A high start on the Shira plateau, with a long drive but fewer days.
Shira is the high plateau on Kilimanjaro's west. As a full route it is a variation of Lemosho that starts higher. As a day out it is one of the more scenic short hikes on the mountain.
Type
Full route variant or plateau day hike
Plateau height
About 3,500 to 3,900 m
Starts
Shira side, west
Sleeping
Tents on multi-day versions
Crowds
Quiet
What Shira is
Shira is the ancient collapsed crater on the west of Kilimanjaro, now a wide high moorland. The Shira route starts on the plateau after a long drive and skips the lower forest, which saves a day but puts you at height quickly. On the first night you may feel the effects, so most guides prefer Lemosho, which approaches the plateau from lower down.
The plateau is also where many shorter trips go. They give you the views and the altitude experience without a full summit attempt.
What you pay depends on the number of days, the group size and the comfort level. The packages below show their own starting price per person from our live price list, and the cost page explains what moves it. Park fees are a large fixed part of any climb, which is why the cheapest quote is not always the best value.
Shira route day hikes and overnight treks
Same trail experience, shorter. Pick the start that suits you: Moshi or Arusha.
Fit walkers with some altitude experience, short on days, for the full route. Anyone who wants a taste of the mountain, for the day hikes. If you want a full climb, Lemosho is the sensible alternative.
Questions people ask
They share the plateau and later join the same trail. Lemosho starts lower, in the forest, which gives your body more time to adjust.
Yes. Shorter trips visit the plateau and return, for views and a taste of altitude. They do not attempt the summit.
Six days works best on Machame, Rongai or a six-day Marangu, if you are fit and have recent altitude experience. If you can find a seventh day, Machame or Lemosho gives your body a much easier ride. See six days or seven.
Camps have basic long-drop toilets and many groups carry a private toilet tent on request. There are no showers; wet wipes and a small washing bowl brought by the crew are the norm. Bring a power bank, since charging points do not exist on the trail, and keep electronics warm so batteries last.
Yes, and it is a common sequence: climb first, safari second, beach last, so your legs recover in a vehicle and then on sand. Allow about two weeks for all three. See the combination trips.
Facts on this page were checked against these sources and written up in our own words. Camp heights and times differ between sources by up to about 100 m and an hour; we give rounded figures.
