Lilongwe: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Lilongwe is the capital of Malawi (Central Region), 1,056 m (3,465 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Kamuzu International Airport (LLW), 20 km (12 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 104 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Lilongwe runs from about 11 h 20 min a day in late June to 13 h in late December (computed for -13.97° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Lilongwe is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Kamuzu International Airport (LLW), 20 km (12 mi) from the centre, whose 11,614-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft.
Flights to Lilongwe: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Lilongwe · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 104 places to stay in Lilongwe. Of the 57 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (41), and 1 are five-star. Across 15 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.2 out of 10. Guests have left 3,051 reviews in total.
Hotels in Lilongwe: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Blantyre, 241 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Tete, 244 km (Mozambique) — flights
- Chipata, 128 km (Zambia)
- Lichinga, 173 km (Mozambique) — flights
- Mzuzu, 279 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Gurúè, 382 km (Mozambique)
- Mandimba, 205 km (Mozambique)
- Zomba, 228 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Taipei.
Common questions
Which airport serves Lilongwe?
Kamuzu International Airport (LLW), 20 km (12 mi) from the centre.
How big is Lilongwe?
About 1.1 million people live in Lilongwe, across 728 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Lilongwe in?
Africa/Blantyre, currently UTC+2.
What currency is used in Lilongwe?
The Kwacha (MWK). Traffic drives on the left.
How many hotels are there in Lilongwe?
Our booking partner lists 104 places to stay in Lilongwe, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Lilongwe?
Blantyre (241 km), Tete (244 km), Chipata (128 km), Lichinga (173 km), Mzuzu (279 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.