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Private transfer car for the Maputo to Tofo drive, Mozambique

Maputo and Tofo · ~7 hours

Maputo to Tofo transfers

A Maputo to Tofo transfer is a private, door-to-door car journey between Maputo and Praia do Tofo — about seven hours up the coast in your own vehicle with a driver, instead of the pre-dawn shuttle bus or a string of chapas. It runs both ways for the same price, on your schedule rather than a timetable, so you arrive on the beach (or back in the capital) without the long-haul hassle.

$285 ≈ 18,000 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, no shared seats, no 4 a.m. departure
  • Door to door — your Maputo hotel or the airport, to your Tofo accommodation
  • Both directions, same $285 — Maputo to Tofo or Tofo to Maputo

No changes, no timetable

How the Maputo–Tofo
transfer works.

One WhatsApp message books the whole journey — no terminal, no connections, no dawn start. Here’s how it goes.

  1. 1

    You tell us the date and direction

    Your travel date, which way you’re going, and where to collect you. A sentence is enough to start.

  2. 2

    We confirm and quote it

    We check availability and send a fixed $285 fare — no per-seat maths, no surprises along the way.

  3. 3

    We collect you and drive

    Your driver picks you up at the door and takes the EN1 straight through — Maputo to Tofo, or Tofo to Maputo — at your pace, with breaks.

The route

How to get from Maputo to Tofo.

The drive from Maputo to Tofo is about 7 to 7.5 hours — roughly 470 km north on the EN1, Mozambique’s paved coastal highway. With your own car and driver it’s one straight run with breaks where you want them, and you’re dropped at your door in Tofo rather than a roadside stop.

There are four ways to make the journey, and the private transfer is not the cheapest of them. Here’s what each one costs and how long it takes, one way, as of August 2026.

Way to travelFare, one wayTimeWhen it runs
EKAYA private transfer$285 per vehicle (≈ 18,000 MZN), whatever the group size~7–7.5 hoursAny day, at a time you pick
Cheetah Express tourist shuttleMZN 2,500 per person (≈ $40)~9 hours, 06:30 to about 15:30Mondays and Thursdays to Tofo; Tuesdays and Fridays back
Nagi or Etrago coach, then ferry and chapaAbout MZN 1,575 per person (≈ $25) all in~11 hours from a 04:00 startDaily from the Junta terminal
LAM flight to Inhambane (INH), then a transferFrom about $100 per person~1h30 in the air, plus a 20-minute driveMost days

Per person the bus wins, and we’d rather say so than pretend otherwise. Split four ways, our $285 works out around $71 a head — roughly double a Cheetah Express seat. What it buys is the two hours you’d otherwise spend on the road, a departure time you choose instead of a 04:00 start at Junta, and a drop at your accommodation rather than at Tofo market with your bags. Travelling as a pair and light, take the shuttle; travelling as a family, with dive gear, or against a fixed check-in, take the car.

The coach fare is the number people most often get wrong. Nagi Investimentos and Etrago both run the Maputo–Maxixe leg from the Junta terminal at around 04:00, and the fare is MZN 1,500 under the AMOTRANS interprovincial fare table in force since 18 May 2026 — not the €100-plus that booking aggregators tend to quote. From Maxixe it’s a short ferry across the bay to Inhambane, then a chapa on to Tofo for about MZN 25. Our getting to Tofo guide walks that chain stop by stop.

It all works in reverse, too — Tofo to Maputo is the same private, door-to-door transfer for the same $285, in your own time. And if you’re flying into Tofo’s nearest airport, Inhambane (INH), we’ll meet you there for the 20-minute hop to the beach instead.

Planning the wider trip? See our Tofo travel guide and getting to Tofo — then let us handle the road.

No surprises

What's sorted before you set off.

One car, no changes
Your group in one private vehicle the whole way — no pre-dawn shuttle, no Junta chapas, no swapping vehicles in Inhambane.
Door to door
Collected at your Maputo hotel or the airport and dropped at your Tofo accommodation — or the other way around, whichever you need.
Local driver
Someone who drives the EN1 regularly, in a vehicle we pick for the day's conditions, and who'll stop for a break or a bite along the way.
Fixed $285 fare
Agreed on WhatsApp before you travel — the same price in either direction, with no per-seat charges or surprises at the end.

Before you ask

The questions we get most.

How much is a transfer from Maputo to Tofo?
A private Maputo–Tofo transfer is $285 (≈ 18,000 MZN) per vehicle, one way — and the same $285 from Tofo back to Maputo. Message us with your date and direction and we'll confirm it; no online payment, no obligation.
How long is the drive from Maputo to Tofo?
About 7 to 7.5 hours — roughly 470 km, mostly up the EN1, the paved coastal highway. We can break the drive for a stretch or a meal, and we leave when it suits you rather than at a fixed hour.
Do you run Tofo to Maputo as well?
Yes — the same private, door-to-door service in the other direction, at the same $285. Tell us which way you're going and your pickup point and we'll handle it.
Is there a bus from Maputo to Tofo?
There's no single direct bus, but two good budget routes. The Cheetah Express tourist shuttle runs Maputo to Tofo on Mondays and Thursdays, leaving around 06:30 and arriving about 15:30, for MZN 2,500 one way (back on Tuesdays and Fridays). Or take a Nagi Investimentos or Etrago coach from the Junta terminal at about 04:00 to Maxixe — MZN 1,500 under the AMOTRANS fare table in force since 18 May 2026 — then the ferry across the bay to Inhambane and a chapa on to Tofo for around MZN 25. That chain takes roughly 11 hours. Our getting to Tofo guide walks it stop by stop.
Isn't the bus cheaper than a private transfer?
Per person, yes — and we'd rather tell you that than pretend otherwise. Split four ways our $285 is about $71 a head, roughly double a Cheetah Express seat. What the transfer buys is around two hours less road, a departure time you choose instead of a 04:00 start at Junta, and a drop at your accommodation rather than at Tofo market with your bags. If you're a pair travelling light, take the shuttle; if you're a family, carrying dive gear, or working to a fixed check-in, take the car.
Can you drop us at Tofo Beach itself?
Yes — we drop at the door, wherever you're staying on Praia do Tofo, and the fare is the same for Tofinho just south or Barra up the coast. Tell us the name of your lodge, camp or guesthouse when you message and we'll take you to the gate rather than to the market.
I'm flying into Inhambane — can you pick me up?
Yes. Tofo's nearest airport is Inhambane (INH), about a 20-minute drive from the beach. If you land there, we'll meet you and run the last leg to your accommodation — just send us your flight details.
How many people and how much luggage can you take?
A comfortable private vehicle with room for your group and luggage. Tell us how many you are — and if you're hauling dive gear or boards — and we'll arrange the right vehicle.
Who drives, and is the road safe?
A local driver who knows the EN1, in a vehicle we choose for the day's conditions. It's a long but paved road — we drive it at a sensible pace, with breaks, so you arrive rested.
Do you do other routes besides Maputo and Tofo?
Yes — private transfers all along the coast: Vilanculos to Tofo, Maputo to Vilanculos, the Vilanculos airport run, and custom routes on request. Tell us where you're headed and we'll quote 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 $285 fare — Maputo to Tofo or Tofo to Maputo. No deposit to ask.

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