How to get to Tanzania

By | May 4, 2022

Overview

Tanzania is a country in Africa according to physicscat. If you close your eyes and imagine Africa, you will see herds of wildebeest roaming the savannah, snow-capped Kilimanjaro, proud Maasai warriors and exotic beaches along Zanzibar’s Spice Route. In Tanzania all this is reality. Humble Tanzania is where the myth of Africa originated. Huge herds of wildlife roam freely in sprawling national parks, fishermen in traditional wooden boats go to work in the turquoise waters off the coast, and pristine beaches await sun-seeking visitors. It is also significant for tourism that Tanzania is affected by conflicts, that other African nations have to contend with has been largely spared. Tanzania offers tourists the most impressive national parks and game reserves in all of Africa. The Serengeti National Park offers up-close wildlife encounters like nowhere else on this vast continent, and the Selous Game Reserve is larger than Switzerland. The majestic, snow-capped Kilimanjaro, at 5,895 m Africa’s highest mountain, can be climbed in about a week – probably the greatest sporting challenge on the continent.

Getting there

Arriving by plane

Tanzania’s national airline is called Air Tanzania (TC). Turkish Airlines (TK) flies from Frankfurt/M., Vienna and Zurich to Dar es Salaam via Istanbul. Ethiopian Airlines (ET) connects Frankfurt/M. and Vienna via Addis Ababa with Dar es Salaam (the tickets are also offered by Lufthansa (LH) from Frankfurt/M. and by Austrian Airlines (OS) from Vienna); Feeder flights from Zurich to Frankfurt/M. are possible with Lufthansa (LH) and Swiss (LX). Qatar Airways (QR) flies from Frankfurt/M. and from Vienna via Doha to Dar es Salaam. Swiss International (LX) regularly connects Zurich non-stop with Dar es Salaam. Edelweiss (WK) flies from Zurich to Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. Other airlines that fly direct to Tanzania include KLM (KL) from Amsterdam and Emirates (EK) from Dubai. Eurowings Discover (4Y) flies from Frankfurt/M. to Kilimanjaro Airport.

Flight times

Frankfurt/M. – Dar es Salaam: 13 hrs; Vienna – Dar es Salaam: 12 hours 30 minutes; Zurich – Dar es Salaam: 10 hours 55 minutes (non-stop).

Departure fee

None.

Arrival by car

Good, tarred roads connect Tanzania with Zambia and Kenya. From Lusaka (Zambia) the paved Great North Road leads directly to Dar es Salaam. From Nairobi (Kenya) the border crossing at Namanga is most frequently used to get to Arusha. Road connections from Rwanda and Mozambique to Tanzania are extremely poor. Travelers coming from Malawi use the Songwe Bridge, southeast of Mbeya, to Tanzania. Travelers from Uganda drive to Tanzania via Mutukula, northwest of Bukoba. Long-distance bus: There are regular bus services between Nairobi (Kenya) and Arusha (Tanzania), and daily buses run between Mombasa (Kenya) and Dar es Salaam. Buses connect Lilongwe (Malawi) with Dar es Salaam several times a week, serving the Lilongwe – Mzuzu (Malawi) – Mbeya (Tanzania) route. There are also bus connections between Kampala (Uganda) and Dar es Salaam. Tolls: The roads in Tanzania are not subject to tolls. Documents: In addition to the national driver’s license, the international driver’s license is required.

Arrival by train

Trains operated by the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) run twice a week between Kapiri Mposhi (Zambia) and Dar es Salaam (journey time: approx. 50 hours). It is advisable to book 1st class as the trains are usually overcrowded. The Tanzanian cities of Kigoma and Mwanza, which are connected to the country’s rail network, can be reached by boat from Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda. The main railway line for international traffic from Zambia, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo runs 1,254 km from the shores of Lake Tanganyika to Dar es Salaam. The luxury train from Rovos Rail crosses the countries of Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia between Cape Town (South Africa) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania).

Arrival by ship

Dar es Salaam is the country’s main port, which is mainly used by merchant ships. For passengers, the Zanzibar Ferry departs from here.

Ferry provider

Azam Marine operates ferries between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar several times a day. Ferry services between Mpulungu (Zambia) and Kogoma are offered on Lake Tanganyika.

How to get to Tanzania