Before you fly
Flights to Tanzania: which airport and which airline
Three airports serve a Tanzania trip. Here is which one to fly into for your safari or climb, who flies there, how long it takes and how to arrive in one place and leave from another. Lemala Safaris does not book international flights, but we advise on routing and plan your transfers around them.
- 3 airports
- Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar
- About 1 hour
- By road from Kilimanjaro airport to Arusha
- About 1 h 15 min
- Flight time from Dar es Salaam to Kilimanjaro
- You book flights
- We advise and plan the transfers
The short answer
Most guests on northern safaris and Kilimanjaro climbs fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport, known by its code JRO and sometimes as KIA. It sits between Arusha and Moshi and is the closest airport to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, and to the foot of the mountain. The transfer to Arusha takes about an hour by road.
Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, code DAR, is the usual gateway for the southern parks, the coast and some combined trips. Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, code ZNZ, serves Zanzibar, which many guests add after the bush.
Lemala Safaris does not book international flights. We advise on routing and timing, and we arrange your airport transfers and plan around your flights once they are booked.
Which airport for which trip
Kilimanjaro (JRO)
Best for the northern parks, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Lake Manyara, and for climbing Kilimanjaro. Arusha is about an hour away by road.
Dar es Salaam (DAR)
Best for the southern parks, Nyerere, Ruaha and the coast, and for onward domestic flights, including to Kilimanjaro, Arusha and Zanzibar.
Zanzibar (ZNZ)
The island gateway for beach stays and for safari and beach combinations that finish or start on the coast.
Who flies to each airport
These are the major airlines. Routes and seasons change, so treat this as a guide and confirm current schedules with the airline before you book. It reflects public airport listings checked in October 2026.
| Airport | Airlines and the cities they fly from |
|---|---|
| Kilimanjaro (JRO) | KLM (Amsterdam), Air France (Paris), Brussels Airlines (Brussels), Qatar Airways (Doha), Turkish Airlines (Istanbul), Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa), Kenya Airways (Nairobi) |
| Dar es Salaam (DAR) | KLM (Amsterdam), Qatar Airways (Doha), Emirates (Dubai), Turkish Airlines (Istanbul), Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa), Kenya Airways (Nairobi) |
| Zanzibar (ZNZ) | KLM (Amsterdam), Air France (Paris), Turkish Airlines (Istanbul), Qatar Airways (Doha), Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa), Kenya Airways (Nairobi), plus seasonal direct flights from several European cities |
Typical ways to arrive
From Europe
Several airlines fly to Kilimanjaro from European hubs such as Amsterdam, Paris and Brussels, and others connect through Doha, Istanbul, Addis Ababa or Nairobi. A flight from Europe to Tanzania typically takes about 8 to 10 hours in the air.
From North America
Most routes connect through a European or Middle Eastern hub, or through Addis Ababa or Nairobi. Allow for a long day of travel and arrive rested where you can.
From Asia and Australia
Connections usually run through Dubai, Doha, Addis Ababa or Nairobi. Check layover lengths, because a long connection is better than a missed one.
Flying into Nairobi
Some guests fly into Nairobi and continue to Tanzania from there, either on a short flight to Kilimanjaro, which Kenya Airways is among the airlines to fly, or overland to Arusha. We welcome guests arriving this way. Tell us your plan and your flights, and we will plan the connection and the transfer.
Arrive in one place, leave from another
Many safaris end somewhere other than where they begin, for example a northern safari that finishes on Zanzibar, or a southern safari that starts and ends in Dar es Salaam. Booking an open-jaw ticket, into one airport and out of another, can save a day of backtracking.
