Connecting Southern & Northern Tanzania Safaris – 2025 Update (Original 2017 Article)
The Original 2017 Announcement
Back in 2017, we were excited to share the news that Coastal Aviation was launching direct flights connecting the Northern and Southern safari circuits. Starting June 1, 2017, a new route linked the “Migration Capital” in Serengeti (Grumeti in June, Kogatende July–November, Ndutu December–March) with Ruaha National Park in just 1.5 hours. This made it easy to combine the famous Serengeti Migration with the remote wilderness of Ruaha and Nyerere (Selous), plus onward connections to Zanzibar.
At the time, this was a game-changer – dramatically shortening travel time between Tanzania’s two incredible safari worlds.
What’s Happening in 2025/2026
Great news: those connections are not only still operating – they’ve expanded and improved!
Today (November 2025), multiple airlines offer reliable daily or near-daily flights linking the Northern and Southern circuits:
- Coastal Aviation – Still the leader with direct Serengeti ↔ Ruaha flights (often 1.5–2 hours) and easy connections to Nyerere (Selous).
- Auric Air, Regional Air, and ZanAir – Additional options with flexible routing via Dar es Salaam or Arusha.
- Flight times – Serengeti to Ruaha: 1.5–2.5 hours; Serengeti to Nyerere (Selous): 2–3 hours via Dar; Ruaha to Zanzibar: 1–1.5 hours.
Private charters are also more affordable than ever for small groups wanting door-to-door service.
Why Combine Southern & Northern Tanzania Today?
- Best of both worlds – Northern Circuit (Serengeti Migration, Ngorongoro Crater) + Southern Circuit (Ruaha’s giant baobabs & elephant herds, Nyerere’s boat safaris & wild dogs).
- Fewer crowds – Southern parks remain wonderfully uncrowded even in peak season.
- Seamless logistics – Short flights mean you lose almost no safari time.
Popular 2026/2027 combinations our guests love:
- 10–14 day fly-in: Serengeti Migration → Ruaha → Nyerere (Selous) → Zanzibar beach
- 12-day luxury: Northern highlights + Ruaha + private charter flights
Ready to connect Tanzania’s two incredible safari worlds in 2026/2027? Tell us your dates and budget – we’ll build your perfect private itinerary with the latest flight schedules and best rates (as a 100% local Arusha company).
WhatsApp +255 767 999 101 – let’s plan your ultimate adventure! 🚀
(Updated November 2025 – original article from 2017)
Connecting Southern Tanzania and Northern Tanzania Safari Circuit is now a reality. Starting 1st June 2017, Coastal aviation is introducing flights connecting Serengeti and Ruaha National Park with further connections to Selous and ultimately to Zanzibar.
Whilst Coastal aviation been very successful linking Dar es Salaam to Selous Game Reserve, to Ruaha National Park and back to Dar es Salaam, but they haven’t been less successful in linking Ruaha National Park with the Northern Safari Circuit.
Connecting Southern Tanzania and Northern Tanzania Starting June 2017
From that 1st June 2017, Coastal Aviation who are the aviation heavyweights as far as bush routes are concerned in Tanzania are introducing a destination that will be called the Migration. “Migration Capital” will be Grumeti for the month of June, Kogatende in Northern Serengeti from 1 July to 30 November and Ndutu (in Southern Serengeti) from 1 December to 15 March.
The flight will be departing from Serengeti National Park at 10.00 hrs and arriving at Ruaha National Park at 11.30 hrs. That will be an incredibly short flight of 1 and a half hours from the Migration Capital in Serengeti and the Remote Ruaha National Park.
If you want to do a safari in Tanzania including the Serengeti National Park and the Ruaha National Park one of the less crowded parks in the Southern Tanzania Safari Circuit, though Ruaha is located more towards the Central Serengeti. Contact one of our experts for a safari Connecting Southern Tanzania and Northern Tanzania safari circuit. Southern Tanzania Safaris include our safari from Zanzibar packages.
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