Transportation
Before booking transportation to Tanzania and ultimately to the starting point of your climb you need to decide if you are just climbing Kilimanjaro, or are you planning to enjoy other adventures and relaxation opportunities. If you are going to Tanzania just climb Kilimanjaro, the best option is to fly directly to Kilimanjaro International Airport. However, if you plan on spending time in Zanzibar, going on safari or visiting other parts of the region, consider flying into Nairobi, Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar.
More and more international airlines fly to Tanzania every year; the two major airports in Tanzania are Dar es Salaam International Airport and Kilimanjaro International Airport (near Arusha and Moshi). Most Kilimanjaro treks start out in Arusha or Moshi in Tanzania. Kilimanjaro International Airport (airport code JRO), is located midway between Arusha and Moshi and handles international flights, while the much smaller Arusha airport (airport code ARK) handles domestic Tanzanian air traffic.
Budget travelers and backpackers with more time than money should look at all options carefully. A bus trip is not the most comfortable way to get around Tanzania; however, it is an adventure and an economical way to travel the country.
International Flights
Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) Flights
The only regularly scheduled direct flights from outside Africa to JRO are from Europe (Amsterdam and Frankfurt). If you are arriving from North America or elsewhere, you will have to make a transfer in Europe, or fly into another African city and make a connection.
For most travelers, the most convenient way to get to Kilimanjaro from outside of Africa is to take the daily flight on KLM from Amsterdam AMS to JRO. The KLM flight does a loop: departs Amsterdam in the late morning and arrives Kilimanjaro in the evening (flight time is around 8 hours), short hop to Dar es Salaam DAR, then back to Amsterdam overnight. KLM and its Sky Team partners (Northwest, Continental, Delta, Air France, etc.) have connections to Amsterdam from around the globe.
If your travel dates are flexible the discount German airline Condor has some great fares from Frankfurt, Germany FRA to JRO. However, they only fly once a week, departing Frankfurt on Tuesday nights, arriving at JRO on Wednesday mornings, and returning to Frankfurt on Wednesday night. Condor has connections to Frankfurt from across Europe, as well as from several North American cities.
Another option getting to JRO is to take Ethiopian Airlines to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ADD, and then transfer to their daily flight to JRO. Ethiopian Airlines has connections to select major cities in Europe, North America, and Asia. You can also fly into another African city, change airlines for Kilimanjaro (or take a long African bus ride!). I do not advise mixing airlines too much,it increases the risk of lost luggage and missed flights. Some of the logical cities to fly into and common routes include:
- Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania DAR, on SWISS Airlines from Zurich ZRH, Air Emirates from Dubai DXB
- Nairobi, Kenya NBO, on British Airways from London Heathrow LHR
- Johannesburg, South Africa JNB, on South African Airways from Washington DC IAD, Sydney Australia SYD, Hong Kong HKG, etc.
Airlines with service to Tanzania
British Airways – Direct from Gatwick to Dar es Salaam
Swiss Air – Zurich to Dar es Salaam
Gulf Air – Abu Dhabi and Muscut to Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam
Domestic Flights
Flights within Tanzania
Ethiopian Airways offers Kilimanjaro flights at good prices from Addis Ababa via Nairobi (they also fly to Europe and a handful of other international destinations). Kenya Airways offer flights to Kilimanjaro from Nairobi three times a day. The flights are operated by Precision Air, a young and dynamic Tanzanian airline with competitive prices. Precision Air also operates flights from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar to Kilimanjaro.
Another local carrier is Air Tanzania who operates Kilimanjaro flights from Johannesburg in South Africa and also connecting flights from Kilimanjaro to Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.
