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Tanzania Fly-in Safaris
Fly-in safaris are a popular choice in Tanzania. A well-established travel industry ensures that logistics run very smoothly. This includes a large network of flights to and between safari destinations, so that most parks and reserves are now accessible by air as well as by road. In the past, flying into Tanzanian parks and reserves tended to be extremely expensive as this was only possible with chartered flights. More recently, the concept of scheduled safari flights has opened up fly-in Tanzanian safaris to more people. Aside from the obvious time-saving logistical advantages of a fly-in safari over a road safari, you’ll have the bonus of an aerial view of the park before landing.
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Best Seller
4-Day Endless Plains from Zanzibar to Serengeti
$2,265 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire NP, Zanzibar (End)
King Mufasa Expeditions
5.0/5 – 13 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Fly in Safari from Arusha
$1,760 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Safari Soles
5.0/5 – 274 Reviews
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3-Day Private Midrange Fly in Fly out Safari
$1,612 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Zanzibar (End)
Mountain Warriors Tours and Safaris
5.0/5 – 99 Reviews
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4-Day 3 Night Safari Bliss from Zanzibar to Nyerere NP
$1,078 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Nyerere NP, Zanzibar (End)
Plex Africa Safaris
5.0/5 – 29 Reviews
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Best Seller
6-Day Fly-in and Drive-out Luxury Safari
$4,070 to $4,400 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Highlands, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire NP, Arusha (End)
African Big Cats Safaris
5.0/5 – 382 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
9-Day Wildlife Paradise Journey
$3,666 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Central Serengeti NP, Serengeti NP, Northern Serengeti NP, Ndutu (Southern Serengeti NP), Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Natron, Arusha (End)
Paradise & Wilderness
4.9/5 – 158 Reviews
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4-Day Fly in & Fly out from Zanzibar to Northern Circuit
$2,234 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Zanzibar (End)
Kiboko Land Adventures
5.0/5 – 22 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
4-Day Fly in Zanzibar to Serengeti Premium Safari
$2,805 to $3,410 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Serengeti NP, Zanzibar (End)
Serengeti Wakanda Tours and Safaris
5.0/5 – 508 Reviews
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6-Day Private Luxury Safari plus Flights to Zanzibar
$3,797 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Highlands, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire NP, Zanzibar (End)
African Polecat Safaris
4.9/5 – 98 Reviews
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3-Day Serengeti Fly-in with Ngorongoro Crater
$1,513 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Central Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Serengeti Mystery Adventures
4.8/5 – 26 Reviews
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4-Day Fly-in Luxury Serengeti & Ngorongoro Safari
$4,502 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxury+Lodge
You Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Zanzibar (End)
Branded Africa Safaris
4.4/5 – 8 Reviews
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4-Day Exclusive Fly in Safari Experience
$2,200 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire NP, Zanzibar (End)
Go Makini Tanzania Expedition
5.0/5 – 25 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
4-Day Above and Beyond - Luxury
$2,640 to $3,090 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryTented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Serengeti NP, Arusha (End)
Unlimited Expeditions: The Soul of Tanzania
4.9/5 – 452 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
9-Day Harmony Tour, Serengeti, Zanzibar and Mafia Island
$3,586 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourBudgetLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Serengeti NP, Zanzibar (Tanzania Beaches), Mafia Island (Tanzania Beaches), Dar Es Salaam (End)
Colours Africa Tours and Safaris
5.0/5 – 163 Reviews
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3-Day Explore the Nature Fly in Luxury Serengeti
$2,145 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryTented Camp
You Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Serengeti NP, Central Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Lucas African Adventures
5.0/5 – 39 Reviews
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3-Day Wildlife to Beach Luxury Safari
$1,800 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Zanzibar (End)
Mellivora African Travels
4.9/5 – 36 Reviews
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5-Day Day Great Migration Fly in from Zanzibar
$2,503 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Northern Serengeti NP, Central Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Zanzibar (End)
kiliclimb Africa Safaris
5.0/5 – 41 Reviews
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4-Day Fly in Miracle Experience Migration Safari
$2,305 to $2,371 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire NP, Arusha (End)
Sopai African Safaris
5.0/5 – 31 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day 2 Nights Serengeti Last Minutes Offer
$3,300 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryTented Bush Camp
You Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Serengeti NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Tanzania Mwangaza Safari
4.9/5 – 298 Reviews
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3-Day Z'Bar Adventure to Ngorongoro, Tarangire & Manyara
$913 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)BudgetHotel
You Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Zanzibar (End)
Vision Safari & Tours
4.9/5 – 47 Reviews
5 Questions About Tanzania Fly-in Safaris
Answered by
Ariadne van Zandbergen
Ariadne is a renowned Africa expert. She and her husband write and update many Bradt guides together, including the ‘Tanzania’ guide. She first visited Tanzania 25 years ago, and returns to visit the parks and reserves every three to four years. She has visited most parks on both road and fly-in safaris.› More about Ariadne
5 Questions About Tanzania Fly-in Safaris
What are the pros and cons of a driver-guide vs fly-in safari in Tanzania?
“There are two ways to travel in the country. You can either book a safari where a driver-guide travels with you for the duration of your trip. He or she will drive you from park to park and will usually conduct the game drives as well. In this case the guide will be a constant throughout your holiday. You might have to cover big distances between parks, which can be tiresome, but you’ll get to see a lot of rural Tanzania, away from the tourist hot spots. Alternatively, you can opt for a Tanzanian fly-in safari where you travel from park to park by light aircraft. This will save you a lot of time as it cuts out many additional kilometers spent in the car, often on bumpy roads. When you fly between parks, you’ll be met at the airstrip by your local guide who will look after you for the duration of your stay at that particular destination. So, you’ll have a different guide in each place. These guides work on-site and tend to be more knowledgeable than the general guides based in the cities. On a fly-in safari, your game drives will be conducted in the lodge’s open-sided vehicles. These spacious, open cars are superior to the pop-up-roof 4x4s used for road safaris. It is also possible to combine both types of safari. You could, for instance, book a road safari to Serengeti National Park or Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve) with a fly-in extension to a more-remote part of the country, e.g. to see chimpanzee in Mahale Mountains National Park.”
