Mwanza to Serengeti National Park 2024: How to Get There Most Efficiently Today • Chick About Town

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

Distance from Arusha to Mwanza via Serengeti

To know the distance from Arusha to Mwanza via Serengeti, click here.

Distance From Mwanza to Moshi via Singida

The distance from Mwanza to Moshi via Singida in Tanzania is approximately 858 kilometers (about 533 miles).

The actual travel time can vary depending on the mode of transportation, road conditions, and other factors.

To book a bus or private vehicle to take you from Mwanza to Moshi, click here.

If you are driving, the journey may take around 13.5 hours, but this is just a rough estimate, and actual travel time can vary.

It’s important to note that road conditions in certain areas may not be optimal, and travel times could be affected by factors such as weather and traffic.

It’s always a good idea to check with local sources or use a reliable navigation system for real-time updates on road conditions and the best route to take.

Distance From Mwanza to Nairobi

The distance form Mwanza to Nairobi is 456 km(284 miles), as the crow flies, and 681 km(423 miles) by road.

Distance from Kisumu to Mwanza

The distance from Kisumu to Mwanza is 339 km (211 miles) as the crow flies but 484 km (301 miles) by road.

Mwanza to Iringa

Mwanza and Iringa are both cities located in Tanzania. Here’s some information about both cities and the route between them:

Mwanza

Mwanza is a major city situated in the northern part of Tanzania, on the southern shores of Lake Victoria.

It is the second-largest city in Tanzania after Dar es Salaam.

Mwanza is known for its beautiful landscapes, with the lake providing a scenic backdrop.

The city serves as a gateway to various tourist attractions, including the Serengeti National Park and Rubondo Island National Park.

Mwanza has a vibrant fishing industry and is also an important economic center in the region.

Iringa

Iringa is a city located in the southern highlands of Tanzania.

It is the administrative capital of Iringa Region and serves as a commercial hub for the surrounding agricultural areas.

Iringa is known for its pleasant climate, picturesque landscapes, and vibrant cultural heritage.

The city is situated on a hilltop, providing panoramic views of the surrounding plains.

Iringa is a popular stopover for travelers heading to the Ruaha National Park, one of Tanzania’s largest national parks, known for its diverse wildlife and rugged landscapes.

Route from Mwanza to Iringa

To travel from Mwanza to Iringa, you would typically take the road route, as there is no direct railway connection between the two cities.

The most common route is as follows:

Start from Mwanza and head southeast on the A104 highway, also known as the Mwanza-Shinyanga Road.
Pass through the city of Shinyanga, another important economic center in Tanzania.
Continue on the A104 highway until you reach the city of Singida. This city is often considered a convenient stopover point and is quite charming.
From Singida, continue south on the A104 highway until you reach Dodoma, the capital city of Tanzania. Dodoma is situated roughly midway between Singida and Iringa.
Finally, from Dodoma, head southeast on the A104 highway until you reach Iringa.

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.

Coastal Aviation and Auric Air operate flights between Mwanza and the Serengeti.

These flights are not regularly scheduled, though, and are dependent on demand. Contact these airlines for more information.

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 Distance & More About Travel in East Africa