Stand on the lakeshore road in Bukavu and the city arranges itself in layers: colonial villas with gardens stepping down to the water on one side, the crowded hillside of Kadutu rising inland on the other, and beyond it all the wide grey-green expanse of Lake Kivu. The view gives you the shape of the place before you have walked a single street of it.
Bukavu suits travellers who are comfortable with rough roads, limited infrastructure and a city whose recent history is not distant. It rewards an interest in colonial architecture, in the landscapes of the lake and the surrounding hills, and in the work of institutions that have become known far beyond eastern Congo.
This guide covers the sights and experiences the source material supports, with practical notes on how to combine them. It does not attempt to be exhaustive, because the material available does not support a longer list.
Top things to do in Bukavu
1. Kahuzi-Biéga National Park
Kahuzi-Biéga National Park is a World Heritage Site and one of two homes of the eastern lowland gorilla. It lies close to the city and can be reached from the road to Kavumu, with the park headquarters at Tshivanga located 31 km from Bukavu.
Because access is by road, plan the visit around the drive rather than treating it as a quick stop. The road to Kavumu is also the route toward Kavumu Airport, so the journey north is one you may already be making.
2. Idjwi Island
From Bukavu you can visit Idjwi Island on Lake Kivu. Boat transport is used extensively in the Congolese waters of the lake, and Bukavu has numerous lakeside wharves, which is how you reach the island.
Combine an island trip with time on the lakeshore before or after, since the wharves are the natural starting point for both. Allow for the fact that lake transport, not road, is the practical way to move on the water here.
3. Our Lady of Peace Cathedral
Our Lady of Peace Cathedral is one of the named places of worship in the city, in a town whose congregations are predominantly Christian and include the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bukavu.
It sits within a city that holds over 100 art deco buildings constructed during Belgian colonial rule, so it pairs naturally with a walk looking at that architecture. Proposals have been made to preserve these buildings so that Bukavu can draw architecture enthusiasts.
4. The art deco buildings of the city
Bukavu has over 100 art deco buildings constructed during Belgian colonial rule, and proposals have been made to preserve them with a view to attracting visitors interested in architecture. Many colonial villas have gardens sloping down to the lakeshore.
For architecture buffs, the source material notes there is a large number of art deco buildings across the city. Walk with the lakeshore villas and the inland hillside in mind as two different faces of the same building tradition.
5. The lakeside peninsulas
Bukavu is built on five peninsulas and has been described as "a green hand, dipped in the lake". A picturesque peninsula on Lake Kivu is one of the named sights.
The lakeside wharves are spread along the water, so a walk that follows the shore takes in both the peninsulas and the boat traffic that uses them. This is the city's defining geography and the easiest thing to see well on foot.
6. Kadutu Market
You can visit the Kadutu Market and see the overcrowded area of the city. Kadutu is the main residential district for ordinary people and climbs up the hillside inland, in contrast to the lakeside villas.
Go with an understanding that this is a working market in a dense neighbourhood rather than a staged attraction. It is the clearest way to see the half of Bukavu that does not face the water.
7. Panzi Hospital
You can visit Panzi Hospital, where the 2018 Nobel prize winner Dr Denis Mukwege lives and works. The hospital was founded by the Swedish Pentecostal Mission in 1921, and its director operates on women who survive sexual violence.
Panzi Hospital is a teaching hospital of the Evangelical University in Africa. Approach a visit with the seriousness the subject requires, and treat it as a place of work and care rather than a sightseeing stop.
8. Minova village
From Bukavu you can visit Minova village. It is one of the destinations the source material names as reachable from the city.
Pair it with your planning around the lake and the roads out of town, since travel beyond Bukavu depends on road and boat connections that have not been fully restored.
9. The nuns near the airport
Nuns near the airport have ice cream and cheese. You will need a car to get to them, and the road there is described as absolutely horrible, although quite worth it.
This is a trip to make deliberately rather than to stumble upon, and only if you have a vehicle arranged. The airport in question is Kavumu Airport, about 30 kilometres north of the city.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start on the lakeshore, walking the peninsulas and the wharves where boat transport gathers, and take in the colonial villas with gardens sloping down to the water. Continue with the art deco buildings across the city, using Our Lady of Peace Cathedral as a fixed point on the walk.
Afternoon: Head inland to Kadutu Market to see the overcrowded area of the city and the hillside district that contrasts with the lakeside. If you have a vehicle and the time, the nuns near the airport are a possible add-on, but only with a car and a tolerance for a bad road.
Evening: Return to the lake side of the city as the day cools. Bukavu sees very warm days and pleasant nights year round, which makes the evening the comfortable stretch for being outdoors by the water.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Bukavu?
Bukavu's climate is classified as tropical savanna, milder than most climates of its type because of its high altitude, with very warm days and pleasant nights year round. Lake Kivu sits 1,500 metres above sea level.
How do I get around Bukavu and to places outside the city?
Bukavu has numerous lakeside wharves and boat transport is used extensively in the Congolese waters of the lake in the absence of well maintained roads. The road network has deteriorated as a result of the wars, and highways to Goma, Kisangani and other towns have not been fully restored. Kavumu Airport, about 30 kilometres north, is the domestic airport for Bukavu.
Can I see gorillas from Bukavu?
Yes. Kahuzi-Biéga National Park, a World Heritage Site and one of two homes of the eastern lowland gorilla, is close to the city and can be reached from the road to Kavumu, with the park headquarters at Tshivanga located 31 km from Bukavu.
What else can I visit from the city?
From Bukavu you can visit Idjwi Island on Lake Kivu and Minova village, in addition to Kahuzi-Biéga National Park.
Start by deciding how much of your time belongs to the lake and how much to the hills, then build the days around the roads and boats that connect them.