1Is a fly-in safari much more expensive than a road safari?
“Flying from destination to destination is usually more expensive than a road safari in Tanzania. And while there are many advantages to a fly-in safari, many people booking a safari are budget-conscious. However, several local carriers now offer scheduled flights between parks. Furthermore, competition between different carriers flying to the popular parks has grown in recent years, bringing down the prices. Most importantly, there is usually no need for chartered flights. Since flying from park to park is essentially more time-productive, you can probably do a safari in fewer days compared to a similar road safari. Taking that into account, you might find a fly-in package doesn’t actually work out to be a lot more expensive than a road safari. Having said that, fly-in packages usually focus on the most exclusive and upmarket all-inclusive lodges, and these come at a premium price.”
2What are the luggage restrictions on a fly-in trip in Tanzania?
“Safari flights are mostly on small light aircraft, and strict luggage restrictions apply, usually 15kg/33lb per person. As the planes are quite small, they also ask you to use a soft bag, such as a duffel bag, which is easier to store in a confined space. As you will be allowed more on your international flight, you can either pack with these small aircraft restrictions in mind, or you can leave some luggage with your tour operator or hotel at your city of entry. To accommodate the luggage restrictions, most lodges will do same-day laundry and many luxury lodges even include it in their package. Luggage restrictions on safari flights can be problematic for keen photographers with large lenses and lots of other equipment. If in doubt, always check with your tour operator in advance. In extreme cases you might need to book an extra seat.”
3How reliable and safe are the small aircraft used for a fly-in safari in Tanzania?
“A fly-in safari and the light aircraft used in Tanzania are very safe. Tanzania has a well-established safari industry, and most of the local carriers have been operating for many years. Aside from having very strict safety regulations, they are generally very reliable too. Although several carriers offer scheduled flights to the popular parks and reserves, they do so in a flexible manner depending on bookings. The route will be scheduled, but stops at different airstrips are planned according to the bookings. That means that exact timings are usually announced the day before any given flight. The lodges are in direct contact with the airlines, and they inform their guests in ample time. They also organize transfers to and from the airstrips.”
4Are some parks or reserves in Tanzania more suitable to this type of safari?
“Most parks and reserves can be visited on a road or fly-in safari. Both tour options are popular in the Northern circuit (Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Parks). As the Ngorongoro Conservation Area lies en route to the Serengeti, a great option is to drive one way and fly back. This saves time and avoids having to drive the same route twice. The Southern circuit (Mikumi, Nyerere and Ruaha National Parks) is a bit more remote. Many visitors opt to fly-in, although a road trip is the budget-friendly option, especially if only visiting one reserve. The Western circuit is almost exclusively visited on fly-in safaris. It includes Katavi, Mahale Mountains and Gombe National Parks. Katavi is a typical savannah reserve with lion, elephant and so on, while Mahale and Gombe both offer the more-specialized attraction of chimp trekking on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Katavi and Mahale are usually visited together as they are connected by a convenient flight schedule. Katavi can theoretically be visited by road, but this is hardly ever done as it is so remote and difficult to reach. There are no access roads at all to Mahale and Gombe. Visitors usually come by flight, followed by a private boat transfer. The inaccessibility of the Western circuit makes it very exclusive. There is just a handful of small, mostly rustic lodges in these parks. Fly-in packages are expensive, but visitors get a special wild experience away from the crowds.”
5Tanzania Reviews
Sue is an award-winning writer who specializes in African travel and conservation. She writes for national newspapers, magazines, Rough Guides and Lonely Planet.
The perfect safari destination
With almost a quarter of this vast country dedicated to wildlife reserves and national parks, Tanzania is justifiably regarded as Africa’s premier safari destination. It’s one of my favourite countries, not just for the bush, beaches...
Brian is an award winning travel writer, author of safari books and regular contributor to magazines such as BBC Wildlife and Travel Africa.
Wilderness unlimited
Tanzania may be one of the world’s poorest countries but its national parks and game reserves are the crown jewels of Africa. First among equals is the Serengeti, probably the most famous wildlife refuge on the planet, a wilderness the...
Mt Meru Hike: An amazing and reasonably challenging experience
Visiting Tanzania and climbing Mt Meru was an amazing experience and one of the highlights of my summer. Our trek was booked through Travel Africa, and our guide, Emanuel and his crew of porters did a great job, and even did some quick on...
Amazing country . You’ll never forget
We will never forget the magical moments we experienced in Tanzania. We went on a 9-day safari, in the magnificent parks of Arusha, Serengueti, Ngoro Ngoro, to which we added lakes Natron and Eyase (with a visit to the Hatzabe tribe) and...
Breathtaking infinite landscapes
Exploring unforgettable national parks on safari and also Zanzibar wonders with my family has been a kaleidoscope of colorful emotions . I suggest to explore the infinity of Serengeti to experience the magic ferling to be alone you, the...
Stunning wildlife
We flew from Zanzibar to Tanzania and spent 2 days and 2 nights on a Safari in Tanzania. Fabulous experience in Ngoronguro Crater with our awsome guide, Joseph. He was a great driver and story teller, knew so much about widlife and nature,...