Democratic Republic of the Congo
Where to stay in Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi is a city in Democratic Republic of the Congo, home to about 1,786,000 people.
- Best months
- April to August
- Nearest airport
- FBM10 km · Lubumbashi International Airport
- Currency
- CDFCongolese franc
- Time zone
- Africa/Lubumbashi
- Language
- French
About
About Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi (UK: LOO-buum-BASH-ee, US: LOO-boom-BAH-shee), formerly Élisabethville, is the second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the southeasternmost part of the country, near the border with Zambia.
Creole Swahili is the principal language of the Copperbelt mining cities and is somewhat more different from classical East African Swahili than that spoken elsewhere along the eastern edge of Congo. Most people can communicate in French, and many of the elite are more at ease in French than Swahili. English is widely spoken in businesses.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Lubumbashi
See
Lubumbashi has several prominent examples of colonial architecture, such as the art-déco style Palace of Justice, the Grand Hotel or the cathedral Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Paul. Some have been restored in the last few years.
- National Museum of Lubumbashi
- Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Paul
- Lubumbashi Zoological Garden
- Waza Art Center & Spilulu’Studio
Do
- Cercle Wallon
- Lubumbashi Golf Club
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Lubumbashi
4 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Lubumbashi | 0.6 km | |
| Park Hôtel | 0.6 km | |
| Planet Hotel HollyBum | 2.1 km | |
| Pullman Lubumbashi Grand Karavia. | 3.3 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Lubumbashi
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Lubumbashi are April to August. October is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; January is the wettest, with about 273 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 Lubumbashi: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Lubumbashi International Airport (FBM), about 9.6 km from the city centre in a straight line.
FBM · Lubumbashi International Airport
Questions
Lubumbashi: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Lubumbashi?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Lubumbashi are April to August. October is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; January is the wettest, with about 273 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Lubumbashi?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Lubumbashi International Airport (FBM), about 9.6 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Lubumbashi?
Congolese franc (CDF).
Nearby
Destinations near Lubumbashi
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.