Why visit Moshi
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 77 places to eat, 71 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Weather in Moshi
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Moshi
Moshi is a municipality and the capital of Kilimanjaro Region in the Northeastern Tanzania. As of 2017, the municipality has an estimated population of 201,150 and a population density of 3,409 persons per km2 . In the last official census of 2022, the municipality had a population of 221,733. The municipality is situated on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcano that is the highest mountain in Africa.
From the Wikipedia article Moshi, Tanzania (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Moshi on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Photos of Moshi
_Tanzania.jpg)
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes77
Patamema Coffee Shop
Restaurant · Pizza, Coffee Shop, Burger, Sandwich, Chicken, Ice Cream, Breakfast, Barbecue, Tea, Cake, Juice, Salad, African, Soup, Sausage · 3.5 km
Uru Rd, Moshi
Mo-Su 09:00-23:00
Blossoms Cafe & Wine Bar
Cafe · Burger, Pizza, Mexican, Steak House · 0.9 km
Kilima St (Hill St), Moshi
Mo-Su 07:00-22:00
Aroma Coffee House
Cafe · Regional, Burger, Sandwich, Coffee Shop · 0.7 km
Boma Road
Mo-Su 06:00-20:00
Kitchen Flavour
Restaurant · Burger, American, Coffee Shop, Chicken, Tanzanian · 1.0 km
Outdoor patio.
Bikerz Bar
Bar and pub · African, Barbecue, Burger, Grill · 2.9 km
Kisinane Road
Mo-Su 15:00-02:00
Indoitaliano Restaurant
Restaurant · Italian, Indian, Pizza · 1.1 km
Meku's
Restaurant · Barbecue, Alcohol, Lamb, Beef, Chicken, Fries, American, Coffee
Peaberry Coffee Bar
Cafe · Regional, Sandwich · 1.0 km
Boma Road, Moshi
Mo-Sa 6:00-20:00
Maison's Patio Bar & Restaurant
Restaurant · 1.0 km
Mo-Su 11:00-23:30
65 more on the map.
History
Previously divided into nine mitaa (chiefdoms), in the mid-19th century the region was unified by Mangi Rindi of the Tarimo clan to found the Chagga state of Moshi (termed "Old Moshi"). Rindi sought protection from the expansionist mangi of Kibosho through diplomacy and the establishment of alliances. One of the avenues he took was to foster relations with the newly-arrived Europeans, and he hosted Christian missionaries and representatives of the German Empire, to whom he managed to project and maintain an oversized image as the most powerful ruler on Kilimanjaro.
In 1885, seeking to win favour with the encroaching Europeans, Rindi permitted the establishment of a Christian mission in Old Moshi and signed a treaty with the German government. However he saw his sovereignty eroded when in 1887 the German East Africa Company established a station in Old Moshi, and in 1891 when the German government extended its authority to Kilimanjaro. Rindi avoided military resistance, instead relying again on diplomacy, but while his prestige was retained, his power greatly decreased. Old Moshi became the administrative centre of German rule on Kilimanjaro. In 1891 he hosted the German army prior to their conquest of Kibosho, and died later that year.
Read more of the history
The German colonizers established a military camp in lower Moshi after their victory at the Battle of Moshi (against Rindi's successor, Mangi Meli) named Neumoschi in August 1892. Following the spreading of rumours by Marealle (mangi of Marangu, rival of Moshi and Kibosho) of a widespread conspiracy to expel the German administration, 19 leaders (including Meli) were executed by hanging and shooting at a tree by Meli's boma in Old Moshi. According to Father Schneider, a missionary active in East Africa during the period, by 1906 Moshi had developed into an important politico-military and commercial center. The town hosted German colonial authorities as well as Greek and Indian traders. The northern line railroad reached Moshi in 1912, and Moshi was connected to Tanga via Usambara Railway.
Beginning in the 1920s, after Tanganyika became a British mandate, Moshi experienced significant urban population growth. By 1920, the town's population had reached 3,000 inhabitants. This number increased to 29,423 by 1967 and further rose to 96,631 by 1988. In 2012, Moshi was home to 184,292 residents, and by 2017, the population had exceeded 200,000.
Moshi attained the status of a town in 1956. In 1988, it became a municipality under Tanzanian law, but as of 31 October 2014, the process for submitting its application to become a city was in its final stages. Moshi is administratively divided into 21 wards and then subdivided into 60 hamlets.
From the History section of Moshi, Tanzania on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Moshi
Economy
As the capital of the region, it is the center of government activities, trade, finance, and tourism. In the first half of the 20th century, Moshi was traditionally an important railway town, center of banana agriculture, and commercial producer of pyrethrum.
Moshi is one of tourism centers in the northern safari circuit of Tanzania. The closest tourism spots include Kilimanjaro National Park, Mkomazi National Park, Lake Jipe, and Lake Chala. There are also several waterfalls, natural springs, and tropical forests. Tours can also be arranged from Moshi to other areas such as Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, and Tarangire National Park. The city has several hotels and recreation centers.
