From the moment you call up to your arrival, your own personal African safari specialist can help you with international and domestic flight routes, planning game drives and making sure any dietary preferences are accounted for.
PLANNING YOUR INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC FLIGHT ROUTES
Tanzania is serviced by a number of international airlines, with Kilimanjaro International Airport being the closest airport for connection to the Serengeti, yet Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar also providing alternative options. From each international airport, you will need to take a domestic flight into the Serengeti National Park.
Depending on the time of your international flight arrival, it may be necessary to overnight in Arusha, Dar Es Salaam or Zanzibar, prior to flying to the Serengeti the next day. In this guide, we outline details of the flight arrivals into each airport, along with connecting domestic flight information, recommended hotels for overnight stays and ground transfer information. Our Safari Experts team would be glad to assist with advising on any questions you may have and would be happy to take care of booking local transfers, accommodation and domestic flights to create the perfect itinerary for the start of your safari adventure.
ARRIVAL FROM KILIMANJARO INTERNATIONAL (JRO)
Kilimanjaro International Airport is service by number of airlines including Condor, Ethiopian Airlines, Fastjet, Kenya Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Precision Air, Safarilink, Turkish Airlines, RwandaAir and Fly Dubai.
If your international flight arrives before 11:00 am, it is possible to make a same day connection to Seronera Airstrip in the Serengeti (subject to a minimum of 2 passengers being booked on the flight). The flight time from Kilimanjaro International to Seronera Airstrip is approximately one hour. For international flight arrivals before 10:15 am, there is also the option of a one hour land transfer to Arusha Airport, from where you may board a connecting flight to Seronera at 1:00 pm.
Should your international flight arrival time not allow for a same-day connecting flight to Seronera Airstrip, our Safari Expert team would be happy to assist you with arranging a one hour road transfer into the nearby town of Arusha for an overnight stay, from where you can fly to Seronera the next morning from as early as 7:45 am.
Suggested Arusha Accommodations:
ARRIVAL FROM JULIUS NYERERE INTERNATIONAL IN DAR ES SALAAM (DAR)
Julius Nyerere International Airport is served by a number of international airlines including Egypt Air, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad, Fastjet, FlyDubai, Kenya Airways, Malawian Airlines, Precision Air, Qatar Airways, South African Airlines, Turkish Airlines. For international flight arrivals before 7.30am, it is possible to board a connecting flight to Seronera Airstrip from the airport's domestic terminal (five minute taxi ride from the international terminal), with a flight time of approximately two hours. Alternatively, connecting domestic flights are available to Kilimanjaro International.
If your international flight arrives too late to allow a same day connection, our Reservations team are able to assist with making arrangements for airport transfers to your chosen accommodation for the night, ahead of your early morning flight to the Serengeti the next day from the airport's domestic terminal.
Suggested Dar Es Salaam Accommodation:
ARRIVAL FROM ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL
Zanzibar international Airport is serviced by several airlines including Fastjet, FlyDubai, Kenya Airways, Mango, Meridiana, Qatar Airways, Precision Air, Oman Air, Ethiopia Airline and , Turkish Airlines. For international flights that land before 8 am, it is possible to connect on to a domestic flight to the Serengeti on the same day. If your international flight arrives after 8 am, you will be required to spend the night in Zanzibar and fly out early the next morning.
Our Safari Experts team are on hand to help you arrange domestic flights, airport transfers and local accommodation to suit your itinerary.
Suggested Zanzibar Accommodations:
There are a number of beach resorts on the island of Zanzibar for you to choose from, yet for the convenience of an overnight stay, the capital city of Stone Town is situated just a 10 minute drive from the airport.
ARRIVAL FROM NAIROBI AIRPORT (JOMO KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL)
Jomo Kenyatta international airport is operated by a number airlines including Air Mauritius, British Airways, China Southern, Egypt Air, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad, Fastjet, FlyDubai, Kenya Airways and KLM.
If your international flight lands into Nairobi before 7:00 am, you may have the option to connect onto a domestic flight to Seronera or you can board a short flight to Kilimanjaro International to connect on to Seronera Airstrip on the same day (listed above). For arrivals into Nairobi later in the day, it is possible to board a late afternoon flight to Kilimanjaro International, from where our Reservations team would be happy to assist you with making airport transfer and overnight accommodation arrangements in Arusha.
Alternatively, you may choose to stay the night in Nairobi and board the early morning flight to Kilimanjaro International to connect onwards to Seronera Airstrip. If your international flight arrives into Nairobi by early afternoon, there is also the option to charter a private flight directly to Seronera the same day (Check out our private Charters Flights section).
Suggested Nairobi Accommodations:
DOMESTIC FLIGHT CONNECTIONS TO THE SERENGETI
Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti is located in the Central Serengeti, a 45-minute drive from the Seronera Airstrip (SEU). There are four main airports within Tanzania that offer connecting flights to Seronera Airstrip; Arusha Airport (ARK), Julius Nyerere International in Dar Es Salaam (DAR), Kilimanjaro International (JRO) and Zanzibar (ZNZ).
ARRIVAL FROM ARUSHA AIRPORT (ARK)
Several daily flights to Seronera Airstrip are offered from Arusha Airport by a choice of local airlines, with the latest departure time currently scheduled at 1:00 pm. The direct flight time between Arusha Airport and Seronera Airstrip is approximately 45 minutes.
ARRIVAL FROM KILIMANJARO (JRO)
Dependent on demand, morning flights operate from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti, with the latest departure at 11am. Otherwise, ground transfers can be arranged to Arusha from where further domestic fights are available.
ARRIVAL FROM DAR ES SALAAM (DAR)
A number of morning flights are available from Dar Es Salaam. With most flights stopping at local airstrips en route, landing time at Seroenra is usually in the early hours of the afternoon.
ARRIVAL FROM ZANZIBAR (ZNZ)
There is one direct flight from Zanzibar early each morning in a pressurised aircraft that allows for a faster flying time of 2 hours 50 minutes (limited availability). Other non-direct flight routes are also available for a morning departure.
CHARTER FLIGHTS
A choice of private charter aircraft are also available for all of the above mentioned flight routes to allow direct connections to Seronera Airstrip without any other stops en route. Charter flights offer the comfort of a private, pressurized cabin, no weight restriction for luggage and may land at Seronera Airstrip any time during daylight hours (sunset falls between 6:30 pm and 7:00 pm seasonally). Please visit our private charter section for more details.
LOCAL AIRLINES AND LUGGAGE RESTRICTIONS
Local airlines include Air Excel, Costal Aviation, Regional Air, Auric Air and Flighlink. These airlines use Cessna Grand Caravans or similar aircraft, which carry 9 to 13 passengers. Luggage is restricted to 15 kg per passenger and must be carried in soft sided bags or suitcases (no hard shell cases).
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