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Kinshasa
Capital and most populous city of DR Congo

Kinshasa

Kinshasa, formerly named Léopoldville from 1881 to 1966, is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Plan a trip to Kinshasa→From Pointe Noire

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.

See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    Lola ya Bonobo

    The world's only sanctuary for orphaned bonobos.

  2. 02
    Kinkole

    A small village in the eastern part of the city's rural area.

  3. 03
    Jardin

    A small village in the eastern part of the city's rural area.

  4. 04
    Parc de la Vallée de la N'Sele
  5. 05
    Mbudi Nature

    A private park and relaxation area with superior views of the mighty Congo River.

Do

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.

Eat

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.

  1. 01
    Café Conc

    The most expensive restaurant in the DRC, allegedly!

  2. 02
    Le Cercle Gourmand

    High class restaurant, belongs to the golf club.

How locals move

Getting around Kinshasa the local way

  • 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. Last edited 2026-07.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.