Best Ways to Reach Serengeti National Park.
How to Get to Serengeti National Park: Serengeti National Park sits in the remote northern interior of Tanzania, and yet it is considerably easier to reach than its wilderness status might suggest. Getting to Serengeti National Park is easier than most imagine. Most journeys begin at Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha, two major gateways into this renowned Tanzanian national park.
From there, visitors can travel by road through scenic landscapes or take a quick domestic flight to one of the Serengeti’s airstrips. Whether arriving by air from Europe, the United States, or the Middle East, or connecting from another Tanzania safari destination, the routes into the Serengeti are well established, well serviced, and straightforward to navigate with the right preparation.
International Arrival: Airports and Entry Points
Kilimanjaro International Airport
The recommended point of entry to Serengeti National Park is Kilimanjaro International Airport, located between the towns of Moshi and Arusha. This airport is about 320 kilometres from the southern entrance of Serengeti National Park. There are several international flight companies to choose from, including KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, operating daily flights, and Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines, operating several times per week. Kilimanjaro International Airport also has daily connections with Nairobi, offering more international flight possibilities.
Kilimanjaro International Airport is the primary and most practical international gateway for Serengeti visitors. From the airport, visitors connect onward to the Serengeti by either domestic charter flight from Arusha Airport, approximately 45 minutes to one hour from the terminal or by road safari vehicle for an overland transfer.
Julius Nyerere International Airport
Airlines such as British Airways, Emirates, and others fly into Tanzania’s capital, Dar es Salaam. Arriving at Dar es Salaam may require an additional overnight stay and a domestic flight on a small regional airline, which has luggage restrictions. Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam is Tanzania’s largest airport and serves as an alternative international entry point, most commonly used by visitors combining a Tanzania mainland safari with a Zanzibar beach extension. Connecting domestic flights from Dar es Salaam to Serengeti airstrips take approximately two to three hours, depending on the route and stops.
Getting There by Air: Domestic Flights and Charters
Arusha Airport to the Serengeti
The favoured route for a Serengeti fly-in safari is by flying from Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport. From here, it will take approximately one to five hours to fly to one of seven airstrips within Serengeti National Park. All flights are operated by local airlines such as Grumeti Air or Coastal Aviation.
Domestic flights to Serengeti can be booked with several local carriers: Coastal Aviation, which offers daily flights from Arusha, Dar es Salaam, and Zanzibar; Auric Air, which offers flights from Arusha, Dar es Salaam, and other Tanzania destinations; Regional Air, which offers flights from Arusha and other destinations; and Safari Air Link, which offers flights from Arusha, Zanzibar, and other Tanzania destinations.
Flying is the most time-efficient method of reaching the Serengeti from Arusha, reducing a six-to eight-hour road journey to approximately 45 minutes to one hour in the air. Flights to Serengeti National Park operate throughout the year, meaning you can visit the park even during the wet season without worrying about poor road conditions.
Internal Airstrips Within the Park
There are airstrips throughout the park, allowing visitors to fly within easy reach of whichever camp or lodge they have booked. Kusini and Ndutu airstrips are located in the south; Seronera airstrip is in the centre; Lobo, Klein’s, and Kogatende serve the north; and Grumeti and Sasakwa airstrips serve the western corridor.
In Serengeti National Park and the surrounding game reserves, there are close to a dozen airstrips dispersed throughout the reserve in order to service lodges and camps in close proximity to them, thereby reducing transfer time from the airstrip to the lodge. Propeller planes with seating capacities ranging from 40 seats for DeHavilland Dash aircraft to 13 seats for Cessna Caravans are used for flights to the Serengeti. There is a combined weight limit of 15 kilograms for carry-on and checked luggage per passenger.
Getting There by Road
Driving from Arusha
The road from Arusha to Serengeti via Naabi Hill Gate is completely paved. The distance is approximately 225 to 275 kilometres, depending on which gate is used. Travel time is six to seven hours for most eastern park entry gates, such as Naabi Hill and Ndabaka Gate.
Road safaris from Arusha typically incorporate an overnight stop at Lake Manyara or Tarangire National Park en route, making the drive a productive component of the broader Northern Circuit itinerary rather than a transit exercise.
