Travel Advice How To Get To Kilimanjaro 2nd October, 2024

So you have decided to climb Kilimanjaro. You have researched the best time to visit Kilimanjaro. You have chosen a reputable and reliable travel company.

Tanzania itself is best known for being home to the tallest mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro, as well as boasting arguably the most famous national park in the world, the Serengeti National Park, famed for the Great Migration of Wildebeest.

Check out our blog, ‘The Beginners Guide to Kilimanjaro’, for more information about this awesome mountain.

To reach Mount Kilimanjaro you need to first land at Kilimanjaro Airport (Kilimanjaro airport code JRO). The map below shows the airport in relation to Mount Kilimanjaro National Park. Situated southwest of the park, Kilimanjaro Airport is equidistant between Arusha and Moshi. Moshi is roughly 45 minutes’ drive away from the airport and most trekkers will spend the night there before continuing on to Mount Kilimanjaro to start their trip.

It is possible to fly into Arusha Airport (airport code ARK), however, it's a small domestic airport that only receives internal flights and to fly here from the UK or US you would need to stop at least twice, but more likely three times before touching down in Arusha. The same applies to flights to Moshi. Moshi Airport (airport code QSI) is even smaller than Arusha and is also a domestic airport.

The best way to get to Kilimanjaro is to arrive into Kilimanjaro Airport, which is considerably larger than both neighbouring airports and receives direct international flights. Currently, there are no direct flights to Kilimanjaro from UK or US international airports, but it is easy to transit through hub cities in Europe and the nearby countries of Kenya, Ethiopia and Qatar.

The main hubs in Tanzania and neighbouring Kenya are listed below in order of distance from Kilimanjaro International Airport. It is possible to fly to all of these for your trip to climb Kilimanjaro, but domestic flights would be required to reach your destination, or overland transport. Whilst there is public and private transport available throughout East Africa, local options may not be the most reliable and could end up adding lengthy delays to your travel time. Trust us, when your much anticipated Kilimanjaro trek is looming you don’t want to get stuck navigating the buses out of Nairobi or Dar es Salaam!

Kilimanjaro - Moshi, Tanzania – 41km

Kilimanjaro - Arusha, Tanzania – 51km

Kilimanjaro - Nairobi, Kenya– 310km

Kilimanjaro - Mombasa, Kenya – 350km

Kilimanjaro - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – 589km

Probably the best and most reliable option for northern hemisphere trekkers is to fly direct to Kilimanjaro from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (airport code AMS) using KLM Airlines.

Departing Amsterdam each day at 10am, the flight to Kilimanjaro arrives into Kilimanjaro International Airport at around 8.30pm on the same day, giving you plenty of time to get to your hotel and get settled.

KLM is a great option for flights, you can find out more about flying to Tanzania with KLM here. Travellers from the UK can fly to Amsterdam directly from London, Manchester, Birmingham and other regional English airports, as well as from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dublin. Travellers from the US will be able to fly to Amsterdam direct from New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago and numerous other major US cities.

For all trekkers from the UK, Europe and the US, this flight is our recommended option as it is with a reliable airline, one of the quickest flight times with the lowest number of stops and when booked in advance can be very reasonably priced.

The other positive point in flying from Amsterdam is that KLM are very professional and reliable when it comes to any baggage or delay issues (plus Amsterdam is a super cool city!). It is worth noting that the return flight with KLM to Amsterdam is an evening flight and includes a short stop in Dar es Salaam.

Manchester Airport (MAN) – Amsterdam Schiphol – Kilimanjaro International Airport – approximately 12 hours

Birmingham Airport (BHX) – Amsterdam Schiphol – Kilimanjaro International Airport – approximately 11.5 hours

Los Angeles International (LAX) – Amsterdam Schiphol – Kilimanjaro International Airport – approximately 20 hours

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) – Amsterdam Schiphol – Kilimanjaro International Airport – approximately 19.5 hours

British Airways fly direct from London, UK to Nairobi, Kenya (airport code NBO). This flight can be fairly expensive though and you’d have to add another stop if you want to fly from Manchester to Kilimanjaro, or from other regional UK international airports outside of London. You can then take a 6 hour bus from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro which will need to include purchasing a Kenyan visa.

Connecting flights from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro are available but are not always direct and will come at an additional cost.

Like British Airways, both Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways offer indirect flights to Kilimanjaro Airport. Operating in most major airport hubs across Europe and the United States, both airlines fly direct to Nairobi in Kenya or Addis Ababa in Ethiopia (airport code ADD), and then connect to Kilimanjaro International Airport, usually with another stop in between. The downside here is the connecting times and the reliability of these airlines, which frequently report delays and lost/stolen baggage, can be a nightmare for trekkers on a schedule.

