10-Day Mount Kilimanjaro Shira Route Trek with Uhuru Peak Summit

• Arrive anytime at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). Your guide will arrange a private transfer from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) to Arusha, where the rest of the day is at leisure.

• Stay at Masailand Safari Lodge, beautifully located on the slope of Mt. Meru and a perfect place to prepare for your adventure.

• Gather at the hotel for a pre-climb briefing and an equipment check. Your guide will also confirm that you have the appropriate mandatory medical coverage and travel insurance.

Dinner and overnight at Masailand Safari Lodge: Half board.

• Take a ride to Londorossi National Park gate to complete the necessary registration formalities.

• Drive a short distance on a steep track through farmland and plantations (9,200 ft).

• Continue climbing steadily on foot through shrub forests and stands of giant heather to reach the rim of Shira Plateau (11,000 ft). The views across the surrounding plains open up as you approach your first camp.

Overnight at Simba Camp.

• Enjoy an easy day to help acclimatization and explore the grassy moorland and volcanic rock formations of the plateau with your Tanzanian mountain guide.

• Walk to the summit of Shira Cathedral (12,300 ft), a huge buttress of rock surrounded by steep spires and pinnacles. There is a tangible sense of wilderness here, especially when the afternoon mists roll in. From your camp near Shira Hut (12,600 ft), take in unforgettable views of Mt. Meru as she floats among the clouds.

• Embark on a steady climb away from the moorland of Shira Plateau to reach the broad upland desert beneath the Lent Hills, with expansive views in all directions.

• After lunch at your camp close to Moir Hut (13,800 ft), there is the option of a more strenuous afternoon walk to reach the summit of the Lent Hills (15,400 ft).

• Explore the area beneath the Northern Icefields, a remote place rarely visited by tourists, with unusual views of Kibo. Few visitors get to this remote corner of Kilimanjaro.

• Enjoy a morning of gentle ascent and panoramic views, walking on lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach with your Tanzanian mountain guide.

• After lunch at Lava Tower (14,900 ft), there is a steep but spectacular afternoon walk on the rocky lower slopes of the Western Breach. This afternoon excursion is highly recommended for acclimatization purposes and for the superb views of hanging glaciers on both sides of the Breach.

• Descend steeply into the bottom of Barranco Valley (12,800 ft), which leads to the famed Barranco Wall and its steep climb.

• At the top, the undulating trail crosses the flanks of Kibo with superb vistas of the Southern Icefields. The terrain is volcanic scree, with pockets of vegetation in sheltered hollows, and a powerful sense of mountain wilderness.

• Camp at Karanga Camp (13,100 ft), the last water point on the approach to the summit.

• Follow an easy path on compacted scree with wide views that gains altitude unrelentingly to reach Barafu Hut (14,800 ft) for lunch. There is a short acclimatization hike to the plateau at the bottom of the southeast valley (15,700 ft).

• Spend the remainder of the day resting in preparation for the early morning final ascent.

• Start the ascent by torchlight at about 1 a.m. so that you can be on the crater rim by sunrise. The steep climb over loose volcanic scree has some well-graded zig-zags, and a slow but steady pace will take you to Stella Point (5,735 m) in about five or six hours.

• Rest at Stella Point for a short time to enjoy the sunrise over Mawenzi.

• Make the two-hour round trip from here along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (5,896 m) if you are feeling fine.

• Pass close to spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy most of the summit area.

• Descend to Barafu, which is surprisingly fast.

• After some refreshment, continue descending to reach the final Mweka forest camp.

• Descend through lovely forest with lush undergrowth to Mweka National Park gate.

• Say goodbye to the team of guides. Depart from Arusha to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) in a private transfer for your flight. If you would like the option of a short safari or any other activities, you can discuss them with the team.