The Machame Route

The "Whiskey Route"

 The Machame route is also known as the “Whiskey” route, and it’s our second most popular route to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. This option offers easy access to the trailhead, varied scenery along the route, and ascends on the west. The total distance traveled is about 62 kilometers from gate to gate. The Duma explorer success rate for reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro using the Machame route is about 97%. 

There are six major established climbing routes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro., and we support most options; we do not currently book trips that ascend via the Western Breach due to the ongoing risk of rock falls. You can still overnight at Crater Camp via a Barafu Camp ascent. 

The Machame route is also known as the “Whiskey” route, and it’s our second most popular route to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. This option offers easy access to the trailhead, varied scenery along the route, and ascends on the west. The total distance traveled is about 62 kilometers from gate to gate. The Duma explorer success rate for reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro using the Machame route is about 97%. 

The Machame route is very scenic, and as such, quite popular, so you’ll see many other trekkers during the busy season. About half of all climbers in any season opt to take the Machame route to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Barranco Camp, the third campsite on this route, is a favorite amongst our mountain staff with sweeping views and unique vegetation, such as lobelias, giant groundsel, and Senecio trees. The Machame route is also the least expensive camping route along with Umbwe. 

This trail is also considered a more difficult one to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, as some portions are steep and challenging. Particularly, on day four, there’s a wall called the Barranco Wall that is steep, but not technical. Also, some folks opt for a shorter itinerary on this route; a shorter trek is best suited for more adventurous folks or for those with some hiking or backpacking experience, ideally at high altitude. That said, plenty of first-time trekkers do summit on this route successfully but we highly recommend the seven-day option. 

The route starts with a southern approach, with a short drive from Moshi to Machame Gate. You’ll walk through the rain forest to the Shira Plateau, where many of Kilimanjaro’s trekking routes converge. The route then turns east, and crosses underneath Kilimanjaro’s Southern Ice Field via the Southern Circuit, and summits from Barafu. You’ll descend on the Mweka route afterwards. 

We offer the Machame route as a seven-day group climb or as a six-day private climb.