Flights from Dar es Salaam (DAR) to Lake Manyara (LKY)
Whether you’re travelling from Dar es Salaam to Lake Manyara for vacations, business or family visits its always a smart choice to compare prices and make sure you’re getting the best deal before booking your travel. Lake Manyara is well-known for its wide range of wildlife and scenic landscapes. It features one of the most stunning national parks in Tanzania – Lake Manyara National Park, which is located within a branch of the East African Rift in North Eastern Tanzania.
If you’re all set to hit the skies, then start booking your travel arrangements with us today.
Distance and flight time
Lake Manyara is part of the Northern Safari circuit, and is, as the crow flies 517 km (321 miles) from Dar es Salaam. It is usually visited ‘en route’, as part of a tour in the Northern Circuit. (Read about Lake Manyara here).
The direct flight option from Dar Es Salaam to Lake Manyara takes approximately 1h40m. There are not many options for the direct routing, especially out of the peak tourist seasons of June to October, and mid-December to February. This is due to the majority of safaris to Lake Manyara starting in Arusha, connected to Dar through its own Arusha airport or Kilimanjaro International airport a 40-minute drive away.
The popular routing for the indirect route is, therefore, Dar – Arusha or Kilimanjaro – Lake Manyara with Coastal Aviation.
There are a number of flight options from Dar to Arusha / Kilimanjaro daily, as well as from either Kilimanjaro / Arusha to Lake Manyara. Note: you may have to change airline for the second part of your journey. This is very common and presents no problem: when booking on Tripindigo, select the ‘multi-stop’ option which will ensure that you can book both legs of the journey at the same time.
The flight from Dar to Arusha (route description here) takes between 1 hours 40 and 2 hours, covering a distance of 471 km or 291 miles. The Arusha / Kilimanjaro to Lake Manyara leg is a quick 30 minutes.
Not to miss during flights
Most flights from Lake Manyara and Dar es Salaam are usually conducted by regional airliners such as small Cessna plane that can carry between 10 to 14 passengers. When flying from LKY to DAR, you will catch a glimpse of Lake Manyara National Park, savannah plains and some remote communities in the region. On your trip to Dar es Salaam, you should cross over the Tarangire National Park
The trip also provides the opportunity to see the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro dependant on take-off direction, as well as its surrounding National Park. Mount Meru, Kili’s close neighbour is very close and affords passengers incredible views. Tracking west, up ahead the huge soda-ash Lake Manyara comes into view, with the Great Rift Valley wall as the backdrop.
Airport & layover tips
Lake Manyara Airport LKY is the main airport serving the area and it’s located on the rift escarpment, a few minutes from the entrance of the national park. Getting to the airport from the national park is easy, it’s about 20minutes drive. Most lodges and camps around the park can arrange transportation for you. The small airport lies atop the rift valley wall making the approach and landing a fun experience.
