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Major city · Tanzania

Lindi

Go for 1–2 nights only if you are already on the Mtwara–Kilwa coast road: walk the old town and Mtema Beach, then move on.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
TZS
Best months
Jun–Oct (dry, cooler)
avoid Mar–May (long rains; the Mtwara road and the Litipo track suffer)
Airports
LDI · DAR · MVR
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
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Lindi is a small port town at the mouth of the Lukuledi River, about 450 km south of Dar es Salaam on a now-tarmac road. It was the German colonial administrative base for the Southern Province, and the crumbling boma and 19th-century streets are the draw. There is no safari or dive infrastructure here: it is a slow, cheap, walkable stop between Kilwa and Mtwara, not a destination in itself.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Lindi, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Street or quick mealStreet breakfast: mandazi or chapatiTZS 500–1,500
  • BeerBeer at a beachside barTZS 4,000–6,000
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekTZS 20,000–40,000
  • Budget bedBasic guesthouse room (fan, shared bath), a night, per roomTZS 25,000
  • Mid-range bedBasic guesthouse room (fan, shared bath), a night, per roomTZS 40,000
  • High-end bedBasic guesthouse room (fan, shared bath), a night, per roomTZS 60,000

A day, not counting the bed: Budget TZS 45,000 · Mid TZS 90,000 · High TZS 180,000

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

German colonial boma and old town streetsLindi Beach and Mtema BeachFishing dhows and the morning prawn netsCheap guesthouses and street food
Airports
LDI Lindi Airport (Small airstrip; flight availability and schedule: check with a local operator before planning around it.) · DAR Julius Nyerere International, Dar es Salaam (Main gateway; 6–7 h by bus on the tarmac road.) · MVR Mtwara Airport (Nearest airport south of Lindi; 1.5–2 h by road. Flight availability: check.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Lindi: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

32°C

24°C

12 rd

Feb

32°C

24°C

11 rd

Mar

31°C

23°C

17 rd

Apr

30°C

22°C

18 rd

May

30°C

21°C

10 rd

Jun

29°C

19°C

5 rd

Jul

29°C

18°C

4 rd

Aug

29°C

18°C

4 rd

Sep

30°C

19°C

4 rd

Oct

31°C

21°C

6 rd

Nov

32°C

22°C

10 rd

Dec

32°C

23°C

13 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is compact and flat: walk it. Piki-piki (motorbike taxis) are everywhere and cheap for one person — agree the price before you get on and expect no helmet. Bajaji (tuk-tuks) suit two people or luggage. The beach is about 5 minutes on foot from the centre.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Mtema Beach

go

Door to door: About 20 min

Piki-piki or bajaji from the centre, about 5 km

The recommended nearby swimming beach; dress conservatively in and out of the water.

Litipo Forest Reserve (Rutamba)

caution

Door to door: About 3 h each way, longer in the rains

Morning bus from Lindi bus station, about 40 km

Closed-canopy forest and birdlife; arrange the ticket at the bus station the day before and expect basic rooms only.

Kilwa Kisiwani and Kilwa Masoko

overnight

Door to door: Half a day or more each way; return-trip feasibility: check

Bus north on the coast road, then a boat to the ruins

Ruins need a boat and a guide; sleeping in Kilwa is the safer plan rather than returning the same day.

Mtwara and Mikindanigo

Door to door: 1.5–2 h

Bus south on the older tarmac road

Sit in the front half: sections are still under construction and rough.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Town centre (Jamhuri Street and the B2)

Guesthouses, market, restaurants and the bus station within walking distance; best for one night with bags.

Coast Road / beachfront

Sea View Beach Resort and Coast Guesthouse sit on the water; 5 min walk from the centre, quieter at night.

Mtuleni

About 3 km out past the Tanesco office; only worth it if you want the pizza place and a quieter edge of town.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
TZS 45,000–80,000 excl. bed
Mid
TZS 80,000–150,000 excl. bed
High
TZS 150,000+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Basic guesthouse room (fan, shared bath)1 × 1 night × TZS 25,000TZS 25,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × TZS 45,000TZS 90,000
Bus Dar es Salaam → Lindi, one way2 × TZS 35,000 · 2026 estimate; check locallyTZS 70,000
Bus Lindi → Mtwara, one way2 × TZS 12,000 · 2026 estimate; check locallyTZS 24,000
eSIM, about a week of data2 × TZS 25,000 · 2026 estimate; check locallyTZS 50,000
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeTZS 25,900
Trip total≈ TZS 142,500 per person per day, bed includedTZS 284,900

2026 estimate; check locally

2026 estimate in shillings, check locally before you book; long-distance buses excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Bottled water, 1.5 lTZS 1,500–2,500
Street breakfast: mandazi or chapatiTZS 500–1,500
Plate of rice or ugali with meat stewTZS 4,000–8,000
Grilled meat, chips and chapati (evening grill)TZS 8,000–15,000
Beer at a beachside barTZS 4,000–6,000
Piki-piki, 5–10 min rideAgree the price first.TZS 1,000–2,000
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekTZS 20,000–40,000

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Lindi is calm and walkable, including the backstreets, with normal caution after dark. The real issues are water, road safety and cash: drink bottled water, avoid night driving, and carry shillings.
  • Tap water comes from wells and is often contaminated: drink bottled water only.
  • Lindi is predominantly Muslim: dress conservatively away from the beach and during Ramadan.
  • Mtema Beach, about 5 km out, is the recommended nearby swimming beach; the town beach is a working fishing shore.
  • Buses are not allowed to drive at night, so almost everything leaves very early morning — buy your onward ticket the day before.
  • Motorbike taxis have no safety standards and usually no spare helmet.
  • Card payment is rare: carry shillings in cash.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
112
Fire
114

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

LindiLindi

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Nipeleke kwenye anwani hii, tafadhaliTake me to this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance112
  • Fire114

Embassy

No embassies in Lindi. Most are in Dar es Salaam; the nearest consular presence for many countries is there.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Piki-piki in town: about TZS 1,000–2,000, 5–10 min
  • Bajaji with luggage: negotiate; short hop about TZS 2,000–4,000
  • Bus Lindi → Mtwara: about 1.5–2 h, TZS 12,000

Say or show

  • Jambo / Habari — Hello (JAM-bo / ha-BA-ri)
  • Asante — Thank you (a-SAN-te)
  • Bei gani? — How much is it? (BAY GA-ni)
  • Stendi ya basi iko wapi? — Where is the bus station? (STEN-di ya BA-si EE-ko WA-pi)
  • Sitaki, asante — I don't want it, thank you (si-TA-ki, a-SAN-te)
  • Maji ya chupa, tafadhali — Bottled water, please (MA-ji ya CHU-pa, ta-fa-DHA-li)

Cash is king: withdraw in Dar es Salaam or Mtwara, as ATMs in Lindi are few and unreliable.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Lindi. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Oct (dry, cooler) · avoid Mar–May (long rains; the Mtwara road and the Litipo track suffer) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to Tanzania

Sources