Getting To Tanzania
Visitors arriving into Tanzania will need to have an understanding of the country’s main airport, airlines and land borders providing visitors access to this east Africa gem and how much guests should expect to budget for this.
How to get to Tanzania: Options available
Flights
Most visitors access Tanzania by plane. As Tanzania has a limited selection of international flights, visitors typically arrive via Dubai, Amsterdam or Johannesburg, South Africa and take a connecting flight.
From the U.K and U.S, there are no direct flights to Tanzania at present, with visitors likely to choose from the airports above or Nairobi, Doha and Istanbul.
Tanzania has two major airports
- Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) in Dar es Salaam
- Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), halfway between Arusha and Moshi.
From Dar es Salaam, visitors can expect a flight time of 65 minutes to Kilimanjaro International Airport, the closest airport to the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater.
On the Tanzania safari circuit, the northern circuit includes the world-renowned Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater, a significant 560 miles/15-hour drive from Ruaha National Park in the centre of the country, Tanzania’s second largest national park.
In the interest of time, visitors often prefer to take domestic flights via chartered aircraft between the various national parks and African safari sanctuaries, covering this vast country from the island of Zanzibar in the east to the stunning Lake Tanganyika on the west.
The choice of airport for arrival and departure should be selected according to the particular safari destination and route which visitors will embark on, to avoid excessively long transfers.
Crossing into Tanzania from Kenya
The main route for entering Tanzania from Kenya is the road connecting Nairobi to Arusha via the Namanga border post. The Tanzania eVisa is accepted at the Namanga border post. Travelers can apply for the visa online and save time on arrival at the border crossing or receive a tourist visa upon arrival.
When and where to book a flight to Tanzania
Options
International flights to Tanzania can be booked:
- Online, either directly on an airline website or via a price comparison site
- Travel agency booking
Flights
For Tanzania safaris and beach holidays, traveller can travel to Tanzania by flying into Dar es Salaam (JNIA), Kilimanjaro (JRO) and Zanzibar (ZNZ) airports. The main air connects countries include:
- UAE: Dubai (DXB) to Dar es Salaam (JNIA) and Zanzibar (ZNZ) with Emirates Airlines as well as Abhu Dhabi (AUH) to Dar es Salaam (JNIA) with Etihad Airways
- Netherlands: Amsterdam (AMS) to Kilimanjaro (JRO) and Zanzibar (ZNZ)
- Qatar:Doha (DIA) to Dar es Salaam (JNIA), Kilimanjaro (JRO) and Zanzibar (ZNZ) airports, often used by passengers from the United States, flying from Los Angeles
- Turkey:Istanbul (IST) to Dar es Salaam (JNIA) (JR0) and Zanzibar (ZNZ) airports with Turkish Airlines
- South Africa: Johannesburg (JNB) to Dar es Salaam (JNIA)
- Kenya: Nairobi (NBO) to Dar es Salaam (JNIA)
- Nairobi (NBO) to Zanzibar (ZNZ)
- Nairobi (NBO) to Kilimanjaro (JRO)
- Mombasa (MBA) to Zanzibar (ZNZ)
Cost of getting to Tanzania?
Understanding the best time to visit Tanzania is important as this will impact accommodation, flight prices, availability and the weather that visitors can expect on their safari vacation.
Costs vary depending on origin, time of year and the fact that a connecting flight for international visitors including those from the U.S. and Europe may be required.
