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Flights to Mahale Mountains

Still quietTanzania · Africa

Chimpanzees in forested mountains that drop straight into Lake Tanganyika.

Mahale Mountains
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Nonstop reach0 airports
Via DAR40 nonstops
Best monthsMay–Oct

Tourism hasn't reached it yet. Here is exactly how to, and how long that's likely to last.

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Getting to Mahale Mountains

Where are you flying from?
Amber: nonstops into DAR (hub DAR) · Blue: your route
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No scheduled jet service into TKQ. Fly to DAR (Julius Nyerere International Airport) — 40 airports fly there nonstop — then boat down Lake Tanganyika from Kigoma.

Via DAR — Dar Es Salaam

Dar Es Salaam is the hub for Mahale Mountains: 40 airports fly there nonstop, then boat down Lake Tanganyika from Kigoma.

Show the 40 nearest as a list
FromAirportAirlinesFlight time
ZanzibarTanzaniaZNZAir Tanzania, Auric Air, HOP!-REGIONAL, Oman Air, Precision Air, flydubai~41m
Mafia IslandTanzaniaMFAAuric Air~45m
TangaTanzaniaTGTAuric Air~50m
MombasaKenyaMBASkyward Express~1h
DodomaTanzaniaDODAir Tanzania~1h 5m
IringaTanzaniaIRIAir Tanzania, Auric Air, FlexFlight~1h 5m
MtwaraTanzaniaMYWAir Tanzania, Precision Air~1h 6m
KilimanjaroTanzaniaJROAir Tanzania, Precision Air~1h 10m
ArushaTanzaniaARKHOP!-REGIONAL~1h 12m
SongeaTanzaniaSGXAir Tanzania~1h 20m
NairobiKenyaNBOAir Tanzania, Kenya Airways, Naysa, Precision Air~1h 26m
MoroniComorosHAHAir Tanzania~1h 28m
MbeyaTanzaniaMBIAir Tanzania~1h 28m
TaboraTanzaniaTBOAir Tanzania~1h 31m
MwanzaTanzaniaMWZAir Tanzania, Auric Air, FlexFlight~1h 41m
DzaoudziMayotteDZAEWA Air~1h 47m
BlantyreMalawiBLZEthiopian Airlines~1h 58m
EntebbeUgandaEBBUganda Airlines~1h 58m
KigaliRwandaKGLRwandAir~2h 3m
BujumburaBurundiBJMAir Tanzania~2h 5m
NdolaZambiaNLAAir Tanzania~2h 18m
HarareZimbabweHREAir Tanzania, Air Zimbabwe~2h 31m
LusakaZambiaLUNAir Tanzania, Naysa~2h 31m
Addis AbabaEthiopiaADDEthiopian Airlines~2h 51m
MaheSeychellesSEZAir Tanzania~2h 55m
Victoria FallsZimbabweVFAAir Tanzania~3h 2m
JohannesburgSouth AfricaJNBAir Tanzania, Airlink, South African Airways~3h 42m
KinshasaCongo (Kinshasa)FIHAir Tanzania~3h 58m
Cape TownSouth AfricaCPTAir Tanzania~5h 18m
DohaQatarDOHQatar Airways~5h 29m
DubaiUnited Arab EmiratesDXBEmirates~5h 41m
MuscatOmanMCTOman Air~5h 41m
CairoEgyptCAIEgyptair~5h 58m
LagosNigeriaLOSAir Tanzania~6h 2m
AccraGhanaACCAir Tanzania~6h 28m
MumbaiIndiaBOMAir Tanzania~6h 35m
IstanbulTurkeyISTTurkish Airlines~7h 35m
MoscowRussiaVKOAir Tanzania~9h 30m
AmsterdamNetherlandsAMSKLM~10h
GuangzhouChinaCANAir Tanzania~11h 45m
Routings from major airports
FromStopsViaDoor to door
Dallas-Fort WorthDFW
  1. FlyDFW → AMS~10h 43m
  2. FlyAMS → DAR~10h
  3. HopDAR → TKQ~1h 58m
  4. BoatTKQ → Mahale Mountainsboat down Lake Tanganyika from Kigoma
2 stopsAMS → DAR~22h 41m
New YorkJFK
  1. FlyJFK → NBO~15h 46m
  2. FlyNBO → DAR~1h 26m
  3. HopDAR → TKQ~1h 58m
  4. BoatTKQ → Mahale Mountainsboat down Lake Tanganyika from Kigoma
2 stopsNBO → DAR~19h 10m
Los AngelesLAX
  1. FlyLAX → AMS~12h 4m
  2. FlyAMS → DAR~10h
  3. HopDAR → TKQ~1h 58m
  4. BoatTKQ → Mahale Mountainsboat down Lake Tanganyika from Kigoma
2 stopsAMS → DAR~24h 2m
MiamiMIA
  1. FlyMIA → AMS~10h 8m
  2. FlyAMS → DAR~10h
  3. HopDAR → TKQ~1h 58m
  4. BoatTKQ → Mahale Mountainsboat down Lake Tanganyika from Kigoma
2 stopsAMS → DAR~22h 6m
ChicagoORD
  1. FlyORD → ADD~16h 12m
  2. FlyADD → DAR~2h 51m
  3. HopDAR → TKQ~1h 58m
  4. BoatTKQ → Mahale Mountainsboat down Lake Tanganyika from Kigoma
2 stopsADD → DAR~21h 1m
LondonLHR
  1. FlyLHR → NBO~9h 21m
  2. FlyNBO → DAR~1h 26m
  3. HopDAR → TKQ~1h 58m
  4. BoatTKQ → Mahale Mountainsboat down Lake Tanganyika from Kigoma
2 stopsNBO → DAR~12h 45m
TorontoYYZ
  1. FlyYYZ → ADD~15h 20m
  2. FlyADD → DAR~2h 51m
  3. HopDAR → TKQ~1h 58m
  4. BoatTKQ → Mahale Mountainsboat down Lake Tanganyika from Kigoma
2 stopsADD → DAR~20h 9m

Why it's still quiet

Chimpanzees in forested mountains that drop straight into Lake Tanganyika. No roads in — you arrive by boat, and there are no vehicles in the park at all.

The friction

The northern-circuit safari machine (Serengeti, Ngorongoro) keeps this side of Tanzania empty.

Background

Mahale Mountains National Park is a national park of Tanzania. The park is located on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika in Uvinza District of Kigoma Region. It is named after the Mahale Mountains that are within its borders. It is one of only two protected areas for the Eastern chimpanzee in the country, and it harbours the largest known chimpanzee population. It also a place where chimpanzees and lions co-exist. Another unusual feature of the park is that it is one of the very few in Africa that must be experienced by foot. There are no roads or other infrastructure within the park boundaries, and the only way in and out of the park is via boat on the lake.

Wikipedia ↗

Questions

Is there a nonstop flight to Mahale Mountains?
Not by jet. The nearest airport with scheduled service is DAR (Julius Nyerere International Airport), then boat down Lake Tanganyika from Kigoma.
Which airport do you fly into for Mahale Mountains?
TKQ — Kigoma Airport. Most travelers connect through DAR (Julius Nyerere International Airport).
When is the best time to visit Mahale Mountains?
May–Oct. The northern-circuit safari machine (Serengeti, Ngorongoro) keeps this side of Tanzania empty.
What does Mahale Mountains cost per day?
Varies by season.
Why is Mahale Mountains still quiet?
Chimpanzees in forested mountains that drop straight into Lake Tanganyika. No roads in — you arrive by boat, and there are no vehicles in the park at all.