Driving via Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Coming from the Ngorongoro Crater, the distance to the Seronera area in the Serengeti is about 140 kilometres, and the driving time is around three hours. A popular option is to fly one way and drive the other, taking in an overnight stop to visit the Ngorongoro Crater. The Ngorongoro to Serengeti road passes through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a fee-paying zone and traverses the Ngorongoro Highlands before descending to the Naabi Hill Gate and the Serengeti plains. This route is one of the most scenic approaches to any national park in East Africa.
Road Conditions and Travel Time
A 4×4 safari vehicle is required for comfortable year-round access across all road circuits within the park. Petrol is sold at Seronera in the central Serengeti. Fill up before entering the park if approaching from the western or northern boundaries, where fuel is less readily available.
Roads within the park are unpaved and can become challenging during the long rains from March to May. The main access road to Naabi Hill Gate from Ngorongoro is fully paved and passable year-round in standard 4×4 vehicles.
Using a Safari Operator for Transfers
The large majority of Serengeti safari visitors arrive as part of organised safari packages, transferred from Arusha or a preceding park destination in private 4×4 safari vehicles or by charter flight. This is the most practical and commonly used format for Tanzania safari visitors of all experience levels.
Certain exclusive lodges possess their own airstrips and can facilitate direct scheduled or private charter flights from Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport directly to their airstrip. Booking transfers through a licensed Tanzania tour operator eliminates the need to independently arrange vehicles, permits, fuel, and luggage logistics, all of which are managed as part of the package.
Entry Gates: Which Gate to Use
Serengeti National Park has several entry gates well distributed at the most convenient and popular access points. Entry timing is 06:00 and exit timing is 18:00, after which the gates are closed. The principal gates and their uses are:
- Naabi Hill Gate: the main and busiest gate; primary access point from Ngorongoro and Arusha; located approximately 45 kilometres from Seronera; houses TANAPA and NCAA administrative offices, a coffee shop, and a souvenir shop
- Ndabaka Gate: western boundary gate; primary access from Mwanza; approximately 145 kilometres from Seronera, taking two to three hours from Mwanza city by Lake Victoria
- Fort Ikoma Gate: northwestern boundary gate; serves the western corridor zone; Seronera is approximately one hour from this gate; payments are made electronically by internationally accepted credit cards
- Klein’s Gate: northeastern boundary gate; primarily used by travellers from the Loliondo game area and northern approaches; last entry is 16:00
- Handajega Gate: southwestern boundary gate adjacent to Kirawira airfield; accessible by both road and air
- Bologonya Gate: northern boundary gate en route to or from Kenya; currently closed and unlikely to open soon
Proof of identification is mandatory for all visitors at the entry gate. Park fees can only be paid by Mastercard, Visa, or TANAPA smart card; cash and other cards are not accepted. Travel
Tips for Arrival
The following practical guidance ensures a smooth arrival at the Serengeti:
- Arrange all park permits and entry fees in advance via the TANAPA eCitizen portal, where possible, gate processing is faster with prepaid permits
- Notify your bank of Tanzania travel dates before departure to prevent credit card blocks at gate payment terminals
- When flying, you do not enter the park through the main gates; your tour operator must arrange all required permits in advance. Work closely with your operator to ensure all park entry fees are paid before your flight arrives
- Pack all luggage in soft-sided duffel bags within the 15-kilogram light aircraft weight limit; hard shell cases are not accepted on domestic charter flights
- Depart Arusha by 07:00 for road transfers targeting a Naabi Gate arrival before midday, which allows an afternoon game drive on the day of arrival
- Carry a credit card specifically designated for park fee payments and emergency purchases in the field; ATMs are not available inside the park
Conclusion: Planning Your Journey to the Serengeti
Getting to Serengeti National Park is straightforward with the right planning. Each path has its unique appeal; the most important thing is to get there prepared to discover the ageless beauty and wildlife of the Serengeti. Those who are short of time may find the domestic charter flight from Arusha to be the quickest and most pleasant way of arriving, not only by shrinking the seven-hour travel by road to less than one hour but also by landing directly next to the lodge. For those on a Northern Circuit road safari, the overland path through Lake Manyara, Tarangire and Ngorongoro will make the trip a part of the safari itself, as wildlife sightings would be by the Naabi Hill Gate. Whichever the case, the Serengeti is still there. Either way, the Serengeti awaits.
For guided Serengeti safari packages with all transfers, permits, and logistics managed on your behalf, consult a licensed Tanzania tour operator with specialist expertise in the Northern Circuit.