Charter airlines
| Kenya Airways Regional AirAir Kenya Precision Air RwandairExpress Fly540 Ethiopian Airlines | Lufthansa Turkish Airlines Emirates ZanAir Air Excel KLM Condo | Between these cities ADD – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia AMS – Amsterdam, Netherlands ARK – Arusha, TanzaniaDAR – Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania EBB – Entebbe, Uganda FRA – Frankfurt, GermanyJNB – Johannesburg, South Africa JRO – Kilimanjaro, Tanzania JRO – Kilimanjaro, Tanzania KGL – Kigali, Rwanda MBA – Mombasa, Kenya MWZ – Mwanza, Tanzania NBO – Nairobi, Kenya WIL – Nairobi, Kenya (Wilson Airport) ZNZ – Zanzibar, Tanzania |
Ground Transportation
Regional Luxury Shuttle
Website: www.regionalluxuryshuttle.com
Email: inquiries@regionalluxuryshuttle.com
Phone: +254 722 34 1397, +254 731 47 7950
Pricing as of February 2019
| Departure | Arrival | One Way | Return Trip |
| Nairobi | Arusha | $25 | $50 |
| Arusha | Nairobi | $25 | $50 |
| Nairobi | Moshi | $35 | $70 |
| Moshi | Nairobi | $35 | $70 |
| Nairobi | Marangu | $70 | $150 |
| Marangu | Nairobi | $80 | $150 |
| Nairobi | Dar-as-salaam | $100 | $200 |
Shuttle Express East Africa, aka Davanu Shuttle
Website: www.eastafricashuttles.com/riverside
Email: info@eastafricashuttles.com or eastafricashuttles@gmail.com
WHATSAPP: +254 710 18 9751
Pricing as of February 2019
| Departure | Arrival | One Way | Return Trip |
| Nairobi | Arusha | $25 | $50 |
| Nairobi | Moshi | $30 | $60 |
Nairodi Airport transfers & Tours
Website: www.nairobiairporttransfers.com
Email: info@nairobiairporttransfers.com
WHATSAPP: +254 710 18 9751 or +254 722 32 4421
| Transfers from Kilimanjaro airport to Arusha or Moshi | Transfers from Dar es Salaam airport to Dar es Salaam aam | Transfers from Zanzibar airport to Stone town |
US$50/Vehicle by salon car, 4 Doors/4 seats | US$50/Vehicle by salon car, 4 Doors/4 seats | US$20/Vehicle by salon car, 4 Doors/4 seats |
| US$80/Vehicle by safari van, 3 Doors/7 seats | US$80/ Vehicle by safari van, 3 Doors/7 seats | US$40/Vehicle by safari van,3 Doors/7 seats |
| US$150/Vehicle by Minibus, 3 Doors/24 seats | US$130/Vehicle by Minibus, 3 Doors/24 seats | US$80/Vehicle by Minibus, 3 Doors/24 seats |
Taxis
Taxis can be found outside the Arrivals hall at Kilimanjaro International Airport, especially with KLM flights. Expect to pay about USD $50 or TZS 75,000 to either Moshi or Arusha for 4 people. There is some room for negotiation, especially since taxi drivers have likely come from Moshi or Arusha to drop off passengers departing from Kilimanjaro International Airport and do not want to drive back without a fare.
*Note that many booking agents (including several online), offer transfers as well, it might be worthwhile exploring this option prior to arrival.
Travel Booking Sites
Vayama offers flights on regional and domestic African airlines, such as Air Tanzania and Precision Air. Their interactive mapping tool is pretty cool too! The main limitation is that their website only accepts US and Canadian credit cards.
Kayak.com scours hundreds of online sources for the cheapest fares available. The more flexible you are on time and destination, the better your chances of finding a great deal. Use the Buzz tool to search for flights that leave within a calendar month or search a entire region. The Explore tool, lets you scan the world map for all the destinations within a specified price range.
Bing Travel gives you a recommendation to either buy a ticket now or wait for a fare based on its “price predictor.” The price predictor forecasts whether fares on major domestic routes will go up or down. Enter your desired itinerary and the site will return a list of flight options, along with a recommendation to buy now or wait.
WhichBudget.com helps you build an inexpensive overseas flight plan by using local, budget airlines — a great way to save on international travel. It’s based on a comprehensive list of airlines servicing 170 countries. Click on an airline’s link and you will be redirected to its home page to book a flight.
Yapta.com will track a flight’s price for you after you buy your ticket. If the costs drop below what you paid, most airlines and online travel agencies will refund the difference, typically in the form of travel credits or vouchers. Yapta will alert you to falling fares via e-mail or tweet. If the change in price dips below the cost of any “re-booking fees,” the site will explain how to collect your refund.