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Voykit pocket guide · Mozambique
Maputo
Maputo is a two-day city: walk the Baixa (fort, market, Iron House, cathedral) in the morning, rest through the heat, ride a taxi to dinner, and never walk between the two after dark.
Maputo's sights sit in a few hundred metres of grid-plan streets, so a first visit is short and easy in daylight. Trips go wrong on the edges: a midday walk in the humid season, a suitcase in a shared minibus (chapa), a phone in hand after dark, and no ride arranged from the airport. Four small clusters cover the centre; Ponta do Ouro and Tofo are trips away from a kept bed.
- Country
- Mozambique
- Best months
- Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct
- Time zone
- Africa/Maputo
- Stay
- 2 days: Baixa morning, fort and station, museum; seafood dinner by taxi
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MZN
- Money
- Cash for taxis, markets and small cafés; cards in hotels, malls and some restaurants; ride-hailing apps may take cards. Carry small notes in meticais; MT 1,000 notes are hard to change.
- Daily spend
- Budget MT 1,500–3,000 excl. bed · Mid MT 3,000–7,000 excl. bed · High MT 7,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Buy a Vodacom, Movitel or Tmcel SIM at a branded shop or the airport (passport needed; registration required, check) or install an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police 119 · Ambulance 117 · Fire 198
- Plugs
- 220 V, 50 Hz; sockets take types C and F (and sometimes M). Bring an adaptor.
- Tipping
- Not fixed. Round up for drivers; 10% in restaurants if no service charge is on the bill; small tips for porters.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; use bottled or filtered water. Ice in restaurants is generally fine.
- Toilets
- Hotels, cafés, malls and museums; carry tissue and small change.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (bica or galão) | MT 40–100 |
| Pastel de nata or rissol | MT 40–100 |
| Sit-down restaurant meal | MT 500–1,500 |
| Prawn lunch (per kilo) | MT 900–1,800 |
| Beer: bottle in a bar | MT 60–150 |
| Taxi across the centre | MT 300–600 |
| Chapa (minibus) ride | MT 10–25 |
| Bottle of water | MT 25–50 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Maputo International Airport (MPM)
- MPM to the Baixa: one pre-booked hotel car or airport taxi, 20–45 minutes — the risk is landing with no ride arranged and a taxi driver who names a tourist fare, not the distance.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo International Airport (MPM) (Aeroporto Internacional de Maputo) | International and domestic flights | Taxi 15–30 min, MT 400–800 |
| Estação Central dos CFM (Estação Central) | Nearby and border lines (check) | Walk 12 min or taxi |
| Junta bus terminal and long-distance buses (Terminal de Autocarros) | Long-distance buses to Xai-Xai, Beira and Johannesburg | Taxi 15–25 min |
| Ferry terminal (Catembe) (Terminal do Ferry) | Ferry to Catembe | Walk 10 min or taxi |
Typical fares
- Airport → Baixa, taxi
- MT 400–800, 15–30 min (agree first)
- Baixa → Polana, taxi
- MT 300–500, 10–15 min
- Baixa → Costa do Sol, taxi
- MT 500–900, 20–35 min
- Chapa ride
- MT 10–25
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside the Baixa in the morning, take taxis or ride-hailing everywhere else. Chapas are cheap and crowded; buses are few and slow.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Inside the Baixa in the morning |
| Taxi (agree first or metered) | MT 300–600 across the centre | Between clusters, at night, with bags |
| Ride-hailing (Yango or Bolt, check) | MT 250–500 | Airport and night trips |
| Chapa (shared minibus) | MT 10–25 | Cheap local hops |
| Local bus | MT 10–20 | Some routes |
| Ferry to Catembe | MT 30–100 (check) | A cheap bay crossing |
| Motorbike taxi | MT 50–150 | Not recommended |
| Hired car with driver | MT 4,000–8,000 a day (check) | Day trips and Costa do Sol |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Agree the taxi fare before you get in or use a ride-hailing app if it works on your SIM.
- Late at night
- No metro or timetable to plan around; taxis are the after-dark option.
See and do
01Mercado Central at 08:00
Fruit, fish and spices in a covered market; cool and full of life early.
Hours: best 07:30–09:30 · Price: Free; buy small · Time: 45–60 minHours: best 7:30 AM–9:30 AM · Price: Free; buy small · Time: 45–60 min · -25.9709, 32.5748
02Central Railway StationEstação Central dos CFM
A landmark iron and stone hall; the best building in the city.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 15–20 min · -25.9718, 32.5710
03Fortaleza de Maputo
The oldest building, with a courtyard and cannon.
Hours: best 08:30–10:30 · Price: MT 50–150 (check) · Time: 45 minHours: best 8:30 AM–10:30 AM · Price: MT 50–150 (check) · Time: 45 min · -25.9738, 32.5716
04Casa de Ferro (Iron House)Casa de Ferro
A prefabricated iron house on the main square; a quick, odd sight.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free outside · Time: 10 min · -25.9689, 32.5735
05Maputo CathedralCatedral de Maputo
A tall white cathedral on Independence Square.
Hours: best Weekday morning · Price: Free · Time: 15 min · -25.9683, 32.5740
06Museu Nacional de Arte
Mozambican painting and sculpture, including Malangatana.
Hours: best Late morning · Price: MT 50–200 (check) · Time: 1 h
07Jardim TunduruJardim Tunduru
Shade and benches in the middle of the Baixa.
Hours: best 07:00–09:00 · Price: Free · Time: 30 minHours: best 7:00 AM–9:00 AM · Price: Free · Time: 30 min
08A prawn lunch in the BaixaCamarão no Baixa
Grilled prawns by weight; the local treat.
