Mwanza: 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.
Mwanza is a city of 1.1 million people in Tanzania, 1,144 m (3,753 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Mwanza International Airport (MWZ), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 55 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Mwanza runs from about 12 h 1 min a day in late June to 12 h 18 min in late December (computed for -2.52° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Mwanza is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Mwanza International Airport (MWZ), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre, whose 10,212-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft.
Flights to Mwanza: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Mwanza · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 55 places to stay in Mwanza. Of the 31 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (22), and 2 are five-star. Guests have left 1,371 reviews in total.
Hotels in Mwanza: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Kakamega, 373 km (Kenya) — flights
- Kampala, 317 km (Uganda) — flights
- Kigali, 322 km (Rwanda) — flights
- Nansana, 323 km (Uganda) — flights
- Kira, 326 km (Uganda) — flights
- Kahama, 150 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Bunamwaya, 310 km (Uganda) — flights
- Kisumu, 339 km (Kenya) — flights
- Geita, 84 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Tabora, 278 km — buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Tampere, Arendal Municipality, Würzburg.
Common questions
Which airport serves Mwanza?
Mwanza International Airport (MWZ), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre.
How big is Mwanza?
About 1.1 million people live in Mwanza (GeoNames).
What time zone is Mwanza in?
Africa/Dar_es_Salaam, currently UTC+3.
What currency is used in Mwanza?
The Shilling (TZS). Traffic drives on the left.
How many hotels are there in Mwanza?
Our booking partner lists 55 places to stay in Mwanza, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Mwanza?
Kakamega (373 km), Kampala (317 km), Kigali (322 km), Nansana (323 km), Kira (326 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 13 September 2026. Hotel 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.