Why is Mwanza called Rock City?

The city is built among enormous balancing granite boulders that dot the lakeshore and hills, the most famous being Bismarck Rock, which gives Mwanza its distinctive skyline and nickname.

Can I see chimpanzees near Mwanza?

Yes. Rubondo Island National Park, reached by boat or light aircraft, is home to around forty chimpanzees descended from a 1960s release, and offers tracking alongside birdwatching and fishing.

Is Mwanza a good base for the Serengeti?

Very much so. Mwanza is the main gateway to the western Serengeti, well positioned for the Grumeti river crossings of the Great Migration between roughly May and July.

How do I reach Mwanza?

Mwanza Airport (MWZ) has frequent domestic flights from Dar es Salaam and Arusha, and the city is also served by the central railway, long-distance buses and lake ferries.

Destination guide

Mwanza & Lake Victoria

Rock City on the shores of Africa's greatest lake

How to get there

Getting to Mwanza & Lake Victoria

However you're arriving — from overseas, from another part of Tanzania, or just moving around once you're here.

Flying in from abroad

International visitors

Mwanza Airport (MWZ) handles domestic and some regional flights; most international visitors connect via Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro or Nairobi.

From elsewhere in Tanzania

Upcountry & other cities

Frequent daily flights link Mwanza with Dar es Salaam, Arusha and the Serengeti, and light aircraft serve Rubondo Island; the central railway and long-distance buses also reach the city.

Getting around locally

Once you're in the region

Taxis, bajaji (tuk-tuks) and dala-dala minibuses cover the city, while passenger ferries and boats connect Mwanza with Ukerewe and other lake islands.

Want the door-to-door leg handled? Travel with a driver who knows the roads.

Book a driver