23 of our 31 itineraries start and end at Kilimanjaro airport (JRO). The others, listed below, start or end somewhere else, so you may arrive at one airport and leave from another.
| Safari | Days | Arrive at | Leave from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Parks and Gombe Chimpanzees: An 11-Day Journey | 11 | Kilimanjaro (JRO) | Dar es Salaam (DAR) |
| Bush-to-Beach Honeymoon with Nungwi | 9 | Kilimanjaro (JRO) | Zanzibar (ZNZ) |
| Bush to Beach: Northern Parks and Nungwi, Zanzibar | 10 | Kilimanjaro (JRO) | Zanzibar (ZNZ) |
| Gombe Chimpanzee Expedition by Lake Tanganyika | 5 | Dar es Salaam (DAR) | Dar es Salaam (DAR) |
| Southern Wilds: Nyerere and Ruaha in a Week | 7 | Dar es Salaam (DAR) | Dar es Salaam (DAR) |
| The Wild South: Rufiji to Ruaha | 10 | Dar es Salaam (DAR) | Dar es Salaam (DAR) |
| South to the Spice Island | 11 | Dar es Salaam (DAR) | Zanzibar (ZNZ) |
| Nyerere Fly-In Escape from Zanzibar | 2 | Zanzibar (ZNZ) | Zanzibar (ZNZ) |
Based on where each itinerary starts and ends. Where the last column is highlighted, you fly out of an airport different from the one you arrive at. Your personal quote confirms the airports.
Planning tips for booking your flights
Share your flights early
Send us your flight numbers as soon as they are booked, and tell us if they change. We plan your transfers and your first night around them.
Allow a buffer
Do not book a tight connection or a flight home on the same day your safari ends if you can avoid it. Delays are part of travelling in remote places.
Follow your airline's check-in times
Every airline sets its own check-in times, and we follow them. Ask your airline how early to be at the airport, and we plan your last transfer around it.
Check your baggage allowance
International flights allow more than the light aircraft that link parks, which commonly allow about 15 kg / 33 lb in soft bags. Pack for the smaller limit.
Mind the seasons
Seasonal routes come and go. If you plan to arrive by a seasonal direct route, check it still runs for your dates before you commit.
Questions answered
What travellers ask us
Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) is the usual choice. It is about an hour by road from Arusha, where northern safaris begin, and some itineraries link to the Serengeti by light aircraft.
Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), which sits between Arusha and Moshi, near the foot of the mountain.
Several airlines fly to Kilimanjaro from hubs in Europe, the Middle East and East Africa, including KLM from Amsterdam, Air France from Paris, Brussels Airlines from Brussels and Qatar Airways from Doha. Routes change, so confirm with the airline.
Yes. Kilimanjaro International Airport is code JRO and is also called KIA. Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam is a different airport, code DAR.
About 1 hour 15 minutes in the air on a scheduled flight, with Air Tanzania and Precision Air among the airlines that fly it. Check current schedules and allow for airport time.
About an hour by road, a little longer in heavy traffic. We arrange the transfer, and your guide or a Lemala Safaris representative meets you.
Arusha has its own small airport, but it handles domestic flights only, and international flights land at Kilimanjaro. A few light-aircraft services link the two, but for most guests the road transfer is simpler.
Yes, and it can save a day of backtracking. The table above shows where each itinerary ends. Tell us what you are considering and we will advise before you book.
No. Lemala Safaris does not book international flights. We advise on routing and timing, and we arrange your airport transfers and plan around your flights once you have booked them.
Yes. Some guests fly into Nairobi and connect to Kilimanjaro by air, or continue overland to Arusha. Tell us your plan and your flights, and we will plan the connection.
Once your safari dates are confirmed, so the two fit together. Share your flight details with us as soon as you have them.
Keep planning
Where to go next
Arrival and transfers
What happens when you land, and how long the transfer takes.
Read moreDomestic flights
Light aircraft between parks, baggage rules and which safaris fly.
Read moreTrip dates calculator
Pick a safari and a start date to see every date of the trip.
Read moreTanzania visa guide
How the visa works, the official site to use and a passport check.
Read more
Free guides
Take the planning with you
A free PDF to read at your own pace: where to go, when, and what each park is best for. Tell us where to send it.
Free PDFFree guide
The Tanzania Safari Planning Guide
Where to go, when, and what each park is best for: a clear primer before you choose a safari.
- The best months for every park, park by park, on one page
- A profile of each destination: the landscape, the wildlife to expect and the size of the park
- The ways to travel, from classic game drives to walking, beach and combination trips
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