Yaoundé
Yaoundé is the capital city of Cameroon.
It has a population of more than 2.8 million, which makes it the second-largest city in the country after the port city Douala. It lies in the Centre Region of the nation at an elevation of about 750 metres (2,500 ft) above sea level.
Getting to Yaoundé
- 01Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport
- 02Gare-voyageur de Yaoundé is located just north
Train travel is an experience in itself, like is often the case in developing countries.
Worth seeing
The city's not really set up for tourists, but some fun things to see are the Mvog Betsi Zoo (primates and lions, with a kid's playground), the Mokolo Market (very big and in-your-face), Mont Febe, or maybe the swimming pools of some of the hotels — see Buy and Do sections below. The city centre houses government offices, some hotels, and the central market.
Things to do
- 01Salon Promote
Central Africa's biggest industry and artisany fair, taking place every third year.
- 02Club Noah
The club of the tennis player and singer Yannick Noah.
- 03Club France
Big, clean pool and a smaller one for children.
- 04Hotel Franco
Where to eat
Yaoundé's restaurants mainly offer local and French cuisine. There are also some Chinese and North African restaurants. Toilets in restaurants are usually dirty, so if possible go to the toilet elsewhere, before or after you go to the restaurant. Good markets for food shopping are Mfoudi and Mkolo, listed above. At markets food are always not sold by kilogrammes or litres.
Getting around Yaoundé the local way
- Get aroundShared taxis, known by their yellow colour, are plentiful and the way to go.
- Get aroundPerhaps surprisingly, moto taxis are restricted operate only in their own district, so they are suitable just for short trips.
From Wikivoyage: Yaoundé, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Happiraphael (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.