Dili Microlet Routes
Microlets, the bright, numbered mini-buses, are the heartbeat of public transport in Dili. Trace all 13 routes on the map and learn to ride like a local.
All 13 routes, one map
Tap any route number to trace its loop through the city. Each microlet runs a fixed circuit; the colours here are for map clarity, not the colour of the bus.
How to ride a microlet
No tickets, no timetable, no fixed stops. Riding a microlet is wonderfully simple once you know the rhythm.
Find your route
Microlets are numbered 1 to 13 and painted in bright colours. Check the number on the windscreen against the map to be sure it is heading your way.
Flag it down
There are no fixed stops. Wait at the roadside along the route, wave as a microlet approaches, and hop in when it slows.
Pay 25 centavos
The fare is a flat 25 cents (US) for any distance. Carry small coins and hand them to the driver, or pass them forward through other passengers.
Tap to get off
As you near your destination, tap a coin on the metal handrail. The driver hears the signal and pulls over, with no need to call out.
Travel in daylight
Microlets run from early morning until dusk and are busiest around school and office hours. After dark, take a metered blue taxi instead.
Beyond Dili
For the districts, ornate long-distance buses leave when full from the Becora (east), Taibessi (south) and Tasi Tolu (west) terminals.
Routes 1 to 13
Each microlet loops through one part of the city. These are the recognisable areas along each route, handy as landmarks, not exact stops.
Microlet 1
Microlet 2
Microlet 3
Microlet 4
Microlet 5
Microlet 6
Microlet 7
Microlet 8
Microlet 9
Microlet 10
Microlet 11
Microlet 12
Microlet 13
Mapped by the community
The route geometry on this page comes from Dili Microlet Routes, an open project created in 2018 by Claudia Gee and Genghao Teo, and updated in 2024 with Kyle Scheer and Totally Timor. We are grateful for their work.
Microlet routes shift informally over time and have no official timetable. Treat this map as a friendly guide, and ask a driver or local resident if in doubt.
Going further afield?
Microlets cover Dili. To reach Atauro, Oecusse or the districts, check the ferry timetable or plan the rest of your trip.