How to get to Arusha National Park
How to get to Arusha National Park : Arusha National Park is a small park (552 km2) in Tanzania, yet it has its own charm that visitors will appreciate and enjoy after visiting this park. It boasts a diversified landscape and abundant wild animals within its bounds. There’s lots to see here, from the craggy heights of Mount Meru to the marshy depths of the Ngurdoto Crater, where warthogs wallow, to monkey-infested montane forest and rolling grassy slopes where giraffe and zebra graze.
Arusha National Park is located in the Africa-East Africa-Tanzania country and is only a 45-minute drive from Arusha city, the beginning point for any safari in northern Tanzania. It’s also 58 kilometers from Moshi in the Kilimanjaro region, and 35 kilometers from Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), which serves Tanzania’s major national parks like the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, and Tarangire. Arusha National Park is an easily accessible national park in Tanzania, unlike other parks such as Gombe National Park and others that are located in rural areas. This is due to the park’s proximity to Tanzania’s third-largest and most well-known city, Arusha.
Tanzania, which is home to Arusha National Park, has three international airports, two of which are viable options for getting to or accessing the park from outside Tanzania. The Abeid Aman Karume international airport on Zanzibar Island, the Julius Nyerere international airport in Tanzania’s largest city of Dar es Salaam, and the Kilimanjaro international airport in Tanzania’s northern part between and near Moshi and Arusha city. Between all of Tanzania’s international airports, Kilimanjaro International Airport is the best and simplest option for flying into when visiting Arusha National Park, as it is only a few kilometers and about 30 minutes away from this park. Don’t forget, Arusha national park can be accessed by both air and road transport.
Air transport
It is straightforward and quick to visit the park after landing at one of Tanzania’s international airports, such as Abeid Aman Karume international airport, Julius Nyerere international airport, or Kilimanjaro international airport. Both Abeid Aman Karume international airport in Zanzibar, Tanzania and Julius Nyerere international airport in Dar es Salaam are about 400 kilometers from Arusha National Park, and it takes about 30 minutes to get there by domestic flight, whereas Kilimanjaro international airport is only 46 kilometers away and it takes only a few minutes to get there.
Tanzania has daily domestic flights from several Tanzanian regions/parts to Arusha, which is only a few kilometers from the national park. So, after you arrive at these airports (Abeid Amani Karume international airport and Julius Nyerere international airport), you may easily reach Arusha National Park by boarding one of the domestic flights available 24 hours a day. Air Tanzania, Precision Air, Regional Air, ZanAir, Safari Air Link, Coastal Aviation, Air Excel, and others are among the domestic flights that travel to Arusha, near the Arusha National Park. Then, after arriving at one of the adjacent airports to the Park, such as the Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport, the park can be easily accessed by a 30 minute drive from those airports.
By road transport.
Road travel is another good option for travelling to the Park, but it takes longer than flying. It is simple to get to the park after arriving at one of Tanzania’s international airports, such as Abeid aman Karume, Julius Nyerere, or Kilimanjaro International Airport. There are regular buses that depart and arrive in Arusha from all parts of Tanzania. From Zanzibar’s Abeid Ahmed Karume international airport, take a ferry or domestic aircraft to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city. After landing in Dar es Salaam, many buses depart from the city’s major bus terminal, Ubungo, towards Arusha and other parts of Tanzania to thrill while on Tanzania Safaris, including Mwanza and Tanga. So you must reserve your bus and purchase an Arusha ticket, which costs around 30,000 Tanzanian shillings and takes approximately 8 to 9 hours to reach from Dar es Salaam. Remember that all buses leave the bus station at 6:00 a.m. to begin their journey.
If there are no international flights from your country to one of Tanzania’s international airports (Abeid aman Karume international airport, Julius Nyerere international airport, or Kilimanjaro international airport), the best option is to fly to one of Tanzania’s neighboring countries, such as Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta international airport or Uganda’s Entebbe international airport, and then fly to Arusha or Kilimanjaro.
In summary,
The Park can be reached in a variety of ways. The simplest option is to fly directly from your country to Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro International Airport, which is around 40 kilometers from Arusha town and the Arusha National Park. Alternatively, fly to Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) or Abeid Ahmed Karume International Airport in Zanzibar, near Dar es Salaam, and connect to Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro International Airport via a domestic aircraft.
Arusha National Park is around a half-hour drive from Kilimanjaro International Airport and a 30-minute drive from Arusha City. Because of the park’s tiny size, all three main regions can be visited in a half-day, but a full day with a picnic lunch and a guided tour is significantly more relaxing. Tour operators typically schedule charter flights as part of a Tanzania tour package.