⛴️ Ferries
Kigoma → Kasanga (Zambia border)
MV Liemba
The world's oldest passenger steamer still sailing weekly.
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
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.