8 Days Shira Route Kilimanjaro Hike.
The Shira Route is regarded as one of the most scenic of the Mount Kilimanjaro trails, providing amazing views, less populous crowds, and a relatively simple ascent with enhanced acclimatization. This is an 8 Days Shira Route Kilimanjaro Hike package that takes you through beautiful scenery—lush forests/heather zone, rocky highlands, and snow-covered summits. Supporting your journey to the Roof of Africa are professional guides to lead you on successful treks, delicious meals to sustain you on your journey, and comprehensive camping gear so you will be in safe hands.
8 Days Shira Route Kilimanjaro Hike Highlights.
Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport – Transfer to Hotel in Arusha
Day 2: Londorosi Gate to Shira 1 Camp (3,500 m).
Day 3: Shira 1 Camp to Moir Camp (4,200 m).
Day 4: Moir Camp to Barranco Camp (3,960 m).
Day 5: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp (4,035 m).
Day 6: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp (4,673 m).
Day 7: Barafu Camp (4,640 m) to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m)—Down to Mweka Camp (3,100 m).
Day 8: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate – Departure.
Detailed itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport – Transfer to Hotel in Arusha.
Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will meet our company representative for a very warm and professional welcome, and you will be transported to your hotel in Arusha, a colorful little town located at the foot of Mount Meru. You will check into the hotel and have the option of resting from your flight or wandering around the hotel grounds, which feature some amazing gardens and a view of the restaurant.
In the evening, your mountain guide will meet you for a full briefing about your trek, and you will have your gear checked to make sure you have everything and to understand the plan for the following days. This is a good time to ask your guide questions and, in general, just prepare yourself mentally for what is to come during your time on Mount Kilimanjaro. Dinner and overnight stay will be the same at the hotel.
Day 2: Londorosi Gate to Shira 1 Camp (3,500 m).
After breakfast, you will begin the short drive to Londorosi Gate, located at Kilimanjaro’s western side. The drive will take about four hours, and you will pass through local villages, farmland, and mountain forests before arriving at the gate. After arriving at the gate, your climbing team will complete the registration and the necessary formalities with the park authorities, and you will begin your hike.
Once you finish at Londorosi, you will have a short drive across the Shira Plateau to begin trekking toward Shira 1 Camp. The hike is gradual, which will give you ample opportunity to acclimatize. The Shira Plateau provides stunning views of the mountain’s western glaciers and the expansive plain below. When you arrive at your camp, your crew will make tents and prepare a hot meal.
Day 3: Shira 1 Camp to Moir Camp (4,200 m).
Today’s trek takes you deeper across the Shira Plateau. This is one of the most beautiful parts of the mountain. The landscape opens into wide moorland, dotted with giant lobelias and senecio plants. You will hike slowly, giving your body time to acclimatize as you gain altitude.
Upon your arrival at Shira 2 Camp, approximately midday, you will have an opportunity to relax and take in the views of Mount Meru far in the distance. After lunch, you will continue for a few hours until you arrive at Moir Camp, one of the quieter camps at the base of a large lava ridge. Dinner and overnight will take place in camp under a spectacular starry sky.
Day 4: Moir Camp to Barranco Camp (3,960 m).
After breakfast, you will embark on a gradual climb toward Lava Tower (4,600 m), a large volcanic rock formation, where you’ll stop for a vital acclimatization break. You’ll enjoy lunch near the tower and spend time here for acclimatization.
After climbing Lava Tower, you’ll have a descent into the green, lush Barranco Valley, which is a beautiful area with unique vegetation and clear streams. The descent will help your body acclimatize better to the altitude given the “climb high and sleep low” principle. You will arrive at Barranco Camp in the late afternoon, which is underneath the famous Barranco Wall, along with amazing views of the glaciers above you.
Day 5: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp (4,035 m).
To begin your day, you’ll embark on a steep and fun climb up the Barranco Wall, a rocky slope that appears more difficult than it is. Once you reach the top, you will enjoy one of the best panoramic views on Kilimanjaro.
After the wall, the trail flattens out as you cut through small valleys and ridges en route to Karanga Camp. This camp typically serves as a stopping and acclimatization point before the final push to the summit. You’ll have time in the afternoon to relax, hydrate, and have some warm comfort food before calling it a night.
Day 6: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp (4,673 m).
While taking a gradual climb over a barren alpine environment toward Barafu Camp, your trek begins today, and Barafu Camp will be your final base camp before the summit attempt. Barafu means “ice” in Swahili, and you will soon see for yourself, as the air will become cooler and thinner the closer you get to the summit.
By early afternoon, you’ll reach Barafu to relax and get ready for the night climb. Your guide will go over the summiting procedures and make sure all of your equipment is ready. You’ll eat an early dinner and get to sleep early. You’ll be woken up around midnight to start your summit.
Day 7: Barafu Camp (4,640 m) to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m)—Down to Mweka Camp (3,100 m).
This day will be the most thrilling and demanding on your trek. You start this ascent to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa, around midnight. As you prepare for the climb, you’ll use your headlamp to slowly but steadily approach Uhuru from Barafu Camp in the cold night air under the guidance of your experienced team.
After a couple hours of slow and steady climbing, you’ll arrive at Stella Point (5,756 m) in time for one of the most beautiful sunrises on earth. From Stella Point, it’ll be a short climb to Uhuru Peak, the true summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. At the summit, you’ll take lots of pictures, celebrate and enjoy the most remarkable 360-degree view on the continent, the “Roof of Africa.”
After this unbeatable moment, you will return to Barafu Camp for breakfast and some rest before descending further to Mweka Camp to spend your last night on the mountain.
Day 8: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate – Departure.
On the last day of the trekking adventure, get up and have breakfast and then descend through the lush forests and have the opportunity to see blue monkeys and various colorful birds. The trail will take you to Mweka Gate, where you will officially sign out and receive your Kilimanjaro climbing certificate. Your driver will be on standby to take you back to Arusha for your flight back home or to your hotel in Arusha.
End of 8 Days Shira Route Kilimanjaro Hike
Inclusions
Arrival and departure airport transfer
Two nights’ hotel accommodation in Arusha (before and after climb)
All park entry fees/camping fees
Professional English-speaking mountain guides and porters
Tents, sleeping mats, and cooking gear
Three meals daily on the mountain
Drinking water and hot drinks (tea, coffee.)
Rescue fees and first aid support
Government taxes
Exclusions.
International flights and visas for Tanzania
Travel and medical insurance
Personal trekking gear (boots, clothing, poles, and others)
Gratuities for guides, cooks, and porters
Alcoholic drinks and personal spending
