Overland from Moshi to Lusaka: 2500 Kilometers South
This journey was not about comfort.
It was about continuing forward, even when the road was rough, the weather unfriendly, and energy low.
From Moshi in northern Tanzania to Lusaka in Zambia, the trip covered about 2500 kilometers by land — buses, waiting halls, border crossings, and long hours of movement.
Departure from Moshi
I left Moshi in the late afternoon heat of February 8. The bus was large but already crowded. The air inside was warm and heavy, and the road vibrations started almost immediately after departure.
At first I had space. Soon more passengers entered, and my backpack ended up on my lap. From that moment, movement meant adjustment — shifting shoulders, protecting space, balancing the bag.
The road stretched into darkness. Stops came and went.
Immigration checks in the night brought the journey to a halt. A stamp in my passport led officials to believe I had overstayed, and I had to work through the dates with them. When the error was cleared up, the bus rolled south again.
The ride was loud, uneven, and constant.
Arrival in Iringa — Rain and Recovery
We reached Iringa early in the morning. The bus station toilets were flooded and difficult to use. Someone poured liquid over my hands — I thought it was water, but it was soap. Eventually rainwater from a barrel helped rinse it off.
The hostel looked abandoned from outside but inside it was clean and calm. After the long ride, simply lying down felt like a reward.
Rain followed me through Iringa. Streets turned muddy, shoes became soaked, and nothing dried properly. I stayed two nights to recover and regain energy.
South to Mbeya
The next stage began early in Iringa. I woke up at 03:15, packed, showered, and prepared to leave. While it was still dark, I walked quickly to the Kimotco bus office and arrived around 04:20. The bus reached the station shortly after 05:00 and finally departed at 05:30, continuing through hills and long stretches of road toward Mbeya.
The ride to Mbeya was rough and slow. Seats were tight, the bus shook constantly, and hours passed without comfort.
By arrival my body was worn down. Mbeya was cloudy and quiet, with light rain hanging in the air. I first walked through unfamiliar streets toward a backpackers place I had found on the map, but when I arrived there was no hostel — only a yard with an aggressive dog behind a metal gate and no one answering. After waiting and asking nearby workers, it became clear the place did not exist anymore. With rain starting again and no energy to search further, I returned toward the bus station area and found a simple low-standard hotel nearby. I stayed there to rest and prepare for the border crossing ahead.
Toward the Border
From Mbeya I took a local bus toward Tunduma around midday. About halfway through the ride the conductor collected 5,000 TZS (≈ 1.79 €). The journey took roughly three hours, and instead of stopping outside town like before, the bus went straight to the terminal in Mpemba. From there I took a tuk-tuk for 1,500 TZS (≈ 0.54 €) to the roundabout near the border.
I arrived at the roundabout in the early afternoon and continued on foot, walking through shops and construction areas toward the border control. After waiting in line and completing exit procedures on the Tanzanian side and Zambia stamped me in with a 30-day entry. I crossed on foot into Nakonde to begin the next stage of the journey.
Walking meant noise, pressure, and constant offers from sellers and transport agents. Some followed closely. Some grabbed my arm. The only strategy was calm refusal and steady movement forward.
Crossing on foot made the transition feel very real — one step at a time between two countries.
Nakonde — Waiting Through the Night
In Zambia, buses are not allowed to travel at night. That meant hours of waiting at the station.
The building was cold. People rested wherever they could — benches, floors, bags as pillows. I found a sofa near a charging socket and stayed there.
Sleep came only in short moments. The focus was simple: keep belongings safe, keep the phone charging, wait for departure.
Eventually, while it was still dark, boarding began in the early morning.
The Long Road to Lusaka
The bus departed in darkness. Sunrise arrived hours later, slowly lighting villages, roadside activity, and the long route south.
The ride included checkpoints, short stops, and one moment when workers inspected a tire beneath my seat after a burning smell appeared.
In Mpika there was a short stop and a paid toilet. Then the road continued, kilometer after kilometer.
By the time Lusaka appeared, the journey felt both long and strangely distant.
Arrival in Lusaka
Arrival in Lusaka was quiet rather than dramatic. After getting off the bus, a driver offered to take me across the city for 100 ZMW (≈ 3.45 €). The ride was long and passed through areas that did not feel safe at night. In the late evening I reached Natwange Backpackers, where I checked in, paid 7 € per night plus the earlier 2.61 € booking fee on the online Plattform, and finally found a place to rest.
Late in the evening I found a simple meal before resting. After days of buses, waiting, and movement, a bed felt like stability again.
The journey that began on February 8 at 16:00 in Moshi reached its destination on February 14 in the late evening in Lusaka — not as an ending, but as a pause before the road continues onward.
Costs of the Journey
Food and daily meals are not included here. Only major transport and accommodation.
Tanzania
- Moshi → Iringa bus: 50,000 TZS (≈ 17.86 €)
- Iringa → Mbeya bus: 20,000 TZS (≈ 7.14 €)
- Mbeya → Tunduma bus: 5,000 TZS (≈ 1.79 €)
- Tuk-tuk to border: 1,500 TZS (≈ 0.54 €)
- Iringa accommodation (2 nights): 14.71 €
- Mbeya accommodation (2 nights): 40,000 TZS (≈ 14.29 €)
Tanzania total: ≈ 56.32 €
Zambia
- Nakonde → Lusaka bus: 500 ZMW (≈ 17.24 €)
- Taxi in Lusaka: 100 ZMW (≈ 3.45 €)
- Lusaka accommodation (2 nights): 14.00 €
- Booking fee: 2.61 €
- Dinner on arrival: 120 ZMW (≈ 4.14 €)
- Toilet stop: 2 ZMW (≈ 0.07 €)
Zambia total: ≈ 41.51 €
Total journey cost: ≈ 97.83 €
Reflection
This trip was not defined by scenery or comfort.
It was defined by persistence.
Wet shoes.
Crowded buses.
Waiting halls.
Border lines.
Long distances.
But each stage moved the journey forward.
And sometimes that is enough.
The road continues.
Support & Follow the Journey
If you enjoy following my overland travels and want to support the road ahead:
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Thank you for being part of the journey.
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