Copperbelt Province · Zambia
Kitwe travel guide
Kitwe is a city in Copperbelt Province, Zambia, home to about 625,000 people.
- Best months
- April to August
- Nearest airport
- NLA37 km · Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport
- Currency
- ZMWZambian Kwacha
- Time zone
- Africa/Lusaka
- Language
- English
About
About Kitwe
Kitwe is the third largest city in terms of infrastructure development (after Lusaka and Ndola) and second largest city in terms of size and population (after Lusaka) in Zambia. With a population of 661,901 as of the 2022 census, Kitwe is one of the most developed commercial and industrial areas in the nation, alongside Ndola and Lusaka.
Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Kitwe
Do
- Chembe Bird Sanctuary
- Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Kitwe
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Kitwe are April to August. October is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; January is the wettest, with about 300 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 Kitwe: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport (NLA), about 37 km from the city centre in a straight line.
NLA · Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Kitwe
Eat
At the Arabian Nights restaurant, frequented by locals and visitors, the menu offers interesting and diverse eating. Try the Nile Perch fillet on a bed of mushroom risotto. For Italian food, try Mona Lisa at the Parklands Shopping Center. A popular restaurant with efficient service and a wide variety of dishes, Mona Lisa is frequented by both locals and visitors, particularly on weekends. For a hassle-free evening, it is advisable to go on a weekday, as the area is particularly crowded on weekends. For Indian food try Dannys restaurant, Hotel Edinburgh and Havmore restaurant. These restaurants are popular for Tandoori chicken, Chicken curry and Naan.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Kitwe: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Kitwe?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Kitwe are April to August. October is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; January is the wettest, with about 300 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Kitwe?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport (NLA), about 37 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Kitwe?
Zambian Kwacha (ZMW).
Nearby
Destinations near Kitwe
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.