Kinshasa
Kinshasa, formerly named Léopoldville from 1881 to 1966, is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Kinshasa, formerly named Léopoldville from 1881 to 1966, is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-growing megacities, with an estimated population of 18.5 million in 2026. It is the most densely populated city in the DRC, the third-most populous city and third-largest metropolitan area in Africa, the world's seventh-most populous city proper, and the fourth-most populous capital city in the world. It is the leading economic, political, and cultural center of the DRC, housing several industries including manufacturing, telecommunications, banking, and entertainment. The city also hosts some of the DRC's significant institutional buildings, such as the People's Palace, Palace of the Nation, Constitutional Court, Court of Cassation, Council of State, African Union City, Marble Palace, Government House, Kinshasa Financial Center, and other national departments and agencies.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Kinshasa
10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01martyrs' stadium
The Stade des Martyrs de la Pentecôte, commonly referred to as the Stade des Martyrs and formerly known as Stade Kamanyola, is a national multi-purpose stadium of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in Lingwala, Kinshasa. With a seating capacity of 80,000, it is the largest stadium in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the fourth-largest stadium in Africa.
1 km · a multi-sports stadium in Kinshasa · Wikipedia - 02Marien Ngouabi University
Marien Ngouabi University is the only state-funded university in the Republic of the Congo. It is located in the nation's capital Brazzaville.
8.7 km · state-funded university in the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville (IAU-019771) · Wikipedia - 03National Assembly
The National Assembly is the lower house and main legislative political body of the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is one of the two legislative bodies along with the Senate.
1.5 km · lower house of parliament in Democratic Republic of the Congo · Wikipedia - 04National Library of the Democratic Republic of Congo
National Library of the Democratic Republic of Congo is located in Kinshasa and was established in 1974 as an office within Ministry of Culture and Arts. In 1989, it became autonomous under presidential order.
3.8 km · national library · Wikipedia - 05Stade Tata Raphaël
Stade Tata Raphaël is a multi-purpose stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Originally known as Stade Roi Baudouin when it was inaugurated in 1952 and Stade du 20 Mai in 1967, it was used mostly for football matches.
2.1 km · multi-purpose stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo · Wikipedia - 06Stade Alphonse Massemba-Débat
The Alphonse Massemba-Débat Stadium in Brazzaville is one of the two national stadiums of the Congo national football team, along with the Stade Municipal de Kintélé. It is used for football matches and also has an athletics track and a handball court.
8.9 km · building in Republic of the Congo · Wikipedia - 07National Museum of the Democratic Republic of Congo
The National Museum of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a museum for the cultural history of the numerous ethnic groups and historical epochs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the capital Kinshasa. It was officially handed over to the Congolese government by representatives of South Korea in June 2019.
2 km · museum for art and ethnography in DR Congo · Wikipedia - 08Palace of the Nation
The Palace of the Nation is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is situated in Gombe, in the northern part of Kinshasa, next to the Congo River.
4.1 km · building in Democratic Republic of the Congo · Wikipedia - 09Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The senate was established in 1960, abolished in 1967 and re-established in 2003.
1.5 km · upper house of the Democratic Republic of the Congo · Wikipedia - 10Sacred Heart Cathedral, Brazzaville
The Sacred Heart Cathedral or simply Cathedral of Brazzaville, is a religious building belonging to the Catholic Church and is located in the city of Brazzaville in the African country of the Republic of Congo. The church is the seat of the Bishop of the Archdiocese of Brazzaville and is the oldest existing cathedral in central Africa.
7.1 km · building in Republic of the Congo · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
- 01Lola ya Bonobo
The world's only sanctuary for orphaned bonobos.
- 02Kinkole
A small village in the eastern part of the city's rural area.
- 03Jardin
A small village in the eastern part of the city's rural area.
- 04Parc de la Vallée de la N'Sele
- 05Mbudi Nature
A private park and relaxation area with superior views of the mighty Congo River.
From Wikivoyage: Kinshasa, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
A barbecue on a sandbank on the Congo River is a must. Renting a boat for a day with a driver and all the gear (tables, chairs, a suntent and a barbecue) costs around US$150 at the Yacht Club Kinshasa. Go for a walk/jog along the river in front of the British and German embassies. Go to church on a Sunday morning like most of the locals do.
From Wikivoyage: Kinshasa, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
There are lots of restaurants for expatriates, where you can pay in dollars but they are very expensive. Don't be surprised to pay up to US$20 for a pizza (and $40 at the hotel for one). Al Dar, near the hotel Memling. A Lebanese restaurant in the city centre. A shwarma sandwich runs about US$3, and they have taboule, hummus and desserts as well. There are many cheap roadside stalls, primarily outside Gombe.
- 01Café Conc
The most expensive restaurant in the DRC, allegedly!
- 02Le Cercle Gourmand
High class restaurant, belongs to the golf club.
From Wikivoyage: Kinshasa, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Kinshasa
- Airports
- Maya-Maya (BZV), 10 km · Ndjili (FIH), 16 km
- Stations
- N'Dolo Airport, 1.8 km
- Pointe Noire → Kinshasa387 km · quickest by air, 4h · $140–210
- Luanda → Kinshasa551 km · quickest by air, 5h 14m · $220–330
- Luanda (Ícolo e Bengo) → Kinshasa551 km · quickest by air, 5h 14m · $220–340
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Kinshasa
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Kinshasa. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get inYou might be successful with a 4x4 in the upper northern region (Bangassou - Nia Nia - Isiro) and maybe the axis Kinshasa - Lumumbashi.
- Get inThere are speed boats that go quickly for a limited number of people, or you can take the barge with local merchants if you have time.
- Get inAsk to go to , which is the ferry terminal.
From Wikivoyage: Kinshasa, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-07.
- 011,098 km
- 021,641 km
- 031,930 km
- 041,966 km
- 052,056 km
If you know how people move in Kinshasa – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Kinshasa
Kinshasa is 7 km from Brazzaville, the nearest large city, whose note carries the wider picture.
- Kasa-Vubucommune in the center of the city of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo2.4 km
- Barumbucommune in the north of the city of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo1.8 km
- Kalamucommune of the city-province of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo3 km
- Kinshasa (commune)commune in the north of the city of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo500 m
- Kintambocommune in the northwest of the city of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo5.4 km
- Ngabacommune in the south of the city of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo6.1 km