How to get to Tofo.

From Maputo

Tofo is reached via Inhambane — either fly to Inhambane Airport (INH) and transfer, or drive the EN1.

• Fly (LAM) + transfer ~1h30 · from $100

  LAM hops Maputo → Inhambane (INH), then a 30-min transfer to Tofo.

  See this transfer →

• Self-drive on the EN1 ~7 hours · ~470 km

  Step-by-step

  1. Carry cash meticais for the toll gates, and keep each slip for the next one.
  2. From Maputo, take the ringroad and follow signs to Xai-Xai, then keep north to the Inhambane turn (~7 hours).
  3. Entering Inhambane, follow the signs for “Praia do Tofo”. Paved the whole way; the last 22 km is easy.

  Rent a car for this drive →

• Bus — Nagi, via Maxixe ~8–9 hours · from MZN 1,500

  Step-by-step

  1. Air-conditioned, reclining seats — the reliable bus option. Buy your ticket a day or two ahead at the Nagi office (Junta terminal); same-day isn’t recommended. Either way, be there well before the ~04:00 departure.
  2. The bus drops you in Maxixe — a midway stop, not the last one, so tell the driver you’re getting off there. Walk ~5 min to the ferry, leave luggage at the front (not at your seat), buy your ticket and wait; it leaves once full (~30 min wait, ~30 min crossing).
  3. Cross to Inhambane city, then walk to the market opposite.
  4. Take a chapa from there — ask for “Tofo” or “Praia do Tofo” (~25 MZN) — to Tofo Market. In a group or with luggage? We can drive you straight to your hotel instead.

• EKAYA private transfer Private ~7 hours · $285 · 18,000 MZN

  Fixed-price, door-to-door, your timing.

  See this transfer →

From Johannesburg

There’s no direct flight to Inhambane — the fastest air route is via Maputo: fly Johannesburg → Maputo, then the LAM hop to Inhambane (INH) and a 30-minute transfer to Tofo. Driving is also possible via the Lebombo or Kosi Bay border.

• Fly (connect in Maputo) + transfer ~4–5h · from $350

  Step-by-step

  No direct flight to Inhambane — connect in Maputo. INH is 22 km from Tofo; transfer ~30 min. Leave a buffer so a LAM schedule shift doesn’t break the connection.

  See this transfer →

• Self-drive via Lebombo or Kosi Bay border ~12–14 hours · break overnight

  Step-by-step

  1. Plan ~13 hours of driving for the ~1,000 km — most people break overnight in Maputo. You could detour via eSwatini, Kruger, or the Panorama Route on the way.
  2. Cross during daylight at Komatipoort / Ressano Garcia (the SA–Mozambique border): it opens 06:00 in low season, 24h in high season. Ignore the “runners” touting fake help at the border — do the paperwork yourself (it’s easy) and check your passport stamps are dated correctly.
  3. Just before Maputo, take the ringroad and follow signs to Xai-Xai, then keep north to the Inhambane turn. Entering Inhambane, follow the signs for “Praia do Tofo”.
  4. SA-registered vehicles need a Mozambican third-party insurance disc. See our self-drive guide.

From Vilanculos

• Self-drive Vilanculos → Tofo ~5 hours · ~280 km

  Step-by-step

  1. From Vilanculos, drive back to the EN1 and head south toward Maxixe, then on to Inhambane.
  2. Entering Inhambane, follow the signs for “Praia do Tofo”. Paved the whole way.

  Rent a car for this drive →

• Bus — Nagi, via Maxixe at least 7 hours · Bus from MZN 1,000 + ferry & chapa

  Step-by-step

  1. Buy your ticket a day or two ahead at the Nagi office in Vilanculos — same-day isn’t recommended, as buses fill up in high season. Several buses run; the earliest are faster, with fewer stops.
  2. It’s a pre-dawn departure, so arrange a ride to the stop the night before — we can run you there from your accommodation. Don’t expect a real terminal — buses line up on the main road with little signage, which is tricky in the dark or without Portuguese, and several leave at once, so double-check you’re on the right one.
  3. The bus drops you in Maxixe (~4 hours). It’s a midway stop, not the last one, so tell the driver you’re getting off there — it’s easy to doze off and miss it.
  4. From Maxixe, walk ~5 min to the ferry — really a big wooden boat. Leave luggage at the front (not at your seat), buy your ticket, and wait; it leaves once full (~30 min wait, ~30 min crossing).
  5. From the Inhambane jetty, walk to the market and take a chapa — ask for “Tofo” or “Praia do Tofo” (~25 MZN) — to Tofo Market. In a group or with luggage? We can drive you straight to your hotel instead.

• EKAYA private transfer Private ~4.5 hours · $190 · 12,000 MZN

  See this transfer →

From Inhambane

Tofo is just 22 km east of Inhambane city — the easiest leg in this whole table.

• Self-drive ~30 min

  Paved road. Easy.

  Rent a car for this drive →

• Chapa (shared minibus) ~30–40 min · MZN 25 (more with big bags)

  Step-by-step

  Cheap and easy. Pick up from Inhambane bus terminal or near the market. Wait for the chapa to fill before it leaves.

• Lodge or EKAYA transfer Private ~30 min · ~$25–40

  Ask about a private transfer →