Ultra Luxury Journeys in Eastern & Central Africa by Oluokos

Top Tourist Attractions in Lubumbashi

Best Lubumbashi Luxury Activities Guide

Top Tourist Attractions in Lubumbashi...

Lubumbashi is a city located in the southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

It is the second-largest city in the country and is the capital of the Haut-Katanga Province. The city is known for its mining industry, with copper and cobalt being two of the main resources extracted in the region.

Additionally, Lubumbashi is home to several universities, museums, and cultural centers. French is the official language spoken in the city, but Swahili and other local languages are also widely spoken. Lubumbashi has a tropical savanna climate with two distinct rainy and dry seasons. The best time to visit is during the cooler months of May to September.

Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, offers a unique experience for travelers and is suitable for different types of travelers. Here are some details to help you decide how to enjoy Lubumbashi trip ideas.

Best Day Trip Lubumbashi Excursions...

Lubumbashi, the second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the country’s southeastern most part, along the border with Zambia. Lubumbashi is the center of mining in the region, acting as a hub for many of the country’s largest mining companies. The city has a lot to offer for anyone who is interested to explore within and beyond the city’s many diverse points of interests.

Luxury Safaris Par Excellence

Discover Lubumbashi City on a Private Custom Day Trip Safari with Oluokos Signature

Lubumbashi city and its surroundings offer a wealth of opportunities for to indulge into the beautiful miombo woodland and the savanna grassland settings. Its expansive metropolis boasts numerous leisure, educative and entertainment venues that range from accommodation, fitness, museums, a zoo and nature parks, numerous lakes and rivers and the notably affluent golf district that is located along Lake Tshombe (Lake Kipopo). To guests and the residents equally, Lushi or Lubum as it’s fondly knowns, is a city whose developmental milestones are sure commitment to peace and tranquility. Here is our advice if you are have about a week to spend in Lubumbashi.

Why Book Your Lubumbashi Day Trips & Safaris
With Oluokos

Our guests tend to ask what the perfect African birding safari itinerary looks like and to be honest, we don’t have a straight-forward answer.

To answer you in brief, each guest has a unique taste when it comes to enquiring about an African birding safari and this could be based on personality that’s strongly influenced by expectations. We have given a few good to check itineraries to serve as bird watching travel inspirations.

We don’t offer Africa as a bucket list destination, but a rich continent with diversity, meaningful purpose to travel, cultural mosaic and of course, unmatched habitats that have given room to birds and wildlife. We have identified Africa’s most intriguing bird watching safaris that you should consider during your bird watching holiday planning.

5 Reasons For Booking With Us

Community & Tourism

Properties and experiences that uplift and empower local communities in our destinations.

Conservation & Tourism

Supports wildlife projects, protected areas and ecosystem regeneration through tourism.

Culture & Tourism

We strengthen intercultural understanding and relations, safeguarding cultural heritage.

Commerce & Travel

Commerce affects the sustainability of our destinations the people who live in these natural areas.

Concious Travel

The state of being aware of and responsive to one’s surroundings – as a business, our staff and guests.

Our Top Pick As Katanga's Finest Site

Lubumbashi Zoo, Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga, DR Congo

The zoo is a great place to visit if you’re interested in animals and nature. You can see a variety of African wildlife, including lions, elephants, and giraffes. Historically, the zoo dates back to 1932 during the colonial days. Spread over 30 beautifully wooded hectares; the zoo has 48 species of animals with the star attraction being the 86-year-old crocodile. The natural environment is superb with some beautiful original enclosures and cages, a veterinary clinic, a grooming salon and a small educational museum for the curious minds and children. The other objective of the zoo is to promote biodiversity and environmental protection.

Nestled at the confluence of the Kiswishi and Kafubu rivers, the superb lodge enjoys 10,000 hectares of wooded bushland into which the reintroduction of animals is underway. The restaurant is located on a wooden platform overlooking the Kafubu River. With lots of activities being on offer that range from quad biking, the eco-friendly pedal boating, canoeing and cycling. Sport fishing and other games are also available.

Indulge Into Nature's Gift

The Kafubu River Lodge

Bird Watching And Natuture's Best Hotspot

Lake Tshangalele

Also known as Lake Lufira or Mwadingusha Reservoir, it is an artificial lake in the southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Lying at about 1,100 m above sea-level in a large depression surrounded by low mountains and located about 25 km from Lubumbashi, Lake Tshangalele a popular haven for swimming and fishing. The lake was created by a dam built on the Lufira River near Mwadingusha in 1926 to provide hydro-electric power. The area of open water is about 362.5 km2. During the wettest months of February and March, the area flooded reaches a maximum of 440 km2. The lake holds a variety of fish including longfin tilapia (Oreochromis macrochir), redbelly tilapia (Tilapia zillii), thinface cichlid (Serranochromis angusticeps) and North African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). It supports an important commercial fishery with the tilapias the main species caught. Surrounding the lake, there are extensive swamps where Typha and Cyperus grow. The region is rich in birdlife such as the Lake Lufira Weaver (Ploceus ruweti) which is endemic to the area. The lake was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1982 and is classed as an Important Bird Area by Bird Life International. Please read our detailed article on 10 Places to Watch Birds in DR Congo.

