Which airline,
which routing.

Fly into Kilimanjaro International (JRO). It’s 45 minutes from Arusha, our base, and saves you a full domestic flight on arrival. Dar es Salaam (DAR) is convenient for Zanzibar add-ons but adds a wasted day for a Northern Circuit safari.

If you’re combining Tanzania with Zanzibar at the end of your safari, we book the Arusha-Zanzibar bush plane on your behalf, no need to route through Dar.

International fares to JRO are most flexible 9 to 12 months out. Inside 4 months for peak season (July to October) you’ll pay 1.5x to 2x. Last-minute (under 6 weeks) is rarely worth it, both fares and lodge availability collapse.

For the festive peak (last two weeks of December) and the Mara crossings window (mid-July to early September), 12 to 18 months is realistic, especially for opulent lodges.

From the US, four reliable paths:

• KLM, via Amsterdam. The largest airline serving JRO; daily flights from 19 North American cities. Arrives JRO between 7–9 PM. Good economy and Premium Comfort cabin.
• Qatar Airways, via Doha. Voted World’s Best Airline several years running. Excellent Qsuite business class. Arrives JRO at 7:30 AM, the most civilised arrival time of any carrier.
• Turkish Airlines, via Istanbul. Strong economy value, the option to lay over a night or two in Istanbul. Inconvenient JRO arrival at 1:30 AM, departure 2:30 AM, you’ll need an overnight before and after.
• Ethiopian Airlines, via Addis Ababa. Available from ATL, ORD, JFK, YYZ, IAD. Often the cheapest fare in peak season; afternoon arrival into JRO.

Avoid routings through Nairobi unless you specifically want to add Kenya, the Nairobi-JRO hop adds friction, adds a Kenya visa requirement, and triggers a yellow fever certificate (see below).

For Serengeti itineraries, we strongly recommend internal bush flights instead of long ground transfers. Auric Air and Coastal Aviation are the standard carriers. Light aircraft (12 to 18 seats), short hops, dramatic landings.

Baggage limit is strict: 15 kg / 33 lbs in soft duffel bags only, no hard cases. We provide a packing checklist when your itinerary is confirmed.

Long-haul flights to East Africa are genuinely long, expect roughly 7 hours from the US East Coast to Amsterdam, 10 hours from the West Coast, and 8 hours from Amsterdam onwards to JRO. Add layover time and the total trip runs 18 to 24 hours from the East Coast, longer from the West.

We strongly recommend an Arusha layover night before going into the bush; it’s the single most undervalued upgrade to a safari.

Most international flights into JRO arrive late at night (10 PM to 1 AM). Bush planes leave early (7 to 9 AM). Without a layover, you start your safari on no sleep.

A valid passport and a Tanzania visa are both required. Apply for the visa online in advance at the official government portal: visa.immigration.go.tz. Plan 2 to 4 weeks for processing; apply earlier in peak season.

Your passport must be:

• Still valid six months after the day you land.
• Carry at least 2 blank pages marked “VISA”, Tanzanian immigration won’t use pages already stamped by other countries. If you’re combining Tanzania with Kenya, plan for 4 blank pages.

Print the whole visa approval, every page of it, and travel with it next to your passport. Keep a photocopy of your passport in a separate bag, and a scanned copy on your phone.

This is the question we get most often, and the answer is more straightforward than the internet suggests.

Not required for direct flights from the US or Canada into Tanzania via Amsterdam (KLM), Doha (Qatar), or Istanbul (Turkish).

Required only if you both land in a country the CDC lists for yellow fever — Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda are the ones our guests hit most, along with Brazil, Colombia and Peru — and pass through its immigration. “In transit” layovers where you stay airside don’t trigger the requirement.

This is one of the reasons we recommend direct routings via Amsterdam, Doha, or Istanbul over a Nairobi connection. Check the current CDC yellow-fever country list before you book.

For long layovers at the connecting hub, the best hotels are inside or adjacent to the terminal:

• Amsterdam. The Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel sits inside the terminal, a 10-minute walk from customs, no transfer required. For shorter airside layovers (no customs clearance) the Mercure Hotel Schiphol Terminal is in the transit area.
• Doha. The Oryx Hotel is across from the business-class lounge, in-transit (no customs to clear). Books up fast, reserve directly on their website when you book your flights.
• Istanbul. For a proper city night, Hagia Sofia Mansions in the historic district (an hour from the airport). Walking distance to the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Grand Bazaar. The concierge can arrange escorted walking tours. You’ll need a Turkey e-visa purchased online in advance.

For travellers on KLM, the return leg out of JRO touches down briefly at Dar es Salaam for refuelling. It is about three quarters of an hour and nobody leaves the aircraft.