Getting to Tanzania from The USA: Flights, Visas and Trip Planning

Reaching Tanzania from the United States takes real travel time. No direct flights exist, so most Americans connect through Amsterdam, Doha, Dubai or Addis Ababa and then land at Kilimanjaro International Airport. However you route it, expect a long day of travel, generally 18 to 22 hours door to door. US passport holders can typically either apply for a Tanzania e-Visa online beforehand or get a visa on arrival. We'd apply ahead, since it spares you the arrival queue at the end of an already long journey. Because Tanzania is so far from anywhere in the US, we usually steer American travelers toward a longer trip; 9 nights or more makes much better use of the two travel days at either end than a shorter safari does. The added time also makes it realistic to pair a Northern Circuit safari with a Kilimanjaro climb or a few days on Zanzibar's beaches, instead of cramming everything into a hurried week. Our Tanzania visa guide walks through the application process, or get in touch and we'll help you time your flights around your safari.