Hours: best 12:00–13:30 · Price: MT 800–1,800 · Time: 1 hHours: best 12:00 PM–1:30 PM · Price: MT 800–1,800 · Time: 1 h
09Costa do Sol at sunsetRestaurante Costa do Sol
Seafood on the bay; a taxi both ways.
Hours: best 17:00–19:00 · Price: MT 1,000–2,500 · Time: 2 hHours: best 5:00 PM–7:00 PM · Price: MT 1,000–2,500 · Time: 2 h
10Catembe ferry
A cheap half-day across the bay.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Ferry and lunch · Time: 3–4 h
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Catembe | Ferry 30 min or bridge | Half day |
| Inhaca Island | Boat 1.5–2 h | Full day |
| Ponta do Ouro | Car or shuttle 3–4 h | Overnight |
| Bilene | Bus or car 2.5–3 h | Overnight |
| Maputo Special Reserve | Car 2–3 h (check) | Full day |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pastelarias da Baixa (bakery cafés) | Galão and pastel de nata · Baixa | MT 100–250 | Budget |
| Prawn lunch in the Baixa (walk-in restaurants) | Grilled prawns by weight · Baixa | MT 800–1,800 | Mid-range |
| Piri-piri chicken in Polana | Half piri-piri chicken · Polana | MT 500–1,200 | Mid-range |
| Mercado do Peixe (fish market) | Fresh seafood cooked at the grill · Marginal | MT 700–1,600 | Mid-range |
| Costa do Sol (seafood restaurant on the bay) | Prawns with a bay view · Costa do Sol | MT 1,000–2,500 | Higher |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Addresses change: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | MT 700–1,500 dorm bed · MT 2,000–3,500 double | Baixa and Alto Maé | Hostels, guest houses |
| mid | MT 4,000–8,000 | Baixa, Polana | Business hotels |
| high | MT 10,000–25,000+ | Polana, Sommerschield | International hotels |
Per room per night in meticais, 2026 estimate; Christmas and holidays add 20–50%.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Bom diabom DEE-ah |
| Thank you (man / woman) | Obrigado / Obrigadaoh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah |
| How much is this? | Quanto custa?KWAN-too KOOS-tah |
| Not spicy, please | Sem picante, por favorsem pee-KAN-tch, poor fah-VOR |
| Delicious! | Delicioso!deh-lee-SEE-oh-zoo |
| The bill, please | A conta, por favorah KON-tah, poor fah-VOR |
| Stop here, please | Pare aqui, por favorPAH-ree ah-KEE, poor fah-VOR |
| Help! | Socorro!soh-KOH-hoo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greetings: Greet with a handshake and bom dia or boa tarde; take your time before business.
- Churches: Cover shoulders and knees; no photos during Mass.
- Photos: Ask before photographing people; do not photograph police, military, government buildings, ports or bridges.
- Tipping: Not fixed: round up for drivers; 10% in restaurants if no service charge is added.
- Dress: Casual and modest; swimwear only at the beach.
- Queues: Loose at markets; orderly in banks.
- Time: Meetings and meals start late; do not rush.
- Hospitality: You may be offered food; accept a small amount as a courtesy.
Red lines
- Do not photograph police, soldiers, the port or government buildings.
- Ask before photographing people, especially in markets.
Scams and watch-outs
- Taxi drivers who quote a "tourist fare" or refuse to agree one: agree the fare first or use a hotel car.
- Police who ask for a fine or a payment: stay calm, show a photocopy of your passport and ask for a written receipt.
- Prices per kilo at seafood markets that become a higher total: agree the total in meticais first.
- Phone and bag snatching on the street: keep phones out of hand and bags in front.
- Money changers on the street: use a bank or an exchange office.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover or the day before flying on. Skip: Catembe and a beach day.
- 07:307:30 AMMercado Central
- 09:009:00 AMCasa de Ferro and the cathedral
- 10:0010:00 AMFortaleza and the station
- 12:3012:30 PMPrawn lunch
- 15:003:00 PMMuseu Nacional de Arte
- 17:305:30 PMTaxi to Costa do Sol for sunset
2 days
The usual short stay. Skip: A beach day or Catembe.
Day 1 — The Baixa
- 07:307:30 AMMercado Central
- 09:009:00 AMCasa de Ferro and the cathedral
- 12:3012:30 PMPrawn lunch
Day 2 — Fort, station, art
- 08:308:30 AMFortaleza
- 10:0010:00 AMStation
- 11:3011:30 AMMuseu Nacional de Arte
- 18:006:00 PMPiri-piri dinner in Polana
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- UK FCDO foreign travel advice: Mozambique: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mozambique
- Wikivoyage — Maputo: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Maputo
- Wikitravel — Maputo: wikitravel.org/en/Maputo
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Maputo
Por favor, leve-me a este endereço
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- Estação Central dos CFMCentral Railway Station (CFM)
- Casa de FerroCasa de Ferro (Iron House)
- Catedral de MaputoCatedral de Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Maputo Cathedral)
- Jardim TunduruJardim Tunduru (Tunduru Gardens)
- Camarão no BaixaPrawn lunch in the Baixa (walk-in restaurants)
- Restaurante Costa do SolCosta do Sol (seafood restaurant on the bay)
Most embassies are in Sommerschield and the centre; check before you go.
Show the address with the street name and a landmark; mobile navigation works but names differ from signs. Carry small notes and a photocopy of your passport.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/maputo). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.