There is a direct flight from Hamad International Airport in Doha (airport code DOH) to Kilimanjaro Airport. This is not a bad idea for UK residents living near Manchester or London as the flight options to Doha are reasonably priced. This is a great option for trekkers from India, the Middle East or Eastern Europe, however, the layover times can be quite long.

Turkish Airlines offer a direct flight to Kilimanjaro from Istanbul International Airport (airport code IST). The flights are generally cheaper than others but sadly the arrival time into Kilimanjaro Airport is 2am with the returning flight leaving at 3am! Therefore, any money you save on the flight is likely to be spent on an extra night hotel in Moshi or Arusha unless you are planning on climbing Kilimanjaro in a sleep deprived haze of jet lag (not recommended).

Whilst there are no direct flights to Kilimanjaro from anywhere in Southern Africa, there are many airlines, including South African Airways, Emirates and Kenya Airways that fly direct to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania (airport code DAR), Addis Ababa in Ethiopia or Nairobi in Kenya from which you can take a connecting flight or two.

East African – based out of Nairobi, both from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) and smaller Wilson Airport (WIL). Direct flights to Kilimanjaro Airport take 1 hour.

Precision Air – based out of Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam (DAR). Flight time to Kilimanjaro from Dar es Salaam is 1hr20mins.

Air Kenya – based out of Wilson Airport (WIL) in Nairobi, Kenya, their flights to Kilimanjaro take approximately 1 hour.

Air Tanzania – based out of Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam (DAR), their flights to Kilimanjaro from here take around 1 hour.

Regional Air – the Tanzanian branch of Air Kenya based at Arusha Airport (ARK) offer a 15 minute flight to Kilimanjaro!!!

For an adventure before your adventure, fly into Nairobi, Kenya, relax the night at a local hotel, then take the 6 hour connecting bus to Arusha, crossing the border at Namanga. This option requires you to have a Kenyan tourist visa which can be purchased upon arrival at Nairobi Airport.

The bus leaves twice a day, one in the morning and once in the afternoon, and costs between US$25-30 which can be paid in cash when embarking the bus. You can either turn up and hope the bus is not full or pre-book online. This is the most direct overland route from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro and you’ll get to experience the stunning scenery as you travel, meet the locals and try some African cuisine when you stop along the route.

If you arrive late into Nairobi or you don’t fancy a bus ride, you can find a private transfer easily enough either from the airport or from any hotel in Nairobi. The private transfer will take you directly from your hotel in Nairobi to your hotel in Arusha/Moshi for somewhere between US$350 - 500 and takes just over 5 hours. There is an option on vehicle size and the time of day you wish to travel. Travelling at night is certainly an option for any trekkers in a hurry, however, the roads are notoriously bumpy and littered with potholes, therefore, driving at night is a risk and we would not recommend it.

The team at Kandoo Adventures highly recommend following your Kilimanjaro trek with an African wildlife safari as the perfect way to round off your Tanzanian adventure. Flying into and out of Kilimanjaro airport means you can catch a night flight after your Kandoo safari with KLM who operate evening departures via Amsterdam to many US and UK airports. Winner.

Speak to our travel experts if lying on an African beach soaking up the eclectic sights of Zanzibar is more your cup of tea. We’ll help you get there following your climb up Kilimanjaro and back again to help you make the most of your adventure with us.

For US citizens, you will also need to apply for a tourist via to enter Tanzania. This can be done in advance online and can take around 10 working days to process. We would urge you to apply with as much notice as possible to avoid potential delays to travel. As above, US travellers may be able to apply for a tourist visa on entry to Tanzania, but this might cause delays to onward travel.

We firmly believe that no trip to Tanzania is complete without discovering the incredible wildlife this region is home to and many of our travellers add a safari to their hike as the perfect way to wind down and rest after your exertions. Whether you want to spot big game in the Serengeti, explore the breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater or get up close and personal with gorillas in Rwanda, Kandoo offer both group and private safaris that take you into the heart of the East African wilderness offering unrivalled opportunities to experience the magic of this stunning paradise.

That's it folks! There are a number of great options for flights to Kilimanjaro and there are many more less direct ways to reach the mountain too. The most painless way is probably the KLM flight from Amsterdam, but no matter how frustrating your journey is, the roof of Africa makes up for it tenfold! Get in touch with our travel experts today to enquire about your Kilimanjaro trek and let us take you on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.