Republic of the Congo
Brazzaville travel guide
Brazzaville is a city in Republic of the Congo, home to about 2,146,000 people.
- Best months
- June to August
- Nearest airport
- BZV3 km · Maya-Maya International Airport
- Currency
- XAFCentral African CFA franc
- Time zone
- Africa/Brazzaville
- Language
- French
About
About Brazzaville
Brazzaville is the capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo. Administratively, it is a department and a commune.
Brazzaville was a relatively well-developed and thriving city before the civil war began in 1997. Although there is still some fighting in the rural areas, it is a safe city to visit, but the infrastructure has been run down. Many of its restaurants and hotels are run by Lebanese immigrants.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Brazzaville
See
- Palais du Peuple
- Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza Memorial
- Le Palais des Congrès
- Brazzaville Zoo
- Basilique Sainte-Anne of the Congo
- Sacred Heart Cathedral
Do
- Corniche
- Tennis Club
- Brazzaville Golf Club
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Brazzaville
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Brazzaville are June to August. March is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; November is the wettest, with about 257 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Brazzaville: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Maya-Maya International Airport (BZV), about 2.8 km from the city centre in a straight line; Ndjili International Airport (FIH, 23 km) is also within reach.
Getting around
You may use local green taxis, even if they are in a poor technical condition. Much as you would anywhere, take a security-first approach to taxis: refuse to hop into any car that has two or more people in it already. One trip anywhere in town is FCFA 1,000. Being situated on the Congo River, you can quickly get around the city by boat.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
BZV · Maya-Maya International Airport
FIH · Ndjili International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Brazzaville
Eat
Eat at Mami Wata (great pizzas in the afternoon, enjoy the view of Kinshasa over the Congo River) or Nenuphar (great steaks). For Muslims there are very few places to go out for eating like La Mandarine, one of the Lebanese restaurants in the city. On the Avenue Foch are few restaurants and cafes where you can get coffee, snacks and dinner. Halal food can be found in all Lebanese restaurants. There are several great restaurants in Brazzaville. Any taxi driver can take you to one of these nicer places (FCFA 5000-15000). Most places are closed on Sundays. Expect beers to be overpriced here (FCFA 1000 to 2000).
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Brazzaville: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Brazzaville?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Brazzaville are June to August. March is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; November is the wettest, with about 257 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Brazzaville?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Maya-Maya International Airport (BZV), about 2.8 km from the city centre in a straight line; Ndjili International Airport (FIH, 23 km) is also within reach.
What currency is used in Brazzaville?
Central African CFA franc (XAF).
Nearby
Destinations near Brazzaville
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.