Best Tourist Places to Visit in Kigoma, Tanzania, East Africa, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Kigoma, Tanzania, East Africa, Africa

Kigoma is a Tanzanian town located in the western part of the country between 04°53′ S latitude and 29°38′ E longitude at an elevation of 775 meters. It is located on the eastern shore of Tanganyika Lake, functioning as the administrative centre of Kigoma Region. Kigoma is situated near the border of Burundi with Tanzania, around 790 km northwest of Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania and 1230 km northwest of the nation’s largest city, Dar es Salaam. Kigoma is a port town and also famous as a beach destination, receiving a substantial number of tourists for its pristine beaches on the Lake Tanganyika.

Connectivity to Kigoma:

Kigoma Airport hosts a small airport with flights from Dar es Salaam, Tabora, Mpanda and Mwanza, catered by Air Tanzania, Auric Air and Precision Air. It takes around 3 hours from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma by flight. The distance of 4 km from the airport to the town centre can be crossed by a rental vehicle.

Located on the Central Line of the Tanzania Railways Corporation, Kigoma is accessible by train from Dar es Salaam, Dodoma and Tabora. Bus connection from Kigoma to other prominent cities in the country is limited, so hiring a car would be a better option for intercity travel and sightseeing purposes.

Food and Shopping in Kigoma:

Other than traditional market, Kigoma houses many modernized shops with branded products as well as locally produced clothes and leatherworks. Sun City is one of the recommended restaurants in Kigoma.

Things to do in Kigoma:

Hiking
Swimming
Traditional shopping
Chimpanzee viewing

Tourist Attractions in Kigoma:

Lake Tanganyika:

The Lake Tanganyika is a lake with many notable titles, including the 2^nd deepest and 2^nd largest freshwater lake in the world. The lake is shared between 4 African countries, Burundi, Zambia Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The town of Kigoma is situated on the eastern shore of the lake, where visitors can enjoy different water sport activities like swimming, fishing and boating.

Ujiji:

Ujiji holds the recognition of the oldest town in western Tanzania and is also noted historically as the meeting point of many eminent personalities Henry Stanley and Dr. David Livingstone. The town also witnessed the visit of Richard Burton and John Speke, who reached the Lake Tanganyika first time at Ujiji’s shore. The town is situated around 10 km south of Kigoma.

Gombe National Park:

The Gombe National Park is situated to the north of Kigoma, which takes around 4 hours by public taxi to reach from Kigoma and costs $3.50 per way. Located around 10 miles north of Kigoma, the park is especially famous for chimpanzee viewing. The entrance fee for the park is $100 for 24 hours, which is the highest fee for any national park in Tanzania.

List of other places of interest in and around Kigoma includes:

Mahale Mountains National Park
Livingstone Museum & Memorial
Kigoma Airport
Kigoma Port
University of Dodoma
Gaddafi Mosque in Dodoma
Katavi National Park
Northern Kahama Game Reserve
Mahale Mountain National Park
Ugalla River Game Reserve
Kimisi Game Reserve
Kigosi Game Reserve
Moyowosi Game Reserve

Best time to visit Kigoma:

Throughout the year is best, especially during the months between June and October is ideal to travel Kigoma in Tanzania.

Accommodation options in Kigoma:

Visitors can find all sorts of hotels in Kigoma, mainly budget and mid range hotels that are located on the beach line offering decent facilities and services at an affordable budget. The most popular hotels in Kigoma are listed below: