Machame Route

Yes, the Machame route leads you up the magnificent Barranco Wall. This is a highlight of the trek for many.

We always advise clients to choose the seven-day over the six-day Machame route. This is because we don't think the latter offers enough time for your body to acclimatise properly. Proper acclimatisation is essential for avoiding altitude sickness.

That said, it's a personal choice and we're happy to lead climbers on both the six- and seven-day Machame routes. You can find both itineraries spelled out in our Machame route blog post.

Firstly, we should say that there are no easy routes up Kilimanjaro, because the mountain is a beast! That said, some routes are shorter and steeper than others, and some don't allow for as much as acclimatisation. The seven-day Machame route comes somewhere in the middle in terms of difficulty.

The total distance of the Machame route is 62 km (39 miles), making it the third shortest Kilimanjaro route. See a detailed breakdown of the Machame route.

The landscapes along the Machame route are wonderfully varied and beautiful. You ascend and descend the mountain along different routes, which lets you see more parts of the mountain. The sections through the rainforest and moorland have beautiful vegetation, and the views from higher up where you look out over the plains are magnificent.