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Voykit pocket guide · Tanzania
Moshi
Base in Moshi for 2 nights before or after a Kilimanjaro climb: it is 30–45 min from JRO airport and cheaper than Arusha.
Moshi is the Kilimanjaro town: most travellers pass through on the way to a climb or a northern-circuit safari, and the town itself needs a day. It sits at about 900 m on the southern slope, 30–45 min from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and about 1 h 30 min by road from Arusha. Use it for a rest day, a coffee or waterfall day trip, and gear shopping before the mountain.
- Country
- Tanzania
- Best months
- Jun–Oct (dry, clear summit views), Jan–Feb (short dry window)
- Avoid
- Apr–May (long rains, muddy trails), Nov (short rains)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TZS
- Money
- Currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS). Tourism is still quoted in US dollars, but since 2025 the central bank requires local transactions to be priced and paid in shillings — check how your lodge bills; dollar notes older than 2013 or damaged are refused.
- Daily spend
- Budget TSh 60,000–110,000 excl. bed · Mid TSh 110,000–220,000 excl. bed · High TSh 220,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodacom, Airtel, Yas (Tigo) and Halotel sell SIMs at airports; registration takes fingerprints and a passport.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 112 · Fire 114
- Plugs
- Types D, G · 230 V · 50 Hz · UK three-pin is most common; some older round-pin sockets.
- Tipping
- Safari guide: About US$15–25 per vehicle per day from the group — check.; Kilimanjaro crew: About 10–15% of the climb price, shared per a published scale — check your operator's guide.; Camp staff box: About US$10 per guest per day.; Restaurant: 5–10% where no service charge.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; lodges provide filtered water.
- Toilets
- Western in hotels and lodges; long-drops at some gates and picnic sites; squat toilets at bus stops.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Meal in a local restaurant | TSh 2,000–8,000 |
| Beer (local lager) in a bar | TSh 3,000–5,000 |
| Coffee or soft drink | TSh 1,500–4,000 |
| Taxi in town | TSh 5,000–15,000, agree first |
| Daladala ride | TSh 500–3,000 |
| Land Cruiser with driver, per day | about TSh 100,000 |
| Motorcycle hire, per day | about TSh 35,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- JRO · Kilimanjaro International Airport
- About 30–45 min by road; taxi about TSh 60,000, shared shuttle cheaper
- DAR · Julius Nyerere International Airport, Dar es Salaam
- Often cheaper flights; then 7–8 h by bus to Moshi
Typical fares
- JRO → Moshi, taxi
- about TSh 60,000, 30–45 min
- Moshi → Arusha, bus
- about TSh 5,000–10,000, 1 h 30 min (check)
- Moshi → Dar es Salaam, bus
- about TSh 20,000, 7–8 h
Get around
The centre is walkable in daylight. Taxis are plentiful: agree the fare before you get in, most trips in town are a few dollars. Daladalas (16-seat minibuses) run to Machame, Marangu and nearby villages for under a dollar; they are cheap but crowded and slow. Boda bodas (motorcycle taxis) are the most dangerous option. A Land Cruiser with driver for a day is around TSh 100,000.
See and do
Known for
- Mount Kilimanjaro trailheads (Machame, Marangu)
- Chagga coffee farms and Marangu waterfalls
- Moshi market
- Kilimanjaro gear shops and outfitters
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Marangu and the waterfalls | Daladala or taxi to Marangu, then a local guide on foot | About 1 h each way |
| Machame trailhead area | Daladala or taxi south-west of town | About 45 min each way |
| Lake Nyumba ya Mungu | Bus or organised trip east | 1.5–2 h each way |
| Arusha | Bus or shuttle from the Moshi bus stand | About 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Moshi town centre (around Mawenzi Road and the market)
- Walkable to banks, ATMs, restaurants and the bus stand; best for one or two nights with bags.
- Shantytown / Kibo Road north
- Quieter, more guesthouses and lodges with gardens; 10–15 min by taxi or daladala from the centre.
- Soweto / Boma Road west
- Larger houses and a few hotels and pubs; useful if you have a car or driver.
- Msaranga and the Dar es Salaam road
- Lodges and campsites 6 km out of town; good for families and pre-climb rest, but you need a taxi for everything.Lodges and campsites 3.7 mi out of town; good for families and pre-climb rest, but you need a taxi for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | JamboJAM-bo |
| Thank you | Asantea-SAN-te |
| How much is it? | Bei gani?BAY GAH-nee |
| Where is the toilet? | Choo kiko wapi?CHO KEE-ko WAH-pee |
| I don't want it, thank you | Sitaki, asantesee-TAH-kee, a-SAN-te |
| Help | Nisaidienee-sah-EE-dee-ay |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Shikamoo' to elders, a handshake and small talk first; avoid: Rushing straight to business
- Hands: Right hand for eating, giving and receiving; avoid: Using the left hand
- Dress on Zanzibar: Cover shoulders and knees in town; avoid: Beachwear in Stone Town
- Photos: Ask first; pay agreed fees in Maasai bomas; avoid: Photographing women on Zanzibar without asking
- Affection: Keep it private; avoid: Kissing in public, especially on Zanzibar
- Pace: 'Pole pole' — slow down; avoid: Showing anger in public
Scams and watch-outs
- Do not walk around town after dark; take a taxi even for short trips.
- Use a real office and a licensed operator for climbs and safaris, never a person who approaches you on the street.
- Cheap bus companies have poor safety records; pay more for a reputable line.
- Boda boda drivers can be reckless; if you ride, check the helmet strap and never at night.
- Bring US cash or use bank ATMs (Stanbic, Equity, I&M, KCB, DTB) — cards can be blocked abroad; tell your bank you are travelling.
- Traveller's cheques are effectively unusable in Moshi; do not rely on them.
Moshi is calm in daylight and the main risks are traffic, dark streets after 19:00 and unlicensed climb or safari touts. Keep valuables out of sight in the market and take taxis at night.Moshi is calm in daylight and the main risks are traffic, dark streets after 7:00 PM and unlicensed climb or safari touts. Keep valuables out of sight in the market and take taxis at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Moshi yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mount Kilimanjaro trailheads (Machame, Marangu)
- Chagga coffee farms and Marangu waterfalls
- Moshi market
- Kilimanjaro gear shops and outfitters
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tanzania Tourist Board: www.tanzaniatourism.go.tz
- Kilimanjaro Airports Development Company: www.kadco.co.tz
- Wikivoyage: Moshi, revision 5324223 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5324223
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Moshi
Kwa anwani hii, tafadhali
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies are in Dar es Salaam; the US and several European countries have honorary consulates or representatives in Arusha (check).
Carry some US dollars cash as a backup; ATMs in town take Visa and Mastercard.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/moshi). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.