For climbers looking to get into Tanzania for Mount Kilimanjaro climbing, we recommend that you fly to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) located in between Arusha City and Moshi Town the nearest town to Mount Kilimanjaro.
From the Airport to your hotel
It is easier to choose a stay at Moshi Town, a day before your climb as Moshi is the nearest town to Mount Kilimanjaro.
Some climbers choose to stay in Arusha, which is a little bit further from Mount Kilimanjaro
The distance between Kilimanjaro International Airport to Moshi Town is about 40.7 km and 48 minutes drive away.
The distance from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Arusha City is 3km about a 1 h 11 min drive away.
From your hotel to Mount Kilimanjaro.
Since your starting point for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro will vary depending on the route that you choose, you will be picked from your hotel to the main starting gate of your route.
The distance between Moshi Town and Mount Kilimanjaro is about 31.7 km or 56 min drive away
The distance from Arusha town to Mount Kilimanjaro is about 86.2km or 1 h 48 min drive away.
You can also choose to fly into other airports near Kilimanjaro like the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) in Dar es Salaam or the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.
Flights from the U.K usually depart in the early morning hours, make a quick stopover at Amsterdam’s Luchthaven Schiphol, then land at Kilimanjaro International Airport in the late evenings.
All of our climbing tours start from Moshi Town in the Kilimanjaro Region. Moshi is the nearest town to the mountain and is located at the foot slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro at an altitude of about 100meters above sea level. We can arrange pickup/ airport transfers from the Airport to your hotel as part of your tour.
Hotels during the peak season tend to be full to capacity, it is advisable to book your climb early to avoid the last-minute rush.
As stated earlier, even though we strongly recommend that our clients fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport near Moshi and Arusha, it is, however, possible to get to Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro by flying into Nairobi or Dar es Salaam. Nairobi may be in Kenya but it is still nearer to Mount Kilimanjaro than Dar es Salaam is.
The distance from Nairobi, Kenya to Moshi, Kilimanjaro is about 328.8 km and it would take you about a 6 h drive.
The distance from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to Moshi, Kilimanjaro is approximately 541.2 km and it will take you at least 8-9 hours driving.
Getting to Kilimanjaro from Nairobi, Kenya
Coming from the U.K you can opt for Kenya Airways or British Airways flights that regularly fly from various airports like Heathrow, London in the United Kingdom to Nairobi, Kenya.
From Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya to your Moshi hotel
There are two ways of getting into Kilimanjaro from Nairobi. The first option is you can choose to fly from the Jomo Kenyatta airport in Nairobi, to Kilimanjaro International Airport by booking a flight using local carriers like Precision Air, Air Kenya, Air Tanzania or Ethiopian Airways.
The second option is choosing to travel by road from Nairobi to Moshi as there are many shuttle services at the airport. We can also offer to pick you up using our private form of transport from Nairobi, Kenya to Moshi in Tanzania for your Mount Kilimanjaro climb.
Getting to Kilimanjaro from Dar es Salaam
The most popular and frequent flights that jet into Dar es Salaam’s and Tanzania’s largest Airport include Turkish Airlines, Air Emirates and Qatar Airlines that fly regularly into Julius Nyerere International Airport (JRO).
Getting to Kilimanjaro from Zanzibar
From Zanzibar to Kilimanjaro is easier done by booking a flight from Zanzibar’s main airport, the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport. There are various flights that fly from Zanzibar including international flights and Charter flights like Air Excel, Coastal Air, Regional Air and even Precision Air among others. Vayama operates great flights across the East African countries, namely, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and the island of Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam’s Airport – JRO.
Zanzibar being an exotic destination with pristine beaches on its coastline bordering the Indian Ocean offers the best Kilimanjaro add-on as you get the chance to relax after your Mount Kilimanjaro Challenge. Tranquil offers amazing combined, Kilimanjaro climbs and Zanzibar packages.
International Flights to Kilimanjaro
Below are some of the International flights from various parts of the world that will get you to Tanzania for your Mount Kilimanjaro trek.
The following airlines fly directly to Kilimanjaro airport:
KLM
Direct flights from Amsterdam, the Netherlands to Kilimanjaro airport
Condor
Direct flights from Frankfurt, Germany to Kilimanjaro airport
Turkish Airlines
Direct flights from Istanbul, Turkey to Kilimanjaro airport
Kenya Airways
Direct flights from Nairobi, Kenya to Kilimanjaro airport
Precision Air
Direct flights from Nairobi, Kenya to Kilimanjaro airport
Qatar Airlines
Direct flights from Doha, Qatar to Kilimanjaro airport
Ethiopian Airlines
Direct flights from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Kilimanjaro airport
RwandAir
Direct flights from Kigali, Rwanda to Kilimanjaro airport
Many climbers choose to fly to Kenya because of the competitive prices they get for flying to Nairobi than any airport in Tanzania because the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi is busier and receives a high amount of air traffic. Mount Kilimanjaro is closer to Nairobi than it is from Dar es Salaam and it can be even seen from the Kenyan side of the Amboseli National Park.
Domestic flights within Tanzania
The following local airlines and charter flights offer domestic air transport and flights within Tanzania Airports and airstrips:
Precision Air
Auric Air
Regional Air
Zan Air
Coastal Air Aviation
Air Excel
Flight Link
Air Tanzania
Shuttle & Bus transfers to Kilimanjaro, Moshi/Arusha
For an extra charge, we can pick you up from the airport of your arrival be it Moshi, Arusha or Nairobi and vice versa. There are Shuttle transfer services at the airports of your choice in Nairobi, Arusha and Moshi.
Departure and Arrival points for busses to and fro Nairobi are usually at the Parkside Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. As for tranquil Kilimanjaro clients, we can arrange for you to be picked at your Nairobi Hotel in the city centre or in the vicinity. The same applies for bus transfers in Arusha or Moshi town with pickups being at your hotel near or at the city centre.
Bus schedule (subject to change)
Routing
Schedule
Departing
Arriving
Nairobi to Arusha
Daily
08:00
14:00
Nairobi to Arusha
Daily
14:00
18:30
Nairobi to Moshi
Daily
08:00
15:30
Moshi to Nairobi
Daily
06:00
14:00
Arusha to Nairobi
Daily
08:00
14:00
Moshi to Nairobi
Daily
10:30
18:30
Arusha to Nairobi
Daily
14:00
18:30
Private transfers
We can arrange private transfers, pickups and drop-offs to and from Arusha, Moshi, Nairobi, Dar Es Salaam or Mombasa at an extra cost.
Frequently asked questions
Getting to Kilimanjaro
Since all our climbs begin from Moshi Town in Tanzania which also happens to be the closest town to Mount Kilimanjaro itself you will need to get to Tanzania first by flying to the closest airport to Moshi Town which is the Kilimanjaro International Airport.
The other ways to get to Kilimanjaro is by either flying to Nairobi, Kenya then travelling to Tanzania or flying to Dar es Salaam then travelling again to Moshi. Whichever you will need to first get to Moshi at least a day before you begin your climb meaning if you cannot get into Kilimanjaro International Airport from a direct flight, you choose the first fly to either Nairobi or Dar es Salaam then choose the most appropriate way to get to Moshi, either by choosing to fly or travel by road.
The following airlines fly directly to Kilimanjaro airport:
