Arriving for a safari: Nairobi, Arusha and Entebbe

Which airport should you fly into?

Fly into the gateway nearest the start of your route. For Kenya, that is Nairobi, where Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Wilson Airport both serve the city. For northern Tanzania, it is Kilimanjaro International Airport, which describes itself as the main gateway connecting the northern tourism circuit to the world. Southern Tanzania is reached from Dar es Salaam, and Uganda from Entebbe.

Nairobi: a safari town

Nairobi rewards a spare day. Nairobi National Park, Kenya’s first national park, lies about ten kilometres from the city centre, with lions and rhinos on plains backed by skyscrapers; the Giraffe Centre has bred Rothschild giraffes since 1979; and the Karen Blixen Museum, run by the National Museums of Kenya, sits at the foot of the Ngong Hills. Flights from Jomo Kenyatta and Wilson airports also reach Kisumu, for western Kenya.

Arusha and Kilimanjaro

Tanzania National Parks calls Arusha the most common starting point for the Serengeti, with regular flights to Seronera airstrip. Arusha National Park is on the city’s doorstep, with forest, the Momella lakes and Mount Meru, and it makes a gentle first or last stop. Kilimanjaro climbers arrive through Kilimanjaro International or Arusha airports, with transfers from Moshi or Arusha to the mountain’s gates.

Dar es Salaam and the south

Southern Tanzania is reached from Dar es Salaam rather than Arusha. Mikumi lies on the A7 highway via Morogoro; Nyerere is reached by road through Kibiti and Utete, with scheduled and charter flights to airstrips such as Mtemere and Kiba; and Ruaha, west of Iringa, has daily scheduled and charter flights to its Msembe and Jongomero airstrips. Distances in the south are long, so flying between parks is worth asking about, especially if your time is short or you are travelling in the rains.

Entebbe and the roads west

Uganda journeys begin at Entebbe International Airport. The Uganda Wildlife Authority describes daily scheduled flights from Entebbe to Kisoro and Kihihi airstrips for Bwindi, flights to airstrips near Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls, and flights between parks arranged by tour operators from Entebbe. By road, its tariff lists distances from Kampala of about 305 kilometres to Murchison Falls, 389 to Queen Elizabeth and 512 to Bwindi, so plan your first day around the distance to your first park.

Documents to have ready

• Kenya: an approved eTA before you travel, unless exempt, and a passport with at least six months’ validity and a blank page (the eTA portal says one, the UK’s travel advice two). Since 5 October 2026 most visitors also need Kenya’s Inbound Travel Health Insurance, bought on eCitizen with the eTA or on its own. The eTA portal says an eTA is not the final authority to enter: admissibility is decided at the point of entry.
• Tanzania: a visa applied for only through the official website, a passport with at least six months’ validity and an unused visa page, and a return ticket to show on arrival; since 1 October 2026, also Tanzanian government inbound travel insurance for your first point of entry. A visa grant notice is not the final authority to enter either.
• Uganda: a tourist visa applied for online, with a passport valid for at least six months.

Making the first and last days count

• Arrive the day before a long first drive or flight to a park, so a delayed connection does not cost you a safari day, and you start the safari rested rather than straight off an overnight flight.
• Ask whether airport transfers are included, who will meet you and where, and what to do if your flight is late.
• Keep essentials in your hand luggage: documents, medication, a change of clothes and a charged phone, in case checked bags are delayed.
• Leave space on the last day before an international flight; ask us how much time to allow from the last park to the airport.

A spare day at either end is rarely wasted. In Nairobi it can be a morning game drive in the national park or a visit to the Giraffe Centre; in Arusha, a walk in Arusha National Park; in Entebbe, a quiet day by Lake Victoria before the long drive west. Ask us which of our day tours fit around your flights, and leave the busiest sightseeing for days when you are not catching a plane.