Waymark

DR Congo travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Nyiragongo
Nyiragongo. Photo: MONUSCO / Neil Wetmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
8h 15mflight from London
Congolese franccurrency
Visa neededfor UK passports
Type C, D, Eplugs

Gorillas and an active lava lake; check FCDO advice

Don't miss

  1. Nyiragongo lava lake
  2. Virunga gorillas
  3. Congo River
Good forWildlife & safariAdventure

Best time to visit DR Congo from the UK

Check FCDO advice: advises against travel to much of the east.

25.2 C25°J25.5 C26°F25.5 C26°M25.5 C26°A25.2 C25°M24 C24°J23.7 C24°J24.7 C25°A25.9 C26°S25.7 C26°O25 C25°N24.9 C25°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Kinshasa, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Kinshasa for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Warmest: September (26°C) · coolest: July (24°C)Temperatures barely change through the year, so the season matters more than the weather.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
25.225.525.525.525.22423.724.725.925.72524.9

Festivals and events

  • Amani Festival Feb · Goma (when held)

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 8h 15m
Distance
6,383 km
Main airport
FIH

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add DR Congo to your bucket list Search flights to FIH

Practical info and travel guidance

Congolese francCapital: Kinshasa
Type C, D, E · 220VBring a UK adapter
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
112
EmergencyPolice, fire, ambulance
Drink bottledOr treated water
  • FCDO adviceAdvises against travel to parts of DR CongoCheck which areas before you book.
  • VisaVisa needed in advanceApply through the embassy
  • HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal, but attitudes can be conservativePublic affection may draw attention.
  • Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for DR Congo, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 8 October 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for DR Congo before you book and again before you go.

Open DR Congo on the map Log it as visited, drop pins for the places you went, or plan it as your next trip.