Tanzania Fly-In Safaris

What Is a Tanzania Fly-In Safari?

A fly-in safari uses small charter aircraft (typically 4 to 12 seats, single or twin-engine) to travel between safari destinations instead of road vehicles. The aircraft land on grass or gravel airstrips inside or immediately adjacent to the national parks. From the airstrip, a waiting safari vehicle takes you directly to your camp — the game drive begins from the moment of arrival, not after a long transfer.

Fly-in safaris are the standard format for Tanzania's southern parks (Nyerere, Ruaha, Katavi) which have no practical overland access from Arusha or Dar es Salaam. For the northern parks (Serengeti, Ngorongoro), fly-in is an upgrade option that saves significant road time and opens access to the more remote sections of the park — the northern Serengeti in particular is 3 to 4 hours by road from the nearest gate, making the 25-minute flight from Seronera to Kogatende airstrip the only sensible option for Mara River safari guests.

Tanzania Fly-In Safari Destinations

Serengeti National Park — multiple airstrips, each section accessible

The Serengeti has airstrips throughout the park: Seronera (central), Kogatende (northern, closest to the Mara River), Lobo (northeast), Grumeti (western) and several seasonal strips near Ndutu in the south. A fly-in safari that moves between Serengeti sections — landing at Seronera for central game drives and flying to Kogatende for the Mara River crossings — covers more wildlife ground in fewer days than any road-based alternative.

Nyerere National Park (Selous) — fly-in only for most camps

The majority of Nyerere's remote wilderness camps are only accessible by charter aircraft. The park's size (50,000 sq km) and the condition of internal tracks make flying the only practical option for moving between camp zones. Charter flights operate from Dar es Salaam (30 min), Zanzibar (45 min) and Arusha (1.5 hrs). Nyerere's Rufiji River boat safari, walking safaris and night drives are the activities that most safari travellers specifically fly in for.

Ruaha National Park — Tanzania's wild interior

Ruaha is 130 km from the nearest town (Iringa) on rough roads — a charter flight from Dar es Salaam (1 hr) or from the Serengeti (1.5 hrs) is the standard access route for fly-in safari guests. Ruaha's camps are among the most remote in East Africa, positioned in private bush with exclusive game drive areas. Wild dog, greater kudu, sable antelope and lion in a landscape that most Tanzania safari travellers never reach.

Katavi National Park — the most remote, most rewarding

Katavi in western Tanzania is one of Africa's last truly wild safari destinations. The hippo pools of the Katuma River — hundreds of hippo crammed into shrinking water pools during the dry season, with crocodile and lion competing for space on the banks — are unlike anything in the rest of Tanzania. The park is only accessible by charter aircraft (1.5 hrs from Arusha or from Ruaha). Fewer than 2,000 visitors per year, no other vehicles on your game drive, an experience that the Serengeti cannot offer.

Mahale Mountains and Gombe — chimpanzee trekking by charter

The chimpanzee trekking parks on the shores of Lake Tanganyika — Mahale Mountains and Gombe — have no road access from Arusha. Charter aircraft fly to Mahale airstrip (2 hrs from Arusha) or to Kigoma town (access point for Gombe). These are the most remote and extraordinary safari destinations in Tanzania, accessible only by fly-in.

Multi-Destination Fly-In Safari Circuits

The greatest advantage of a fly-in safari is the ability to combine northern and southern Tanzania parks in a single trip. A road-based safari cannot visit both Serengeti and Nyerere without multiple days of transit driving. By air, the same itinerary takes one hour between destinations.

Popular fly-in circuits:

North and south combination — 3 nights Serengeti (fly-in), 2 nights Nyerere (fly-in from Serengeti via Arusha or Dar), return to Zanzibar or Dar. Covers the Migration, the Rufiji River boat safari and two completely different Tanzania ecosystems in 7 to 10 days.

Southern circuit — 3 nights Nyerere, 3 nights Ruaha