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🇲🇿Things to Do in Mozambique
From the Bazaruto Archipelago's dunes to the colonial streets of Ilha de Mocambique - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Mozambique's roughly 2,500km Indian Ocean coastline is its main draw - island archipelagos, coral reefs and dhow sailing culture along one of Africa's least-developed stretches of coast. A UNESCO-listed island that once served as a Portuguese colonial capital adds real historical depth to the beach-focused trip. Here are 4 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Bazaruto Archipelago
A chain of islands off the southern coast with towering sand dunes, coral reefs and clear water considered among the best diving and snorkeling in the Indian Ocean.
📍 Bazaruto Archipelago, Inhambane Province
🚉 Vilankulo is the mainland base, reached by air from Maputo or Johannesburg, or a long bus ride up the EN1; dhows and speedboats then cross to Bazaruto and Benguerra in 30 to 90 minutes.
Ilha de Mocambique
A UNESCO World Heritage island that served as the capital of Portuguese Mozambique for close to 400 years, with a well-preserved historic stone town and fortress.
📍 Ilha de Moçambique, Nampula Province
🚉 The island is joined to the mainland by a 3km single-lane bridge from Lumbo, which chapa minibuses cross from Nampula, four hours away by road with an airport for the flights from Maputo.
Maputo
Mozambique's capital, with Portuguese colonial architecture, a lively market culture at the Mercado Central, and a train station designed with input from Gustave Eiffel's engineering firm.
📍 Maputo
🚉 Maputo has commuter trains to Matola and the CFM station is a landmark in itself; chapas cover the city, and the Baixa, the fish market and the Feima craft market are walkable from the centre.
Tofo Beach
A backpacker-friendly beach town known as one of the world's most reliable places to dive or snorkel with whale sharks and manta rays.
📍 Tofo, Inhambane Province
🚉 Chapas and buses run from Maputo to Inhambane in seven to nine hours, or fly in, then a chapa covers the last 22km to Tofo, where the diving and whale-shark boats leave from the beach.
Mark Mozambique, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Mozambique?
A week suits Maputo plus one coastal region - Tofo Beach or the Bazaruto Archipelago. Ten days lets you add Ilha de Mocambique in the north, though it's a considerable distance from the southern beaches.
What's the best time to visit Mozambique?
May-October (dry season) has the most comfortable temperatures and calmest diving conditions. Cyclone season runs roughly November-April, peaking January-March.
Is Mozambique good for a first-time visit?
The southern coast (Maputo, Tofo, Bazaruto) is reasonably well set up for tourism; it's worth checking current regional safety advisories for the far north, where conditions have varied in recent years.
Do I need a visa to visit Mozambique?
Many nationalities can get a visa on arrival or apply for an e-visa online in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: mirem.gov.mz.
What are some things to do in Mozambique on a tight budget?
Tofo Beach's backpacker scene keeps diving and accommodation costs lower than the Bazaruto Archipelago's resorts, local Mozambican food (piri-piri chicken, seafood) is cheap, and chapas (shared minivans) are an inexpensive way to travel between towns.
Can I rent a car in Mozambique, and what licence do I need?
Yes, and a 4x4 is worth having for the coastal sand tracks north of Vilankulo. A foreign licence in English or Portuguese is valid for visits of up to 90 days; otherwise carry an International Driving Permit. Minimum age is generally 25. Traffic drives on the left. Two practical points: police checkpoints are frequent and you must carry two reflective triangles, a reflective vest and the vehicle papers, and the EN1 highway has long unlit stretches where night driving is best avoided. Practical visitor information is collected at visitmozambique.net, and the licence rule for your own nationality is worth confirming with a Mozambican embassy before you travel.