SkyTeam members Kenya Airways, KLM, and Air France are currently selling cheap flights from Paris to Tanzanian destinations Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. If you prefer flying with a Star Alliance airline, you can also fly with Turkish Airlines for €377. Flying to Dar es Salaam with SWISS is also possible on some dates for €392. The SkyTeam flights include 2 x 23 kg of luggage, Turkish Airlines allows 30 kg, SWISS only 23 kg.
In most cases, with SkyTeam, you’ll fly to Kenya and then continue to Tanzania. If you select the flights with KLM, you’ll have a layover in Amsterdam before flying to Kenya. Flights with Turkish Airlines are via Istanbul. On the return trip, Turkish Airlines will stop in Lusaka or Mount Kilimanjaro (depending on if you’re flying from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar) for a bit over an hour, where you’ll simply stay inside the airplane. SWISS flies via Zurich.
SkyTeam offers the best departure and arrival times, by far. SWISS is still fine, but Turkish will have you arriving and departing Tanzania at around 3:00 in the night.
Search & Book
SkyTeam
SkyTeam’s deal is valid until July 19th. Your stay has to be 6 days (or a Sunday) to 3 months long and take place between August 16th and December 20th, 2019, or between January 8th and June 14th, 2020. The tickets are issued in class X.
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airline’s deal is valid until June 30th, and your trip’s duration may not exceed one month. The only official blackout dates (i.e. you cannot fly on these dates) are from December 20th, 2019 to January 1st, 2020. Tickets are issued in class W.
SWISS
SWISS offers this deal until July 19th. The trip length has to be 5 days (or a Sunday) to 3 months long and may take place anytime from November onwards (except the winter holidays). SWISS only flies to Dar es Salaam and does not fly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tickets are issued in class K.
Booking
As usual, Google Flights is the best tool to find available dates and Skyscanner for finding the cheapest fares. You can, of course, also book directly over the airlines’ websites (e.g. turkishairlines.com or swiss.com), but that will cost a bit more.
Information & Tips for Zanzibar
The Zanzibar archipelago with its main island Unguja lies in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa and belongs to Tanzania. Zanzibar is especially known for its beautiful beaches and as an inexpensive alternative to the Maldives. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Stone Town with its buildings made of light coral limestone and mangrove wood in the 19th century is also worth a visit.
The Best Time to Visit
Zanzibar is relatively close to the equator and therefore the climate is tropical. Due to the south-west and north-east monsoon there are two rainy seasons per year between the end of March and the end of May and in November and December. Temperatures average 27 °C with maximums just above 30 °C and nightly temperatures not below 20 °C. During the two rainy seasons the humidity can be very unpleasant. Therefore, the ideal travel time is between the beginning of June and the end of September as well as in January and February. In general, however, you can visit Zanzibar all year round.
Immigration & Visa Requirements
With most EU passports (must be valid for at least 6 months on departure) a visa is required for Tanzania. You can apply for the visa either in advance at an embassy or as a Visa on Arrival for a fee of $50 when entering the country at the Zanzibar International Airport. The fee can only be paid by credit card.
Departure Charge
In addition, depending on the airline, an exit fee or tax may be payable on departure from Zanzibar International Airport. For some airlines the departure tax is already included in the airfare.
→ All Dealz for Zanzibar
Information & Tips for Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa and probably best known by tourists for the semi-autonomous region Zanzibar. But also people that are into game drives will get their money’s worth in Tanzania since it is home to 4 big national parks. And if that’s not enough, you could still climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Africas highest mountain.
Best Time to Visit
There really is no right or wrong time to visit this well-loved location. That said, the best wildlife viewing months in Tanzania are during the Dry season from late June to October. The best chance of seeing the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti is during June and July and the time to see the wildebeest calving is late January to February.
Entry & Visa
All EU passport holders are eligible for a visa on arrival. The cost of a single-entry visa is about €50 for citizens of European countries.
→ All Dealz for Tanzania