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Private transfer car for the Maputo to Bilene drive

Maputo and Bilene · 184 km · ~3h30

Maputo to Bilene transfers

A Maputo to Bilene transfer is a private, door-to-door car journey from the capital up to the lagoon town of Praia do Bilene — your own vehicle and driver for the 184 km run, about three and a half hours on the road. It works the same in both directions, and the fare doesn’t move whether we collect you at the airport, your hotel, or a house across town.

$140 ≈ 9,000 MZN

Per private vehicle · one way · same price in either direction. We confirm the fare before you book.

Request your transfer on WhatsApp
  • A private car with driver — just your group, Maputo to the lagoon
  • Any pickup point, same fare — airport, hotel or home in Maputo, the price doesn’t change
  • Both directions, same $140 — Maputo to Bilene or Bilene to Maputo
  • Fuel and tolls included — the fare we agree is the whole fare, nothing added on the road

Staying somewhere that needs a 4x4? You must tell us when you book. Our standard transfer cars aren’t 4x4s — we have 4x4s and will gladly arrange one, but we don’t run the lodges, so we can’t know which access roads need one. Check with your accommodation and let us know.

No changes, no timetable

How the Maputo–Bilene
transfer works.

Booking the Maputo–Bilene transfer takes one WhatsApp message — no terminal, no connections, no changing vehicles. Here’s how it goes.

  1. 1

    You tell us the date and direction

    Your travel date, which way you’re going, where to collect you, and the name of your lodge in Bilene. A sentence is enough to start.

  2. 2

    We confirm and quote it

    We check availability and send a fixed $140 fare — the same price from any pickup point in Maputo, with no per-seat maths and no surprises on the road.

  3. 3

    We collect you and drive

    Your driver picks you up at the door and takes the EN1 north, turning for the coast at Macia — Maputo to Bilene, or Bilene back to Maputo.

The route

How far Bilene is from Maputo.

Praia do Bilene is 184 km from Maputo and takes about three and a half hours door to door. The drive runs north on the EN1 and turns off toward the coast at Macia, which is worth knowing if you’ve been comparing figures online — quoted distances for Bilene swing between 140 and 180 km depending on whether they stop at the main road or carry on to the beach itself. Ours is the door-to-door number, because that’s the journey you’re actually buying.

Bilene is built around the Uembje Lagoon, a large saltwater lagoon held back from the open Indian Ocean by a line of high dunes. That barrier is the whole appeal: the water inside stays calm and clear where the sea beyond it doesn’t, which is why the town fills up with families and with anyone who’d rather kayak, kite-surf or swim than fight surf.

It runs the same in reverse. Bilene to Maputo is the identical private, door-to-door service for the same $140 — usually booked alongside the outbound leg for a weekend, or on its own for a return to the airport.

Carrying on up the coast instead of turning back? We drive the whole Gaza stretch — Xai-Xai, Chizavane and Chidenguele — and we’ll quote the legs together. Heading south out of Maputo instead? Ponta do Ouro is the other direction entirely — 121 km down over the Katembe bridge.

Planning the wider trip? See our full list of private transfers and the visas and entry guide — then let us handle the road.

No surprises

What's sorted before you set off.

One car, the whole way
Your group in one private vehicle from Maputo to Bilene — no terminals, no changes, no shared seats.
Any pickup, same price
Collected at Maputo airport, your hotel, or a house across town — the $140 doesn't move. No airport surcharge, no zone pricing.
Stop when you like
It's your car for the journey. Comfort stops, a stretch of the legs, or a night broken somewhere en route — just tell your driver.
Fixed $140 fare
Agreed on WhatsApp before you travel — the same price in either direction, with no per-seat charges or surprises at the end. Fuel and the road tolls are included.

Before you ask

The questions we get most.

How much is a transfer from Maputo to Bilene?
A private Maputo–Bilene transfer is $140 (≈ 9,000 MZN) per vehicle, one way — and the same $140 back to Maputo. The fare is the same wherever we collect you in Maputo, so there's no airport surcharge and no zone pricing. Message us with your date and direction and we'll confirm it; no online payment, no obligation.
How far is Bilene from Maputo, and how long does it take?
184 km, and about three and a half hours door to door. The route runs north out of Maputo on the EN1 and turns off toward the coast at Macia — which is why the distance you find online varies so much, since some measurements stop at the main road rather than carrying on to the beach. Three and a half hours is the real door-to-door time we drive it in.
Do you run Bilene back to Maputo as well?
Yes — exactly the same private, door-to-door service in the other direction, at the same $140. Most weekend trips book it both ways at once. Tell us both dates and your flight time if you have one, and we'll build the drives around them.
Can you collect us from Maputo airport?
Yes, and it costs the same. We'll meet you at Maputo International and drive straight to Bilene — the $140 is a flat fare from any pickup point in the city, so arriving by air doesn't add a surcharge. Send us your flight number and we'll track the arrival.
What is Bilene actually like?
Praia do Bilene sits on the Uembje Lagoon — a large saltwater lagoon cut off from the open Indian Ocean by a line of high sand dunes, which is what makes its water so calm and clear. That sheltered water is the reason it works for families and for anything on the surface: swimming, kayaking, kite-surfing and wake-boarding all happen on the lagoon rather than in open surf.
How many people and how much luggage can you take?
The price on this page is for a standard car — not a 4x4 — carrying up to four passengers and their luggage. If you're a bigger group, or bringing a lot of bags, just say so when you message: we'll put you in a larger vehicle or send a second car, and confirm the fare before you book. We'd rather size the car to you than squeeze you in.
Is the transfer car a 4x4? My lodge says I need one.
Our standard transfer cars aren't 4x4s — so if your lodge sits at the end of a sand or rough access track, you must tell us when you book. We do have 4x4s and will happily arrange one, but we don't run the lodges, so we can't know what each access road requires. Check with your accommodation, tell us on WhatsApp, and we'll send the right vehicle.
Can we carry on to Xai-Xai or Chidenguele afterwards?
Yes — Bilene, Xai-Xai, Chizavane and Chidenguele sit along the same stretch of coast north of Maputo, and we drive all of them. If you want to move up the coast rather than return to the capital, tell us your route and dates and we'll quote the legs together.
Do you stop on the way?
As often as you like. It's your car for the journey, so comfort stops, a stretch of the legs or a bite in Macia are all fine — just tell your driver. If you'd rather break the trip properly and stay a night somewhere en route, say so when you book and we'll build the route around it.

Last reviewed:

Tell us your date
and which way you're going.

One message and we'll confirm your driver, your pickup, and a fixed $140 fare — Maputo to Bilene or back again. No deposit to ask.

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