Getting to and Around Tanzania
Which airport should you fly into, how long does it take to reach Tanzania, and what is the easiest way to move around once you arrive?
Tanzania is a large country, so getting the transport right can make a noticeable difference to the trip. The easiest route depends less on the country as a whole and more on whether you are travelling for the northern safari circuit, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro or southern Tanzania.
For many first-time visitors, the cleanest itinerary is to arrive through one part of Tanzania and leave from another. Flying into Kilimanjaro for a northern safari and home from Zanzibar, for example, can remove unnecessary backtracking.
Which airport should you fly into?
Tanzania has three particularly useful international gateways for travellers.
Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) sits between Arusha and Moshi and is the most useful arrival point for Mount Kilimanjaro and the northern safari circuit. The airport is around 40 km from Arusha and 30 km from Moshi, and currently has scheduled international links with African hubs as well as destinations including Amsterdam.
Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) in Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's largest and busiest international airport. It makes the most sense for Dar es Salaam itself, the mainland coast and many journeys into southern or central Tanzania.
Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) is Zanzibar's main airport, about 5 km south of Zanzibar City. It receives flights from elsewhere in East Africa as well as Europe and the Middle East, so you do not necessarily need to travel through the Tanzanian mainland first.
Flying from elsewhere in Africa
Tanzania is particularly accessible from several major African hubs. Nairobi to Dar es Salaam takes around 1 hour 25 minutes nonstop, while Addis Ababa to Dar es Salaam is around 2 hours 45 minutes. Johannesburg has direct services to Dar es Salaam taking roughly 3½ hours.
Northern Tanzania is also well connected regionally. Kilimanjaro International Airport currently lists scheduled links with Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Kigali, making it possible to arrive directly into the safari region rather than routing through Dar es Salaam.
West African journeys can be less straightforward despite being within the same continent. From Lagos, for example, current itineraries generally require a connection and the fastest available journeys are around seven hours or more.
That is worth remembering when planning an Africa-to-Africa trip: geography is only part of the equation. Direct air connectivity matters just as much.
Flying from Europe
Europe has a mixture of direct and connecting options. Amsterdam currently has a nonstop service to Kilimanjaro taking around 8 hours 50 minutes, making it particularly convenient for travellers heading straight into northern Tanzania.
Zanzibar also receives direct European services. Current schedules include Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam, among others; Frankfurt–Zanzibar is around nine hours, while Paris–Zanzibar is roughly eleven hours on the current nonstop schedule.
Other European cities will usually involve one connection. London, for example, currently has no nonstop service to Dar es Salaam; the fastest one-stop journeys are around 12 hours, depending on the connection.
Flying from North America
There are currently no nonstop flights between New York and Dar es Salaam, so North American travellers should expect at least one connection. From New York, the quickest current itineraries to Dar es Salaam are around 16 hours, although many reasonable connections take longer.
In practice, travellers from the US and Canada commonly connect through a European, Middle Eastern or African hub. The exact routing matters, so a slightly longer first flight can sometimes produce a much shorter overall journey if the connection is better.
For a northern safari, it is also worth searching directly for Kilimanjaro rather than automatically searching only for Dar es Salaam. The same applies to Zanzibar if the island is your first destination.
Consider a multi-city ticket
If your route crosses Tanzania, flying into and out of the same airport can create unnecessary travel.
A classic example is arriving at Kilimanjaro, completing a northern safari, flying to Zanzibar and then departing internationally from Zanzibar. Because both Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar have international services, there is no automatic need to return to Dar es Salaam simply to fly home.
When comparing flights, search both a normal return ticket and a multi-city itinerary. The latter can make the whole trip considerably cleaner even when the airfare itself is similar.
Entering Tanzania overland
Flying is not the only option if Tanzania is part of a wider African trip. Licensed long-distance bus services operate within Tanzania and to neighbouring countries, so overland entry can make sense when travelling through East or Southern Africa.
The practical route depends on where you are coming from, and border and visa requirements should always be checked separately before travelling. For a dedicated two-week Tanzania holiday, flying is usually simpler; for a longer regional trip, overland travel becomes much more useful.
Getting around on safari
On a classic northern safari, transport is usually part of the safari itself. A 4WD with a driver-guide takes you between places such as Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, and that vehicle is also used for game drives.
That removes a surprising amount of logistical work. You are not arranging taxis between camps or hiring a separate vehicle every time you move, and the northern circuit is naturally suited to travelling this way.
Remote safari areas can also be reached by small aircraft using airstrips close to camps and parks. Tanzania has a substantial network of licensed scheduled and charter operators serving tourism routes around the country.
If you are using a small safari flight, check the baggage conditions carefully before packing. Smaller aircraft can have more restrictive baggage rules than an international flight.
Moving between distant regions
This is where flying becomes particularly useful. Kilimanjaro to Dar es Salaam, for example, is only about 1 hour 10 minutes in the air on the fastest nonstop service, while the equivalent road journey consumes a large part of a day.
The same logic applies when finishing a safari and continuing to Zanzibar. On a short trip, the extra cost of flying can be worth it simply because it gives you more usable holiday time.
With three weeks rather than ten days, the calculation changes. Tanzania becomes much easier to explore by slower transport when you are not constantly racing the clock.
Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar
From Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar can be reached by either air or ferry. Both are established routes, and the right option depends mostly on where you are coming from beforehand.
If you are already staying in Dar es Salaam, the ferry can fit naturally into the trip. If you have just finished a northern safari, flying directly towards Zanzibar is usually much simpler than travelling south to Dar first.
Once on Zanzibar, taxis, buses and rental cars are available. For a short stay split between Stone Town and the coast, arranged transfers or taxis are usually enough.
Trains
Tanzania's modern Standard Gauge Railway now provides a useful option on the central mainland corridor. Passenger services currently operate between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma via Morogoro, following the opening of the first operational sections in 2024.
Rail will not help you reach the Serengeti or replace a safari vehicle, but it can be a good alternative to road travel when your itinerary naturally follows the line. Because the network continues to develop, current routes and timetables are worth checking before travel.
Long-distance buses
Buses connect towns and regions across Tanzania and are an important part of domestic transport. They can be a sensible option when you have time and are travelling between ordinary cities rather than trying to connect remote safari areas.
On a short holiday, however, a long bus journey can become a false economy. Saving money matters less if it removes most of a day from an already tight itinerary.
The simplest first-trip route
For a classic first visit, I would keep the transport uncomplicated: fly into Kilimanjaro, travel the northern safari circuit by 4WD, fly to Zanzibar and leave from Zanzibar if your international flight options allow it.
That is not the only way to travel around Tanzania, but it keeps transport in the background rather than allowing it to take over the trip.
Related guides
Best Places to Visit in Tanzania
Best Time to Visit Tanzania
Tanzania Travel Costs
7 Days in Tanzania: A First-Time Itinerary (coming later)