Cheap flights London – Dar Es Salaam

When to fly: September is the cheapest month in the fare data for this route, and prices cover every month of the year, so you can see the shape of the season before you pick dates. Fares tend to rise around the British school holidays — Christmas and New Year, the February half-term and the long summer break — when demand from London is at its heaviest. Midweek departures, Tuesday and Wednesday in particular, are worth comparing with weekend ones; the gap can be wider than you expect on a connecting itinerary. For a September trip you can usually book later; for the peak weeks, book well ahead. Watch total journey time as well as the fare — a slow connection eats the saving.

None of the airlines on this route fly it non-stop, so every option is a connecting itinerary. The list mixes European carriers — British Airways and Aer Lingus — with Qatar Airways, Oman Air, Turkish Airlines, Egyptair, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, RwandAir and APG Airlines, whose networks connect through their home hubs. Most are full-service, which usually means a checked bag and a meal, but the lightest fare families can strip both out, so read what your ticket includes. Where you connect matters as much as the name on the fuselage: a short, well-timed transfer beats a cheap fare with a long wait in a hub. Separate tickets for each leg are treated as unrelated journeys.

Dar Es Salaam International is the only airport serving the Tanzanian capital, so there is no choice at the far end of the trip — but there is at the London end. The airport sits outside the city centre, and traffic in Dar Es Salaam can be heavy, especially in the morning and late afternoon, so allow a proper margin for the transfer. Taxis and app-based rides are the usual way in; agree the fare before you set off, or check the app price first. Immigration moves slowly when several long-haul arrivals land together, so keep your onward address and any entry paperwork within reach rather than in the hold. Landing late at night, arrange your ride in advance instead of negotiating at the kerb.

Currency

TZS (TSh)

Power sockets

Type G · 230 V

Language

Swahili, English

Emergency number

112, 114, 115

Calling code

+255

Internet domain

.tz

Population of Dar Es Salaam

4.7 M (2016)

Time zone

UTC+03 (Africa/Dar_es_Salaam)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Decide which London airport suits you: Heathrow and Gatwick carry most long-haul connections, while City, Luton and Stansted usually mean an extra hop first.
• Every itinerary on this route involves a connection, so check how long the layover is and whether both legs sit on one ticket.
• If you book the legs separately, a missed connection is your problem, not the airline's — leave a generous gap.
• Check the baggage allowance for your fare family — the lightest tickets may not include a checked bag.
• Sort out Tanzania entry requirements, including any visa or health paperwork, before you pay.
• September is the cheapest month in the data, but scan the whole year if your dates are flexible.