Tanzania flights come in from many different countries and on many different international airlines. No United States airlines fly directly into Tanzania, and only three European airlines serve the country. KLM from Amsterdam flies into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), which serves the cities of Arusha and Moshi. Moshi is the city located at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro and is usually the base for those who are climbing that mountain (usually before or after wildlife safaris). Arusha is located a couple hours west of that, and is considered the Safari Capital of Tanzania, as it is the hub for setting out to visit the country's most popular national parks and wildlife reserves, including Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, and the incredibly beautiful Ngorongoro Crater. Most air travel to Tanzania for people going on safari in these parks or climbing the tallest peak in Africa will be into this airport.

There are Tanzania flights from Zurich in Switzerland and from London, England into larger Julius Nyere International Airport (DAR), which serves the country's former capital and largest city of Dar es Salaam. KLM also has service to this city, in addition to the flights to Arusha, many of the KLM flights stop in both cities. The city of Dar es Salaam is located on the Indian Ocean coast, just a short flight away from the exotic tropical island of Zanzibar. There are a number of beach resorts on the beaches north of Dar es Salaam, and numerous luxury hotels and beach resorts (many of which are all inclusive) on Zanzibar. Many people who climb Kilimanjaro or go on safari in Tanzania will spend a few days on the beaches afterward. Additionally, beach holidays here are extremely popular with Europeans, who often come back each year and do not go on safari at all. Very cheap flights to Tanzania are offered by European operators who cater to this group of people.

Air travel to Tanzania is also possible from many destinations within the African continent, from Egypt to South Africa and from Rwanda to Nigeria. Also, more and more flights are being scheduled from countries in the Middle East, including Kuwait and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Often these can be very cheap flights to Tanzania if you are coming from the United States. The route might be a little roundabout and will probably take several hours longer than more direct routes, but they are often priced hundreds of dollars lower than any other flights. There are also flights from Istanbul in Turkey.

Tanzania Map

Oftentimes, the best cheap flights to Tanzania may not land in or depart from that country at all. Just to the north of Tanzania is the neighboring country of Kenya, which has been the most popular destination in all of East Africa for decades before Tanzania became a viable tourist destination. Until quite recently, its tourism infrastructure was much better than Tanzania's. For this reason, there are far more international flights into Kenya than into Tanzania.

Virtually every major country in the world has at least one airline that flies into Kenya's capital of Nairobi. From there, air travel to Tanzania is possible on a short (just over an hour) and inexpensive flight or a land transfer taking about five hours. Many people combine both countries for a single safari, visiting one or more national parks and wildlife reserves in each. Almost always, the flights or land transfers between the two countries are included as part of the safari packages.

The most expensive Kenya or Tanzania flights are "open jaw" flights—those that land in one country and return home from another. It is generally cheaper and more practical to have round-trip flights to and from the same country. Tanzania's tourism is growing and developing rapidly. In many areas, it now outstrips that of Kenya, and there are bound to be more and more international flights from Europe and the United States as time goes on. In addition to the flights mention above, there is frequent air service to Tanzania from a number of other African countries as well as the Middle East.