Education
Like all of Tanzania, Moshi has universal primary education. According to the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey 2010, the Kilimanjaro Region, which includes Moshi, had the second highest female literacy rate and the third highest male literacy rate among Tanzania's then-existing 26 regions. According to the Tanzania Poverty and Human Development Report 2005, the Moshi urban district had the highest literacy rate for persons over 15 years of age when compared to any of the 128 other districts in Tanzania.
Moshi hosts a number of higher education facilities, which include the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College (KCMCo), the Stefano Moshi Memorial University College (SMMUCo), the Mwenge Catholic University (MWECAU), the Moshi Co-operative University (MoCU), the College of African Wildlife Management (CAWM), the Kilimanjaro School of Pharmacy (KSP), and the Tanzania Training Centre for Orthopaedic Technologists (TATCOT).
KCMCo is a campus of Tumaini University. It was started in 1997 and offers a number of medical courses. The college is located within the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre complex, about 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) from Moshi.
From the Wikipedia article Moshi, Tanzania, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay71
Churches and places of worship6
Shopping26
Gas and EV charging10
Schools, colleges and libraries105
Moshi University College of Cooperative & Business Studies
School · 1.7 km
Healthcare25
Edcon Health Laboratory Malaria Testing
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.6 km
Kiusa Street
Map of Moshi
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Moshi Airport (QSI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 km away.
- Boma la Ngombe 20 km west, about 20 min by car
- Kingori 40 km west, about 40 min by car
- Merelani 46 km southwest, about 46 min by car
- Tarakea 47 km northeast, about 47 min by car
- Mbuguni 49 km southwest, about 49 min by car
- Usa River 54 km west, about 54 min by car
- Usangi 54 km southeast, about 54 min by car
- Nkoaranga 54 km west, about 54 min by car
- Lembeni 58 km southeast, about 58 min by car
- Poli 57 km west, about 57 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Keep exploring
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Kilimanjaro Moshi, Stig Nygaard from Copenhagen, Denmark, CC BY 2.0
- Regional Dermatology Training Center Moshi Tanzania, Gadogado123, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Library Regional Dermatology Training Center, Moshi, Tanzania, 2010, Gadogado123, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Meru from Korongoni, Moshi, Mnazini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mount Kilimanjaro from Moshi, Ganeshpednekar, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kiusa ward, Moshi, Halidtz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View of west Kiusa Ward, Moshi, Halidtz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Moshi, Tanzania, Lebu Ayiga, CC BY 4.0
- Moshi - Tanzania, Lebu Ayiga, CC BY 4.0
- Moshi,Tanzania, Lebu Ayiga, CC BY 4.0
- Soko la Kati, Moshi (Kilimanjaro) Tanzania, Agness Abubakar Saidi, CC0
- Uuzaji wa mananasi katika soko kuu Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Beatrice Mushi, CC0
- Mt.Kilimanjaro, Moshi, Lebu Ayiga, CC BY 4.0
- Moshi,Tanzania🇹🇿, Lebu Ayiga, CC BY 4.0
- Moshi-Tanzania, Lebu Ayiga, CC BY 4.0
- Moshi-town, Tanzania, Lebu Ayiga, CC BY 4.0
- Bajaji Barabarani Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Agness Abubakar Saidi, CC0
- Moshi facing Mt.Kilimanjaro, Lebu Ayiga, CC BY 4.0
- Moshi.Tanzania, Lebu Ayiga, CC BY 4.0
- Moshi,🇹🇿, Lebu Ayiga, CC BY 4.0
- Moshi-Tz, Lebu Ayiga, CC BY 4.0
- Moshi, Lebu Ayiga, CC BY 4.0
- Ijumaa Masjid, Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Halidtz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Moshi,Opp bus terminal, Lebu Ayiga, CC BY 4.0
- UWCEastAfrica Alternativesecondaryversion CMYK, Mwegelo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wikicommon Kilimanjaro, AlvinDulle, CC0
- Member discussing on comming up with a better idea for the challenge, Francakiria, CC0
- Members outlining knowledge available with what is missing for the challenge, Francakiria, CC0
- Vulkan Kibo, Thomas Andy Branson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mt.Kilimanjaro, Lebu Ayiga, CC BY 4.0
- Evening Katolo, NyalusiAsembo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Late evening Katolo, NyalusiAsembo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Katolo learner, NyalusiAsembo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Young lady in Katolo, NyalusiAsembo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Late katolo for leisure, NyalusiAsembo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Simple katolo draft, NyalusiAsembo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- בז'ז'י ברחוב במושי, Oritkis, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fresh fruits and vegetables at a local market in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania, Agness Abubakar Saidi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Vendors at a local market in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania, Agness Abubakar Saidi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kilimanjaro road - panoramio, Wolf Godie, CC BY-SA 3.0
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