Mount Kilimanjaro, Machame Route: map, weather and gear
The exact gear list for this trek, built on the real weather along the route: the night at the highest sleeping point, the heat at the low point, rain and snow month by month.
- Distance
- 39 mi
- Duration
- 7 days Bardy’s calculation version
- Elevation gain
- ≈ 2,625 ft per day
- High point
- 19,341 ft Uhuru Peak
- Nights
- In a tent highest: Barafu Camp, 15,331 ft
- Season
- Jun → Oct
- Field data
- 12 hikers including 7 with no commercial link
Kilimanjaro (Machame Route) in June: what to pack?
11 required items and 11 advised for a June departure, the first month of the season. Every threshold comes from the route’s weather and from what 12 hikers really had in their packs.
- RequiredSleeping bag comfort 23°FNights down to 23°F: comfort rating 23°F or lower
- RequiredSleeping pad R 3Ground at 23°F at night: insulation R-value 3 minimum
- RequiredRain jacket 10,000 mmRain on 26% of days, 0.12 in on wet days: waterproof rating of 10,000 mm or more
- RequiredInsulated jacketEvenings and nights down to 23°F
- RequiredWarm glovesMornings at 23°F
- RequiredSunscreen SPF 50UV 15, elevation 19,341 ft: SPF 50
- RequiredSunglasses cat. 4Elevation 19,341 ft and snow possible: category 4
- RequiredWater 3 L6 h without a water source on the driest stretch at 41°F: carry 3 L
- RequiredWaterproof shoesSnow possible: waterproof membrane; high or low cut, whichever suits your foot
- RequiredHeadlamp 200 lmStarts before dawn
- RequiredDay pack 20–35 LPorters carry your travel bag: day pack of 20 to 35 L
- AdvisedRain pantsRain on 26% of days
- AdvisedPack coverKeeps your pack dry (not needed if the pack has a built-in cover)
- AdvisedBeanieNights at 23°F
- AdvisedHat UPF 40UV 15: neck and face covered
- AdvisedDEET or IR3535 repellentMalaria in Tanzania below 8,202 ft, national parks included: the HCSP (French public health council) advises protecting yourself from bites; DEET or IR3535 at 20% or more, with an EPA registration number (EPA Reg. No.) on the label (CDC); 3.4 fl oz at most to fly in a carry-on; the HCSP rates picaridin less effective against some malaria mosquitoes
- AdvisedPower bankThe park (TANAPA) puts a phone and power bank on its list of essentials; 10,000 mAh or more; on a plane, 100 Wh at most, in the cabin and never in checked baggage, 2 at most per person, and don’t recharge it on board
- AdvisedMerino socks7 days: merino picks up less odor
- AdvisedTrekking poles2,625 ft of climbing per day, with a loaded pack: easier on your knees downhill
- AdvisedGaitersSnow possible
- AdvisedBase layerIn the pack of 11 of 12 hikers (6 of 7 with no commercial link)
- AdvisedSandalsIn the pack of 9 of 12 hikers (5 of 7 with no commercial link); for the evening, at camp or in the shower
Kilimanjaro (Machame Route): your pack, for your dates.
Change the month, the length or the type of night: we recalculate the weather and build the gear list, product by product, with the price and the weight.
Kilimanjaro (Machame Route): the weather month by month
10-year normals (2015-2024), brought to the route’s elevation. Nights are the coldest expected at Barafu Camp (15,331 ft), days the hottest at Machame Gate (5,906 ft). For a departure within 9 days, the tool above uses MET Norway forecasts instead of normals.
| Month | Nights | Days | Rainy days | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | down to 25°F | up to 75°F | 55% | possible |
| February | down to 25°F | up to 77°F | 44% | possible |
| March | down to 25°F | up to 77°F | 65% | possible |
| April | down to 28°F | up to 72°F | 89% | possible |
| May | down to 27°F | up to 68°F | 63% | possible |
| June | down to 23°F | up to 66°F | 26% | possible |
| July | down to 21°F | up to 68°F | 11% | possible |
| August | down to 23°F | up to 70°F | 21% | possible |
| September | down to 23°F | up to 72°F | 37% | possible |
| October | down to 25°F | up to 75°F | 51% | possible |
| November | down to 27°F | up to 73°F | 75% | possible |
| December | down to 27°F | up to 73°F | 75% | possible |
Sources: Copernicus ERA5-Land and ERA5, WorldClim 2.1 for rain. A rainy day counts from 0.06 in. Details are on the Transparency page.
