Moshi is a small, lively town settled on the slopes of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania.
The pleasant town of Moshi is the trekking base for Mount Kilimanjaro—Africa’s tallest mountain. This place is also the center of coffee production in Tanzania.
Moreover, it’s also close to popular sites, such as the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tarangire National park, Arusha National Park, and Lake Manyara National Park. This bustling yet tranquil town is an exciting place to travel on foot as you can visit local markets and shops that sell fresh produce and other interesting items.
Most people who visit Moshi come to climb Mount Kilimanjaro—a dormant volcano in Tanzania. However, if you have a short stay and want to do many things in Moshi, here are the top ten things you can do in Moshi with limited time:
Visiting the Kikuletwa hot springs or the Chemka hot springs is one of the top things to do in Moshi. These hot springs are slightly closer to Moshi than Arusha and will take about an hour to get there from Moshi. It’s one of the attractions in Moshi, Tanzania, that can be found by traveling along the main road, into the dry bush, passing through the Maasai villages and acacia trees. It’s one of the local attractions in the area and is a natural oasis with a beautiful green geothermal pool covered by fig trees. The water isn’t exactly ‘hot’ but is instead lukewarm. It’s fun and refreshing as you will be breaking away from the heat of the sun, and it’s a great spot to unwind after the challenging climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. It’s also one of the most in-demand day trips spots from Moshi, but mainly through the weekends when the locals and volunteers head there to enjoy their day off. The place doesn’t have a lot of facilities, but there are squat toilets, a bar, and a food stand that serves mayai chips. It’s also best to note that the ‘changing room’ isn’t super private as its walls are only made of palm tree leaves. If you wish to camp there, you can bring your equipment and tent. The entry fee per person is 10,000 TSH, while the camping cost per person is 15,000 TSH. While you can reach there by riding a dala-dala (minibus), we recommend taking the safer route by booking with one of our guides. For an all-inclusive trip, you can reach one of the trusted local tour operators like Easy Travel to arrange a viewing of the attractions in Moshi.
If you’re fascinated by animal conservation, you can visit the Makoa Farm. Makoa Farm can be found on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and offers horse riding day trips around the farm and the Arusha National Park. In this place, you’ll find the Kilimanjaro Animal CREW (Center for Rescue, Education, and Wildlife in Tanzania), nursing orphaned and injured animals. Furthermore, you can meet with other animals and walk with monkeys.
The Rau Forest is another must-see place in Moshi, located on the outskirts of the town and it’s an excellent place to be in if you want to be away from the noisy city life. Here, you can go bird watching, cycling or take a nature walk. It would also be great to visit the Sacred Tree and watch the black and white colobus monkeys.