How to get to the Sayari Tented Camp Serengeti

INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC FLIGHT ROUTES TO SAYARI TENTED CAMP

Tanzania is served by a number of international airlines, including the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam and the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in Zanzibar. The Kilimanjaro International Airport in the north of the country is the closest for connections to the Northern Serengeti, although you’ll need to take a domestic flight from all of the international airports to reach the Kogatende Airstrip near the Sayari Tented Camp

Depending on your arrival time, you may need to overnight in Arusha, Dar Es Salaam or Zanzibar prior to flying to the Serengeti the following day. 

ARRIVING INTO KILIMANJARO INTERNATIONAL (JRO)
Kilimanjaro International airport is served by a number of international 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’s possible to make a same-day connection to the Kogatende Airstrip (minimum of two passengers). The flight time from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Kogatende Airstrip is approximately one hour. 

Alternatively, if your international flight arrives at the Kilimanjaro International Airport before 10:15 am, you can make the one-hour land transfer to Arusha Airport and board the scheduled connecting flight to the Lobo Airstrip at 1:00 pm.
If your international flight doesn’t allow for a same-day connection to the Kogatende Airstrip, we can arrange a one-hour road transfer to Arusha where you can spend the night before connecting to Sasakwa Airstrip the following morning.

Suggested Arusha Accommodations:  

   •     Arusha Coffee Lodge

   •     Legendary Coffee Lodge

   •     Mount Meru Hotel

ARRIVING INTO JULIUS NYERERE INTERNATIONAL IN DAR ES SALAAM (DAR)

Julius Nyerere International airport is served by a number of 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 flights arriving before 7.30am, it’s possible to get a connecting flight to the Kogatende Airstrip. You’ll need to transfer to the airport's domestic terminal, which is a five-minute taxi ride from the international terminal. The flight time from Dar es Salaam to the Kogatende Airstrip is around two hours. 

Alternatively, you can book a connecting domestic flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport and proceed from there.

If your international flight doesn’t allow for a same-day connection to the Kogatende Airstrip, we can arrange an airport transfer to your chosen accommodation for the night. You can then connect to the Kogatende Airstrip the following morning from the domestic terminal of the Julius Nyerere International Airport. 
 

Suggested Dar Es Salaam Accommodation:

  • Hyatt Regency Dar Es Salaam

  • The Oysterbay Hotel

ARRIVING INTO ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL

Zanzibar International Airport is served by a number of airlines, including Fastjet, FlyDubai, Kenya Airways, MANGO, Meridiana, Qatar Airways, Precision Air, Oman Air, Ethiopia Airline and Turkish Airlines. 

For international flights that arrive before 8:00 am, it’s possible to connect on a domestic flight to the Serengeti on the same day. If your international flight arrives after 8:00 am, you will need to spend the night in Zanzibar. Our safari team is on hand to arrange domestic flights, airport transfers and local accommodation that suits your flight itinerary.

Suggested Zanzibar Accommodations:

Zanzibar boasts a number of beach resorts where you can relax overnight or for a few days. Alternatively, you can overnight in the charismatic capital of Stone Town, which is just a 10-minute drive from the airport.

  • Park Hyatt Zanzibar, Stone Town

ARRIVING INTO NAIROBI AIRPORT (JOMO KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL)

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is served by a number of airlines, including Air Mauritius, British Airways, China Southern, Egypt Air, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad, Fastjet, FlyDubai, Kenya Airways and KLM. 

If your international flight arrives in Nairobi before 7:00 am, you can connect on a domestic flight to the Kogatende Airstrip the same day. Alternatively, you can board a short flight to Kilimanjaro International and travel to the Kogatende Airstrip from there.  

If you’re arriving into Nairobi later in the day, you can board a late-afternoon flight to the Kilimanjaro International Airport. Our safari experts can organise a ground transfer to Arusha where you can spend the night before an early-morning flight to Kogatende the following day. 
 

Alternatively, you may opt to stay the night in Nairobi and board the early morning flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport the following day. From here, you can connect onwards to the Kogatende Airstrip. If your international flight arrives in Nairobi in the early afternoon, you may also charter a private flight directly to the Kogatende Airstrip the same day. 
 

Suggested Nairobi Accommodations:

  • Sankara Nairobi

  • Tribe Hotel

  • Hemingways Hotel

DOMESTIC FLIGHT CONNECTIONS TO THE SERENGETI

The Sayari Tented Camp is located in the Northern Serengeti and is just a few minutes’ drive from the Kogatende Airstrip (OLG). There are four main airports in Tanzania that offer connecting flights to the Kogatende Airstrip: Arusha Airport (ARK), Julius Nyerere International in Dar Es Salaam (DAR), Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and Zanzibar International Airport (ZNZ).

TRAVELLING FROM ARUSHA AIRPORT (ARK)

Several daily flights to the Kogatende Airstrip are offered from the Arusha Airport, with the latest departure time currently scheduled at 1:00 pm. The direct flight time between the Arusha Airport and Kogatende Airstrip is approximately 20 minutes.

TRAVELLING FROM KILIMANJARO (JRO)

Morning flights also operate from Kilimanjaro International Airport to the Kogatende Airstrip, with the latest departure currently scheduled at 11:00 am. Alternatively, ground transfers can be arranged to Arusha where additional domestic flights are scheduled.

TRAVELLING FROM DAR ES SALAAM (DAR)

Morning flights are available from Dar Es Salaam’s international airport to the Serengeti, although most stop at various other airstrips en route before arriving at the Lobo Airstrip in the early afternoon.

TRAVELLING FROM ZANZIBAR (ZNZ)

There is currently only one direct flight departing daily from Zanzibar to the Kogatende Airport, with the journey taking around 2 hours 50 minutes. Alternatively, you may opt for a non-direct flight route that will take significantly longer. 

CHARTER FLIGHTS

In addition to scheduled flight routes, it’s also possible to charter a private aircraft directly to the Kogatende Airstrip from various international airports in Tanzania, without having to stop en route. Charter flights are in private, pressurised cabins and don’t have luggage weight restrictions like scheduled flights. You can determine the flight time that’s convenient for you, with the option to land at the Kogatende Airstrip at any time during daylight hours (sunset is between 6:30 pm and 7:00 pm).

LOCAL AIRLINES AND LUGGAGE RESTRICTIONS

Local Tanzanian airlines include Air Excel, Coastal Aviation, Regional Air, Auric Air and Flightlink. They all use Cessna Grand Caravans or similar aircraft, which are capable of carrying 9 to 13 passengers. Luggage is restricted to 15 kgs per passenger and must be carried in soft-sided bags or suitcases (no hard shell cases are permitted on board).