Cheap flights from London to Kilimanjaro

October comes out cheapest for this route, and fares stay reasonable through the northern autumn before climbing again. Late spring and the northern summer are the busiest window, when school holidays and safari travel push prices up, and the weeks around Christmas and New Year behave the same way. Midweek departures usually cost less than Friday or Sunday flights, and booking a few months ahead gives you the widest choice of connections. If your dates are flexible, let the price calendar pick the week for you.

There are no direct flights, so every option is a connection, and the airline mix splits into two groups. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Oman Air, Kenya Airways, Uganda Airlines, Edelweiss Air and APG Airlines are full-service carriers, where a checked bag is more often part of the fare. Wizz Air Malta and Easyjet are the low-cost names, and their tickets cover little beyond a seat, so price a bag and a seat choice before you compare totals. Baggage rules and what happens if a connection is missed differ most between these two groups, so read the conditions before you commit.

Kilimanjaro International is the only airport on this route, and it sits in open country serving the region around the mountain rather than inside a city centre, so the last leg needs a little planning. Taxis and pre-booked hotel transfers are the usual ways in, and drivers meet arrivals in the terminal. Agree the fare before you get in, or arrange the transfer with your hotel before you fly, and keep a little local currency handy for the ride. If you are heading straight on to a trek or a lodge, give the operator your flight details so the pickup is timed to your landing.

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 Kilimanjaro

416 k (2012)

Time zone

UTC+03 (Africa/Dar_es_Salaam)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Check which London airport your fare leaves from, because the city has five and they are nowhere near each other.
• Confirm the whole trip is on one ticket, or you carry the risk if the first flight runs late.
• Look at what the low-cost fare actually includes before you add a bag or a seat.
• Check passport validity and visa rules for Tanzania well before departure.
• Compare October fares against your own dates, since that month comes out cheapest.
• Leave a comfortable gap between flights at the hub in case the first leg is delayed.