Tanzania

Hiking in the Usambara Mountains

The Usambara Mountains are the easternmost ranges of the Eastern Arc, about 90 km long. Their forests hold species found nowhere else, such as the Usambara eagle-owl or the African violet.

Wooded cliffs of the Usambara Mountains above a sea of clouds
Joachim Huber from Switzerland · CC BY-SA 2.0

Key facts

Before you go.

Starting point
Lushoto: bus from Dar es Salaam to Mombo (4.5 hours), then 1 hour by minibusLushoto (Wikivoyage)

Good to know

Three things to remember.

Plan the trip

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Sources · 2 pages consulted, with the exact sentence used
  1. Usambara Mountains (Wikipedia)
    The Usambara Mountains […] comprise the easternmost ranges of the Eastern Arc Mountains. The ranges are approximately 90 kilometres (56 mi) long […] The range is accessible from the towns of Lushoto in the west, and Amani in the east. Several species are endemic to the Usambara forests, including the Usambara eagle-owl […] the African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha) […] (coordinates -4.75, 38.5)
  2. Lushoto (Wikivoyage)
    To get to Lushoto from Dar es Salaam, you can take any bus to Moshi/Arusha and get off at Mombo (4½ hr). Then take a dala or coaster up to Lushoto (1 hour […]) Or there are a few buses that go straight to Lushoto from Dar. […] To come from Moshi/Arusha, you can take any bus to Dar and get off at Mombo or take Fasaha or Chakito straight to Lushoto. […] The hike up to Irente View Point can be done with or without guides.

Opening hours, prices and access conditions change: check them with the official source before you go. Viafro publishes no price without a source and a date.