Kilimanjaro International Airport | Flights
If you choose to climb Kilimanjaro with us you will be required to purchase your
flights yourself and to send us details in order to confirm precise dates for your
climb, if you are not climbing on one of our scheduled climbs.
Booking the cheapest flights to Kilimanjaro
Some of the cheapest flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport (code: JRO) can
be obtained from Vayama or Expedia. However, these companies require a clear week
before the departure date to enable them to issue tickets, whether paper or e-tickets.
If you haven’t been able to allow enough time to find low cost flights to Kilimanjaro
you’ll need to buy directly from the airline.
Climbers should be aware that Expedia have been known to send travellers tickets
under wrong names and dates and that on one particular occasion when the traveller
requested to be sent replacements they were told that new tickets would not be issued
until the old tickets had been received by Expedia. The traveller was also told that
they must send the tickets back to Expedia by recorded delivery. The caller’s impression
from his contact with one particular Expedia operator (Darrheh Milligan, 12th August
2007) was that this scenario was not considered unusual or surprising to them. Please
bear this in mind where it is necessary to rely on having tickets issued correctly
within two weeks of your departure date.
Busy times of year such as July, August and December will make it harder to find
affordable flights to Kilimanjaro. If you don’t want to gamble it’s a good idea to
purchase your flight several months ahead of departure.
While KLM are generally reliable we have met with one instance of poor child-handling
procedures and we encounter frequent problems with baggage being put onto the wrong
connection. When flying you are therefore advised to wear your trekking boots as
these are the hardest kit items to improvise at short notice if you need to begin
your climb while you wait for your bag to catch up with you. If baggage does go missing
you will have to accept the likelihood that you will have to climb without your own
things as the handler at JRO, Swissport, can often be uncooperative. Please take
this into account when deciding how to pack your hand and hold luggage. Also bear
in mind that airports will often require you to remove your boots for examination
when passing through security areas.
Getting to Kilimanjaro using flights within East Africa
If flying into Nairobi or Dar es Salaam as opposed to Kilimanjaro International Airport,
or if wishing to visit Zanzibar after climbing Kilimanjaro or going on safari with
us, you may wish to obtain onward flights within East Africa. While Team Kilimanjaro
are not air traffic organisers and therefore cannot actually sell flights to you,
we can often reserve seats on suitable routes on your behalf for up to 24 hours,
during which time you will have the opportunity to secure these flights yourself
by submitting your credit or debit card details direct to Alternative Airlines. Please
let us know via our booking form or by email if this facility will be helpful to
you and we will supply you with the necessary details.
Getting to Kilimanjaro by bus from Nairobi
If unable to find affordable flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport an alternative
is that you fly to Nairobi, spend the night at a hotel there and transfer to Arusha
via a six hour bus journey, crossing the border at Namanga. You’ll need a Kenyan
tourist visa for this option which you can purchase at Nairobi airport when you arrive.
A reliable and centrally situated hotel that is very conveniently located for pickup
by the Shuttle Bus service to Arusha is the Comfort Hotel with whom you are encouraged
to book directly.
If you wish to take the Shuttle Bus from Nairobi to Arusha you can either book and
pre-pay for this via their website: www.riverside-shuttle.com or else request Team
Kilimanjaro to book this on your behalf, if happy to commit yourself to an exact
departure time. If you wish us to do this you will need to specify whether you wish
to use the morning (0730) or afternoon (1330) Nairobi departure and you will need
to have ready the (variable) fare of USD 25-35 per person in cash on boarding the
bus.
Private vehicle transfers to Kilimanjaro from Nairobi
If you’re arriving into Nairobi too late in the day to catch the Shuttle Bus departures
to Arusha, and you don’t want tom lose time spending a night in Nairobi, another
option is to use a private vehicle transfer from Nairobi Airport to your hotel in
Arusha. This option usually takes a little over four hours and costs between USD
350 and USD 500, depending on availability, the size of the vehicle requested, and
the time of day you wish to travel. Travelling at night is possible in the case of
climbers who are very pressed for time, however the roads are not very well serviced
between Nairobi and Arusha, and in places there are potholes which, in our view,
makes this option riskier than most would be happy with.
Team Kilimanjaro are able to arrange private vehicle transfers on climbers’ behalves,
by subcontracting Kenyan transit operators.
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