6 DAY SHIRA ROUTE || KILITRACKS ADVENTURES

Shira Route – 6 Days Overview

The Shira Route is one of the older and less-crowded trails on Mount Kilimanjaro, starting near the Shira Ridge on the mountain’s western side. It offers beautiful high-altitude scenery right from the beginning and merges with the Lemosho and Machame routes higher up the mountain.
This 6-day itinerary provides a scenic and moderately challenging trek, perfect for climbers seeking a slightly shorter route with great acclimatization and panoramic views of the Shira Plateau, Lava Tower, Barranco Wall, and Uhuru Peak (5,895m).

ITINERARY

DAY O: ARRIVAL TO TANZANIA.
You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro international airport and transferred to your hotelin Moshi town, you will meet your guide who will brief you on your upcoming trek and do an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. The missing gear can be rented on this day.

DAY 1: MOSHI – LONDOROSI GATE – SHIRA 1 CAMP
• Elevation: 2,100m / 6,890ft to 3,500m / 11,480ft
• Distance: 7km / 4mi
• Hiking Time: 3–4 hours
• Habitat: Moorland
• Meals: Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, drive for about 3–4 hours from Moshi to Londorosi Gate for registration. Continue by vehicle to the trailhead at Shira Ridge (3,500m), where you begin your trek across the open moorland to Shira 1 Camp. This route offers stunning views across the Shira Plateau and Mount Meru in the distance.

DAY 2: SHIRA 1 CAMP – SHIRA 2 CAMP
• Elevation: 3,500m / 11,480ft to 3,850m / 12,630ft
• Distance: 7km / 4mi
• Hiking Time: 4–5 hours
• Habitat: Moorland
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Today is a gentle hike across the Shira Plateau, a vast high-altitude desert. You’ll enjoy panoramic views and plenty of time to acclimatize. Arrive at Shira 2 Camp for hot lunch and an afternoon rest, preparing for higher elevation tomorrow.

DAY 3: SHIRA 2 CAMP – LAVA TOWER – BARRANCO CAMP
• Elevation: 3,850m / 12,630ft to 4,600m / 15,090ft (Lava Tower), down to 3,950m / 12,960ft
• Distance: 10km / 6mi
• Hiking Time: 6–7 hours
• Habitat: Semi-desert
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Today is crucial for acclimatization. You hike east toward Lava Tower, also known as the "Shark’s Tooth," before descending into the Barranco Valley. Though you end the day near the same altitude you started, this climb-high, sleep-low strategy helps your body adapt to the altitude.

DAY 4: BARRANCO CAMP – BARAFU CAMP
• Elevation: 3,950m / 12,960ft to 4,680m / 15,350ft
• Distance: 9km / 5.5mi
• Hiking Time: 6–8 hours
• Habitat: Alpine Desert
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, ascend the Barranco Wall — an exciting scramble with rewarding views from the top. Continue across ridges and valleys, passing Karanga Valley, before reaching Barafu Camp. From here, you have a clear view of the summit and Mawenzi Peak. Rest early and prepare for your summit climb.

DAY 5: BARAFU CAMP – SUMMIT – MWEKA CAMP
• Elevation: 4,680m / 15,350ft to 5,895m / 19,341ft (Uhuru Peak), down to 3,100m / 10,170ft
• Distance: 5km up / 12km down
• Hiking Time: 7–8 hours up / 4–6 hours down
• Habitat: Arctic / Moorland
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Begin your summit attempt around midnight. Trek between the Rebmann and Ratzel Glaciers to Stella Point (5,739m). After a short rest, continue to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa!
After celebrating your achievement, descend to Barafu Camp for lunch, then continue down to Mweka Camp for overnight.

DAY 6: MWEKA CAMP – MWEKA GATE – MOSHI
• Elevation: 3,100m / 10,170ft to 1,640m / 5,380ft
• Distance: 10km / 6mi
• Hiking Time: 3–4 hours
• Habitat: Rainforest
• Meals: Breakfast
Continue your descent through the lush rainforest to Mweka Gate, where you will receive your summit certificates. Our driver will meet you and transfer you back to your hotel in Moshi.

DAY 7: DEPARTURE
After breakfast, transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight home, or continue on an unforgettable Tanzania safari adventure.

Price Include.

Price Include
>>Private transport to & from Kilimanjaro International Airport to your accommodations in Moshi.
>>2 nights of accommodation in Moshi.
>>Transportation to & from the Kilimanjaro gate
>>Park entry fees,
>>Camping fees.
>>Team Kilimanjaro Rescue fees.
>>18% VAT on tour fees & services
>>4 Season mountain tents
>>Double layered Sleeping Mats
>>Friendly and professional mountain guides, cook and porters.
>>3 hot meals daily while on the mountain.
>>Enough treated & filtered drinking water throughout the trek.
>>Hot water for washing.
>>Fair wages for the mountain crew as approved by theKilimanjaro National Park Authority (KINAPA), Kilimanjaro Association of Tour Operators (KIATO)
>>Government taxes
>>Portable oxygen tanks & ox meter
>>Emergency first-aid kit.

Price Exclude

Price Exclude
>>Lunches, dinners and drinks at your hotel before and after climb.
>>Travel insurance
>>Flights.
>>Laundry (Available at hotel).
>>Personal items and toiletries.
>>Tips for guides, porters and cook (this is a guide to tipping on the mountain).
Guide $25/guide/day
Assistant guide $ 20/guide/day
Cook $15/day
Porter’s $10/porter/day