Kinshasa: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Kinshasa is the capital of Democratic Republic of the Congo, 281 m (922 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Maya-Maya International Airport (BZV), 11 km (7 mi) from the centre. It has 1 railway station on record, including Kinshasa East railway station. Our booking partner lists 63 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Kinshasa runs from about 11 h 55 min a day in late June to 12 h 25 min in late December (computed for -4.33° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Kinshasa is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Maya-Maya International Airport (BZV), 11 km (7 mi) from the centre, whose 10,827-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Ndjili International Airport (FIH, 16 km).
Flights to Kinshasa: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Kinshasa East railway station. Trains to Kinshasa
Buses to Kinshasa · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 63 places to stay in Kinshasa. Of the 52 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (25), and 5 are five-star. Across 16 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 7.9 out of 10. Guests have left 3,697 reviews in total.
Hotels in Kinshasa: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Brazzaville, 8 km (Republic of the Congo)
- Pointe-Noire, 386 km (Republic of the Congo) — flights
- Cabinda, 372 km (Angola) — flights
- Kikwit, 396 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Masina, 11 km
- Matadi, 265 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Uíge, 366 km (Angola) — flights
- Boma, 302 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Soyo, 383 km (Angola) — flights
- Bandundu Province, 255 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Dakar, Brazzaville, Brussels metropolitan area, Tehran, Utrecht, Ankara, Incheon.
Common questions
Which airport serves Kinshasa?
Maya-Maya International Airport (BZV), 11 km (7 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Kinshasa?
About 16 million people live in Kinshasa, across 9,965 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Kinshasa in?
Africa/Kinshasa, currently UTC+1.
What currency is used in Kinshasa?
The Franc (CDF). Traffic drives on the right.
How many hotels are there in Kinshasa?
Our booking partner lists 63 places to stay in Kinshasa, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Kinshasa?
Brazzaville (8 km), Pointe-Noire (386 km), Cabinda (372 km), Kikwit (396 km), Masina (11 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.