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Johannesburg to Serengeti
There are no direct flights from Johannesburg to the Serengeti.
If you would like to fly between these two destinations, you first have to take an international flight from Johannesburg to one of Tanzania’s international airports. Then, depending on which Tanzanian international airport you fly into, you would have to either fly from there to an airport/airstrip in or nearer to the Serengeti, or drive from there to get to the Serengeti National Park.
You can find out more about flights that ply this route here.
Fly to Serengeti: Serengeti Airstrips/Serengeti Airports
The Serengeti has seven airstrips. These are the seven Serengeti airstrips.
- Seronera Airstrip
- Kogatende Airstrip
- Lobo Airstrip
- Grumeti Airstrip
- Ndutu Airstrip
- Sasakwa Airstrip, and
- Fort Ikoma Airstrip
There are regular flights between the Serengeti airstrips and other airports/airstrips in Tanzania, most notably the international airports in Dar es salaam, Zanzibar, and Kilimanjaro International Airport, as well as Arusha Airport, which is a domestic airport.
READ ALSO: Water Environments & Food from the Sea
Serengeti Airport/Airport for Serengeti/Airport Serengeti
There are plans to construct an airport in Mugumu Serengeti that will be called Serengeti Mugumu International Airport.
Plans to build this airport were approved by Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority in 2012. The project will be financed by American investor Paul Tudor Jones.
READ ALSO: Mwanza to Serengeti National Park & More About Travel in East Africa
Easy Travel Arusha
Easy Travel and Tours Ltd. is a long-time tour operator located in Arusha, Tanzania. They are highly rated, consistently winning Tripadvisor awards.
To find out more about their travel offerings, click here.
Paul Tudor Jones Africa Resort
Paul Tudor Jones’s resort in Africa is called Singita Serengeti (it was formerly The Grumeti Reserves).
READ ALSO: Serengeti Safari Operators & Nugumu
Serengeti Travel: Where Is Mugumu Serengeti?
Mugumu Serengeti is a town in the Mara Region of Northern Tanzania. Mugumu is the administrative seat of Serengeti District in Mara.
Because Mugumu Serengeti is only 40 km from the Ikoma gate of the Serengeti National Park, Mugumu is often used as a base from which to visit the Serengeti.
READ ALSO: The Local Guide Program, Things to See in Arusha & More
Where to Fly Into for Serengeti National Park
The most convenient way to get from Arusha to Serengeti is to fly from Arusha to one of the Serengeti’s seven airstrips.
If you choose to travel by road, you can also take advantage of what lies between these two places and visit a park or two along the way, i.e., the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Lake Manyara National Park.
Arusha is served by two airports: Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and Arusha Airport (ARK).
READ ALSO: Travelling Through the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area
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.
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.
READ ALSO: Getting from Dar es salaam to Zanzibar
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.
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: Rough Guide Travel Guides East Africa
Arusha to Kigoma
Arusha and Kigoma are 800 km from each other, as the crow flies, but by road, Kigoma is about 1,140 km from Arusha: no short travelling distance.
The easiest way to get from Arusha to Kigoma is by air, though this is not the cheapest way.
There are no direct flights between Arusha and Kigoma, but you can fly Air Tanzania between these two cities. This journey with Air Tanzania will include stops in both Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam.
If you want to travel by road or train from Arusha to Kigoma, you’d most probably have to catch a bus or train from Arusha to Dar es Salaam, and then have a second leg of this trip by bus or train from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma.
Photo Credits: Serengeti.com
