
- Personal medicine and water purifying tablets
- Meals & drinks not specified and snacks
Machame is one of our top choices for many reasons. To begin with, it boasts one of the highest success ratios - a staggering 90% for those embarking on a 7-day adventure. Additionally, it provides excellent acclimatisation, enabling you to follow the mantra of ‘walk high, sleep low’ each day. Fantastic views that alter with each ascending day, along with the thrill of conquering the formidable Great Barranco Wall. Should your primary objective be to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro, the Machame route is your best bet.
Despite its high success ratio and captivating attractions, the Machame route is undeniably the mountain’s most congested. To alleviate this, we ensure our groups start their journey early, thus bypassing the majority of the crowd. Moreover, we dispatch a portion of our porter squad ahead of you, enabling them to secure an optimal spot at the campsites ahead of time. This also ensures that by the time you arrive, your tent is set up and refreshing hot beverages and snacks are prepared for you.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
