Luanda Province · Angola
Luanda travel guide
Luanda is a city in Luanda Province, Angola, home to about 2,487,000 people.
- Best months
- June to November
- Nearest airport
- LAD2 km · Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport
- Currency
- AOAkwanza
- Time zone
- Africa/Luanda
- Language
- Portuguese
About
About Luanda
Luanda is the capital and largest city of Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre.
Luanda was founded in 1575 under the name São Paulo de Loanda by a hundred families of settlers and four hundred soldiers. Two forts were constructed in the early 17th century and the city became Portuguese Angola's administrative centre in 1627. From the late 16th century until 1836, Luanda was the port where nearly all slaves bound for Brazil left.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Luanda
See
- Fortress of São Miguel
- São Pedro da Barra Fortress
- Museum of Money
- National Museum of Slavery
- National Museum of Natural History
- National Museum of Anthropology
- Igreja do Carmo
- Igreja da Nazare
- Church of Our Lady of Remedies
- Agostinho Neto Mausoleum
- Old Town
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Luanda
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Luanda are June to November. March is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; April is the wettest, with about 144 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 Luanda: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport (LAD), about 2.3 km from the city centre in a straight line; Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport (NBJ, 38 km) is also within reach.
Getting in
Despite the city's low tourist numbers, it has a surprisingly large number of international connections, which largely service Angolans living abroad and the growing number of firms servicing the oil and diamond industries as well as reconstruction (done largely by Chinese workers and Brazilian firms). A couple of carriers still operate routes based on Cold War alliances (to Havana and Moscow). The city is the hub of national carrier TAAG Angola Airlines, which offers flights to 15 Angolan cities.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
LAD · Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport
NBJ · Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Luanda
Eat
The majority of restaurants are on The Marginal or on Ilha de Luanda, where Luanda's elite go to dine and have fun. Be careful: when eating out, do not drink the tap water. The Belas Shopping mall has a food court with a variety of options from local foods to pizza and burgers.
Drink
Luanda is highly influenced by Portuguese culture. Portuguese beer is widely consumed, although Heineken and Carlsberg make an appearance. Super Bock, Sagres and Cristal (most popular) are popular beers from Portugal. Local beers such as Nocal, Cuca (the most popular, especially the excellent draught version, or "fino" in Portuguese) and Eka. Try Portugalia (Portuguese Beer House) at the beginning of the Ilha, or either of the two boat clubs just on the Ilha for a nice sundowner (Clube Nautico and Clube Naval). Also, there are some excellent Portuguese wines widely available.
Stay safe
Safety in Luanda is average for safety among African cities. Don't venture into the slums. Don't go out at night alone. Keep your car doors locked at all times. Violent crime has been on the rise, but it is mostly in the slums. The colonial part of the city is safe from violent crime; but like most African cities, pickpocketing or muggings are a fact of life. You will greatly reduce your chances of such if you stay low key: no fancy clothes or car, use a money belt, etc. The city is an expensive place to live and Angolans have realized that most expats in the city are high-salaried employees from large corporations, so you should especially avoid business attire.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Luanda: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Luanda?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Luanda are June to November. March is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; April is the wettest, with about 144 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Luanda?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport (LAD), about 2.3 km from the city centre in a straight line; Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport (NBJ, 38 km) is also within reach.
What currency is used in Luanda?
kwanza (AOA).
Nearby
Destinations near Luanda
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.