Mwanza to Serengeti National Park 2022: How to Get There Most Efficiently Today • Chick About Town

Mwanza to Serengeti National Park Arusha Tanzania

There are several ways to get to the Serengeti National Park from Mwanza. You can either fly there or get there by road.

Mwanza is only 2 hours away from the Ndabaka Gate of the Serengeti National Park. The road between these two places is good and makes for an easy drive.

Entering the Serengeti at its Ndabaka Gate takes you to what is known as the Serengeti’s Western Corridor.

The Western Corridor of the Serengeti is quite different in nature from Seronera and the central plains of the Serengeti, but still makes for interesting animal sightings as well as interesting vegetation.

You can find some pictures I took in this part of the Serengeti here.

To enter the Serengeti at its Ikoma Gate, coming from Mwanza, takes quite a bit longer than driving to the Ndabaka Gate.

The drive from Mwanza to the Ikoma Gate is about four and a half hours long.

This is where you want to enter the Serengeti, though, if your plan is to get to Seronera or, more generally, to the central plains of the Serengeti.

Mwanza to Serengeti National Park by Air

The Serengeti National Park has seven airstrips so it is easy to fly between Mwanza and the Serengeti.

Distance From Mwanza to Serengeti National Park/Mwanza to Serengeti Distance/Mwanza to Serengeti KM

The distance between Mwanza and the Ndabaka Gate of the Serengeti National Park is 136 km.

The distance between Mwanza and the Fort Ikoma Gate of the Serengeti National Park is 263 km.

READ ALSO: Mwanza Accommodation

Nairobi to Serengeti National Park

The distance between Nairobi and Serengeti National Park is approximately 350 kilometers, and it usually takes around 8-9 hours to drive between the two destinations.

Serengeti National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa, known for its vast savannah plains, diverse wildlife, and the annual wildebeest migration. The park is home to an array of wildlife species, including lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and many others.

There are several ways to travel from Nairobi to Serengeti National Park, including driving, flying, or taking a combination of both. Many tour operators offer guided tours that include transportation, accommodation, and game drives in the park.

It’s important to note that visitors to Serengeti National Park are required to have a valid Tanzanian visa, which can be obtained in advance or at the border crossing. Additionally, visitors should be aware of the park’s rules and regulations, including guidelines for wildlife viewing and conservation efforts.

Airports in Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti has seven airstrips:

Seronera Airstrip
Kogatende Airstrip
Lobo Airstrip
Grumeti Airstrip
Ndutu Airstrip
Sasakwa Airstrip, and
Fort Ikoma Airstrip

READ ALSO: Mwanza Accommodation & More

Serengeti Gates

The Serengeti has six main gates used by visitors of the park:

Naabi Hill Gate
Klein’s Gate
Fort Ikoma Gate
Ndabaka Gate
Handajega Gate
Bologonja Gate

The Naabi Hill Gate is the gate through which you have to pass if you are coming from or to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Klein’s Gate is an entry and exit point to the Serengeti situated on the north eastern border of the park. This gate is commonly used by tourists coming from Loliondo Game Controlled Area, a rural Maasai territory with Lake Natron on the eastern end.

Fort Ikoma Gate is one of the official exits and entry points of Serengeti National Park and is located on the north western border of the park, a few kilometers south of the entry point of Grumeti game reserve and Robanda village. The Fort Ikoma Gate is only an hour’s drive from Seronera, the central valley of the Serengeti, so this is the gate to be used if you are trying to get to the central Serengeti from say Mwanza or Butiama.

The Ndabaka Gate of the Serengeti is the gate closest to Mwanza and is where you want to pass to visit the Serengeti’s Western corridor coming from that side of the Serengeti.

Handajega Gate is a rarely used entrance to the Serengeti. It is located at the southwestern end of the park in Mwanza village. The gate lies a few kilometers southeast of the Serengeti’s Ndabaka Gate.

Bolongoja Gate, located in northern Serengeti, is the gate that connects the Serengeti to the Masaai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. It is located a short distance south of the border between Kenya and Tanzania.

Nearest Airport to Serengeti National Park/Airport for Serengeti

If you would like to access the Serengeti through Mwanza, then the international airport to fly into is Mwanza International Airport (MWZ).

If instead you would like to access the Serengeti through Arusha, which is the more popular way to do it, then the international airport to fly into is Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO).

How to Reach Arusha from Iringa

Arusha and Iringa are 501 km from each other, as the crow flies.

The most straightforward way to travel between these two cities is by road. This is about a 10-and-a-half hour drive.

There is no obvious way to fly between these two towns, though it is possible to do so with small local airlines if you connect through another Tanzanian city such as Dar es Salaam.

Kenya Airports Authority

Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) is the owner and operator of 11 civilian airports and airstrips in Kenya.

Its head office is on the property of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Embakasi, Nairobi.

The 11 airports and airstrips opertated by KAA are:

Airports

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi
Moi International Airport in Mombasa
Eldoret International Airport in Eldoret
Wilson Airport in Nairobi
Kisumu International Airport in Kisumu
Isiolo International Airport in Isiolo
Malindi Airport in Malindi
Wajir Airport in Wajir

Airstrips

Lokichoggio Airport in Lokichoggio
Manda Airport on Manda Island, and
Ukunda Airport in Diani Beach

Photo Credit: Achieve Global Safaris

Mwanza to Serengeti National Park & More About Travel in East Africa

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