Kilimanjaro (Machame Route): route map
The trail’s route, from OpenStreetMap.
- Start · Machame Gate
- Barafu Camp
- Uhuru Peak
- Finish · Mweka Gate
Before you go
The rules written in the trek’s official texts, with their source.
Licensed agency or guide required
No solo climbs: a licensed operator and an approved guide are required
A porter carries no more than 55.1 lb, their own belongings included
Read more on Kilimanjaro (Machame Route)
- Kilimanjaro Packing List by Month: What to Pack for the Machame RouteA Kilimanjaro packing list that changes with the month: what the operator provides, porter limits, the pack computed on 10 years of weather at the camps, and health notes for US travelers.
- How Long Does It Take to Climb Kilimanjaro? Routes, Days and the Best Time5 to 9 days depending on the route, never fewer than five, says the park: the routes and the share of climbers on each, why the extra days matter, the two dry seasons and the nights at Barafu Camp month by month.
Frequently asked questions
Kilimanjaro (Machame Route): how many days does it take?
Bardy calculates the gear list for a 7-day version, with about 2,625 ft of elevation gain per day. Enter your own length in the tool: the climbing is spread over your days.
Kilimanjaro (Machame Route): how hard is it, and how much climbing?
Bardy gives no difficulty rating: no single grading covers every trek. The figures that make it up: 39 mi in 7 days, about 2,625 ft of elevation gain per day; high point: Uhuru Peak, 19,341 ft; highest night: Barafu Camp, 15,331 ft.
Kilimanjaro (Machame Route): when is the best time to go?
Bardy uses the season from June to October. Over those months, based on 10 years of weather normals, the coldest night drops to 21°F at 15,331 ft (July), and snow stays possible all season.
Kilimanjaro (Machame Route): what is the weather month by month?
Based on 10 years of normals (2015-2024) brought to the route’s elevation, nights at the highest sleeping point (Barafu Camp, 15,331 ft) drop to 21°F in July, the coldest month, and days at the low point (Machame Gate, 5,906 ft) climb to 77°F in February. During the season, the share of rainy days ranges from 11% in July to 51% in October. For a departure within 9 days, the tool uses MET Norway forecasts instead of normals.
Kilimanjaro (Machame Route): what gear should you bring in June?
In June, Bardy counts 11 required items, including sleeping bag comfort 23°F, sleeping pad R 3, rain jacket 10,000 mm and insulated jacket, and 11 advised. Every threshold comes from the route’s weather and from the packs of 12 hikers who filmed it.
Kilimanjaro (Machame Route): how should you dress in June?
In June, nights drop to 23°F at 15,331 ft and days climb to 66°F at the low point (5,906 ft), based on 10 years of normals. Bardy’s gear list includes: rain jacket 10,000 mm, insulated jacket, warm gloves, waterproof shoes, rain pants (advised), beanie (advised), hat UPF 40 (advised), merino socks (advised), gaiters (advised) and base layer (advised).
Kilimanjaro (Machame Route): what budget should you plan?
Bardy does not price the whole trip: not the transport, not the food, not the total for the nights. What it calculates: the June gear list, all bought new, the cheapest item line by line at the prices Bardy tracks, comes to $2,414 for a man and $2,282 for a woman (3 lines are left without a product and are not counted). What you already own comes off the list in the tool.
Kilimanjaro (Machame Route): do you need a permit or a reservation?
Before you go: a licensed agency or guide. Details and official texts are in the “Before you go” section.