Ferries route

Kigoma → Kasanga (Zambia border)

The world's oldest passenger steamer still sailing weekly.

MV Liemba
2-3 days for the full run
$25-80

Launched in Germany in 1913 as the Graf Goetzen and famously scuttled and raised on Lake Tanganyika, the MV Liemba is a living piece of history. Sailing the full length of the lake from Kigoma down to Kasanga at the Zambian border, she calls at a string of road-less villages - Mahale for the chimps, Lagosa for Katavi - picking up coffee and passengers along the shore. Nothing about the journey is fast or precisely scheduled, which is exactly the point: three days of mountain-backed sunsets from the top deck rank among Africa's great slow-travel experiences.

Operator: MV Liemba
Frequency: Roughly fortnightly
Typical duration: 2-3 days for the full run
Price range: $25-80
Luggage: About 30 kg; more by arrangement at the port

Service classes

Deck
1st class cabin
2nd class cabin

On the route

Every image is license-verified for commercial reuse; photographers are credited where the license requires it.

Kigoma → Kasanga (Zambia border) — photograph 2 — Emilio Sánchez Hernández, via Pexels

Kigoma → Kasanga (Zambia border) — photograph 3 — Ric Andy, via Pexels

Booking information

Book through the Marine Services Company Limited office in Kigoma a few days ahead. Cabins sell out first; deck class is sold on the day.

Good to know

The schedule bends around cargo, so timing varies widely - confirm the sailing in Kigoma before planning around it and be ready to wait a day or two. Bring your own bedding for deck class, cash in small notes, and mosquito repellent; the ship moors offshore at most stops and passengers come out by canoe.

Times and fares are curated guidelines, not a live timetable. Always confirm before you travel.

Continue the journey

Other ferries routes

Kigoma → Kasanga (Zambia border)

Service classes

On the route

Booking information

Good to know

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