By air: Mwanza Airport (MWZ) is about 10 km north of the city centre and is the main reason most travellers actually reach Mwanza. Precision Air, Air Tanzania, and Auric Air run multiple daily flights to Dar es Salaam (about 90 minutes), and there are regular services to Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Bukoba, and seasonal connections to Entebbe in Uganda. Taxis to town cost about $10.
By bus: Buses connect Mwanza to most major Tanzanian cities but the journeys are long and rough. Dar es Salaam is around 18 hours, Arusha around 14 hours via the southern route, Moshi around 16 hours. Kampala Coach and other operators run cross-border services to Kampala in Uganda (around 12 hours), passing the western shore of the lake. Bukoba is reachable by a long road journey or — better — by the MV Victoria boat (see below).
By boat: The classic crossing of Lake Victoria to Bukoba on the MV Victoria runs overnight several times a week. Cabins are basic but adequate, and the passage at sunrise — with the lake mist clearing as you approach the western shore — is one of the most atmospheric journeys in East Africa. Buy tickets at the port a day or two in advance.
By road from the Serengeti: Mwanza's airport is the easiest access point for the western corridor of the Serengeti. The Ndabaka Gate is about 145 km east of the city, around three hours by road.