Arusha to Serengeti Flights & Lots More!

Arusha to Serengeti flights flying over the Ngorongoro Crater

Did you come to this post looking for Arusha to Serengeti flights If so, I can tell you quite a bit about that.

READ ALSO: How to Reach Serengeti by Road from Arusha & More

Arusha to Serengeti Flights/Flights From Arusha to Serengeti/Flight From Arusha to Serengeti

The most convenient way to get from Arusha to Serengeti is to fly from Arusha to one of the Serengeti’s seven airstrips.

Arusha is served by two airports: Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and Arusha Airport (ARK).

There are flights to the Serengeti from both these airports.

It can take between 1 and 5 hours to fly from Arusha to one of seven airstrips within the Serengeti National Park depending on what the endpoints of your flight are.

READ ALSO: Things to See in Arusha, The Local Guide Program & More

All flights are operated by local airlines such as Grumeti Air and Coastal Aviation.

Once you land at one of the Serengeti’s airstrips, you will be picked up by staff from wherever you will be staying and driven to your lodge.

This can take another 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on where you will be staying.

If you are looking for a faster and even more convenient option than this, a scheduled or private charter flight is the way to go.

Some of the more exclusive lodges have their own airstrips and are able to arrange direct scheduled and/or private charter flights from Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport to their airstrip.

See also  Tamasha Karen & More

If you prefer to travel by road from Arusha to Serengeti, it will take approximately eight hours.

An overnight stay at one or more wildlife sites en route is a good way to break up this journey.

READ ALSO: How to Reach Ngorongoro by Train & by Other Means in 2022

Cape Town to Serengeti Flights

You cannot fly directly from Cape Town to the Serengeti. The easiest way to fly on this route is to fly from Cape Town to Dar es Salaam with an airline that flies internationally such as Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, or Airlink, and then fly between Dar es Salaam and the Serengeti with a smaller Tanzanian airline such as Coastal Aviation or Auric Air.

READ ALSO: The Serengeti Airstrips & More About Travelling in Tanzania

Serengeti National Park Flights

If you are interested in flights to Serengeti National Park, in general, find out more about those here.

Flights to Ngorongoro Conservation Area/Flights to Ngorongoro Crater

There are no international airports in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA).

Airport Near Ngorongoro Crater/Ngorongoro Crater Airport

The international airport closest to Ngorongoro is Kilimanjaro International Airport, which is approximately 200 kilometers away.

READ ALSO: Serengeti Safari Operators & Nugumu

Ngorongoro Airstrip (Ngorongoro Airport)

Ngorongoro is accessible by air, though. There is an airstrip on the crater rim close to the headquarters of the NCA.

Flights to Ngorongoro Conservation Area are usually charter flights to this airstrip or to another airstrip nearby, though scheduled flights do exist.

READ ALSO: Distance From Arusha to Mwanza via Serengeti (KM) & More About Travelling Around Tanzania

Airlines That Operate Scheduled Flights to Ngorongoro Conservation Area

  • Coastal Aviation Coastal Aviation operates flights to Ngorongoro Conservation Area that land at one of two airports/airstrips. One of the airstrips is Ndutu Airstrip which is within the NCA, close to the Serengeti, and the other is Lake Manyara Airport, about 40 minutes drive from the Lodoare Gate of the NCA.
  • Another airline that operates flights to Ngorongoro Conservation Area from Arusha Airport and Kilimanjaro Airport is Air Excel. Like Coastal Aviation, Air Excel flights land both at Ndutu Airstrip and Lake Manyara Airport.
    Air Excel in the air
  • A third airline that operates scheduled flights to Ngorongoro Conservation Area–both Lake Manyara Airport & Ndutu Airstrip–is Regional Air.
  • ZanAir operates flights to Ngorongoro Conservation Area but only to Lake Manyara Airport.
  • Auric Air operates daily flights to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, landing both at Lake Manyara Airport & Ndutu Airstrip.
  • Flightlink operates regular flights to Lake Manyara Airport.
See also  Zanzibar Last Minute

Note that all these scheduled flights to Ngorongoro Conservation Area land either at Lake Manyara Airport (a 40-minute drive away) or at Ndutu Airstrip (in the NCA near the Serengeti) and not the airstrip on the rim of the Crater.

No scheduled service can go to the Crater as weather can be unpredictable.

READ ALSO: Getting from Dar es salaam to Zanzibar

Other Flights to Ngorongoro Conservation Area

On top of the above scheduled flights to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, it is possible to arrange for special flights to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. For instance…

Auric Air Takeoff
  • Auric Air flies on request directly to Ngorongoro not only from locales in Tanzania such as Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, and Serengeti but also from locales within the region such as Entebbe in Uganda and Kigali in Rwanda.

READ ALSO: Emirates Flight Sale: Emirates Flights Between Dar es Salaam and Dubai

As I mentioned above, the international airport closest to Ngorongoro is Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA).

When you are booking your flights to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, you will therefore need to book the international portion of your flight to KIA (or Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar), and then book a separate local portion of your flight to Ngorongoro.

Here is what you can expect to pay for the portion of your flights to Ngorongoro Conservation Area up to KIA, on popular routes.

READ ALSO: Travelling Through the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area

How to Reach Arusha

The easiest way for you to get to Arusha, most probably, is to fly there.

See also  The City Sightseeing Johannesburg Tour & More on Visiting South Africa

Arusha is served by two airports: Kilimanjaro International Airport and Arusha Airport.

If you want to get to Arusha from outside Tanzania, then you will most likely need to fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport.

Arusha Airport is a domestic airport, and you can fly into this airport from several locations across Tanzania.

Coastal Aviation also operates a flight between Kigali, Rwanda and Arusha Airport.

READ ALSO: 3 Places to Stay in Arusha, Tanzania

How to Reach Arusha by Road

Getting to Arusha by road is very possible because Arusha is connected by good quality highways running both north and south through it, as well as east and west.

Arusha is an easy 4-5 hour drive from Nairobi, Kenya, across an international border, and a 10-11 hour drive from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Photo Credit: YellowZebra

2 comments

  1. This is an amazing post about the Ngorongoro Conversation Area! Did you know that when the Ngorongoro Crater was still a massive supervolcano it stood to be taller than Africa’s current highest point – Mt. Kilimanjaro? I found this fact interesting and wanted to share it with you. And now it’s home to amazing wildlife! I’ve heard so much about the Ngorongoro Conversation Area being one of the best spots to visit if I want to get a glimpse of an amazing array of wildlife. Apparently, it is home to close to 25,000 wild creatures. Definitely thinking of visiting here.

    1. Hi Ana,

      Welcome to Chick About Town! Thanks for the kudos on this post.

      Yes, I did know about the volcano that created the crater being taller than Mt. Kilimanjaro. I thought that was a fascinating fact too. 🙂

      You have never visited the Crater before? You must do this some time soon. I am Tanzanian and it is possibly my favourite place in the country. It’s truly stupendous and breathtaking.

      I can’t wait to hear what you think of it when you finally visit.

      Biche

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Share via
Copy link