These are our Top 10 tours

• Classic Tanzania and Zanzibar
• Romantic Tanzania and Zanzibar
• Kenya Highlights
• Kenya Classic Safari
• Essential Northern Circuit
• Masai Mara Road Safari
• Masai Mara Fly-in Safari
• East Africa Explorer
• Gorillas in Parc des Volcans
• Great Camps of Africa

East Africa Flights

In the wide open spaces of East Africa, travelling distances can be huge. This fact makes the prospect of driving between safari destinations a less than appealing one. Flying rather than driving is the preferred transport method for discerning travellers, the choice often being one between a comfortable 45-minute flight and a bumpy 4- to 5-hour drive.

Many safari operators offer convenient fly-in services. To the uninitiated, however, the east African airport network can be frustratingly counterintuitive. Many Serengeti-bound travellers, for instance, fly in to Dar-es-Salaam International, realising only on arrival that this famous Tanzanian town is nowhere near the Serengeti! (They should have flown to Kilimanjaro International instead.)

We hope that this guide to Kenya and Tanzania's major airports and airlines - and the tourist destinations they best serve - will make it easier to decide on your flight options in the region.

Airports

Kenya

International Airports

If you're flying into Kenya, chances are you'll be landing at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International airport (NBO). This is the best airport from which to reach the Maasai Mara or Kenya's other major game reserves. However, Jomo Kenyatta International does not serve fly-in safari airstrips; to reach those, you need to use the Wilson airport.

Regional Airports

Kenya's Wilson airport (WIL), a regional airport about 90 minutes by road from Jomo Kenyatta, is the hub for almost all of Kenya's internal flights, and serves its fly-in safari locations. If you plan to fly to your safari destination, please ensure that you have ample time between the international flight and the domestic flight so we can transfer you between Jomo Kenyatta and Wilson airports.

Mombasa's Moi airport (MBA) is about 10 km north west of the town proper. Moi is Kenya's gateway to Mombasa and the Kenyan coast.

Tanzania

International Airports

Tanzania has two international airports.

Dar-es-Salaam International airport (DAR) is Tanzania's main airport, and the best gateway to the coast – and Zanzibar – or northern Mozambique. It is not the best option for visitors headed for the Serengeti, however.

Kilimanjaro International airport (JRO) receives all international flights whose passengers are headed for inland Tanzania, for instance the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater or Lake Manyara. However, you need to transfer to from JRO to the Arusha Airport for these regional flights. International flights often arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport late at night, making an overnight stop in Arusha necessary.

Regional Airports

Arusha airport (ARK), a 45-minute drive from Kilimanjaro International, is the gateway to the Tanzania's inland fly-in safari airstrips. It is the airport from which to reach Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti, and just about every other safari destination in Tanzania.

AIRLINES:

KLM
Royal Dutch Airlines, or KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij) operates flights between the major airports of east Africa. However, it also has the rare attribute of offering direct flights from Europe to Kilimanjaro International. KLM is the airline of choice for European safari-goers, but it's in high demand, so you'll need to book well in advance. You can do that at the KLM booking portal.

Kenya Airlines
Kenya Airlines (KQ) operates flights throughout East Africa, especially to and from Jomo Kenyatta International in Nairobi. KQ is a good option for travel to or from Nairobi or Dar-es-Salaam.

South African Airways
South Africa's national airline, SAA operates flights from South Africa (Johannesburg) to Dar-es-Salaam, then onward to Kilimanjaro or Zanzibar. Flying SAA to east Africa is an excellent option for travellers originating in or passing through South Africa, such as US-based travellers.

Regional Air
Regional Air Services, Tanzania's top regional airline, runs twice-daily flights in Tanzania (including Zanzibar and many camps in the Serengeti) and daily flights to Kenya. For air travel within the east African region, you won't do better than Regional Air.


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