For a brief remind, Patrice Émery Lumumba was the first Congo National Hero who was actively involved in DR Congo’s Independence before his assasination for on 17 Jan 1961. This is a full immersion and learning experience about the history of Congo, and mainly the independence war. We are going to enter the plane that brought him from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi, visit the location where he was shot dead and where he was buried before being dug up and transferred to Kolwezi where his body was burnt in acid to remove traces.

In The History of Congo

Patrice Lumumba Assasination Site

DR Congo Mining Tour

The Kipushi Mine

The Kipushi Mine is another great place to visit if you’re interested in mining and geology. It’s located about 20 km from Lubumbashi and offers tours of the mine. Kipushi Mine (formerly Prince Léopold Mine) is an underground mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the town of Kipushi in Haut-Katanga Province. Based on radiocarbon dating, one study concluded there was mining activity at Kipushi in the 9th century. Production increased significantly in the 14th century, but it is unclear who was exploiting the mine at this time. Due to the unique geology of Kipushi, copper produced at the mine is chemically distinct from copper sourced from the surrounding areas of the copperbelt.

This is a great place to learn about the history, culture, and art of the Congolese people. It’s a must-visit for anyone interested in history and culture. The museum has a very rich ethnographic and entomological collection has been built up over the years, forming a reference heritage and the permanent collection of the museum which also hosts temporary thematic exhibitions. Brussels has a collaboration with the Museum of Lubumbashi for the development of this historical, artistic and cultural heritage of Katanga.

The Finest Congolese Art & History

Musée National de Lubumbashi

Back to Nature in the City's Outskirts

Muyambo Park

This stunning 500 hectare mini-safari park makes a good place to visit while passing through or visiting the city of Lubumbashi. While here, you can observe servals, giraffes, baboons, boas, pangolins, ostriches, zebras, kudus, camels, hyenas, gazelles, wildebeest, dik-dik, warthogs and more, on foot, by bike, by buggy or by jeep. The site also boasts an artificial lake where you can enjoy pedal alongside children’s playground.

With its large brick façade and square tower, the Saints-Pierre-et-Paul Cathedral in Lubumbashi is one of the most remarkable buildings in the city and is considered one of the most beautiful religious buildings. From a simple chapel in 1910, it became a cathedral in 1922 by the decision of Bishop Jean-Félix de Hemptinne and was fully completed in 1935. The Romanesque Revival church has a rich history, when the area was under Belgian colonial rule. It was elevated to cathedral status with the promotion of the Apostolic Vicariate of Katanga to diocesan status in 1959, by the Bull “Cum parvulum” of Pope John XXIII. It is under the pastoral responsibility of the Bishop Jean-Pierre Tafunga.

The Historical Roman Catholic Cathedral

Saints-Pierre-et-Paul Cathedral in Lubumbashi

Take on this challenging alpine route in Kananaskis Country, offering panoramic views of the Canadian Rockies, alpine meadows, and turquoise lakes.

Days 5 - 8

La Cloche Silhouette Trail

In The Heart of Nature Conservation

Jeunes Animaux Confisqués au Katanga in French, J.A.C.K

Jeunes Animaux Confisqués au Katanga in French, was founded in 2006 by Frank and Roxane Chantereau. The critical important conservation center accepts and cares for chimpanzees resulting from trafficking, poaching and deforestation. It is amongfour sanctuaries in the DRC, along with Lwiro (chimpanzees) in South Kivu, GRACE (gorillas) in North Kivu, and Lola ya Bonobo in Kinshasa. J.A.C.K. is home to around 40 chimpanzees and other primates that have fallen victim of wildlife poaching. Located right next to the zoo, J.A.C.K. is also an educational center to raise awareness among schools and visitors about forest protection and the fight against trafficking in young chimpanzees.

Other Trips

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Browse our example trips and get in contact to start planning your very own adventure.

"Can Definately Recommend"

I had Joseph as my guide during a stay at Lake Elementaita, when the company was called Oluokos Expeditions. This man, he knows EVERYTHING about birds! I'm not particularly interested in birds, but he's so engaging that you can't help but to be curious about the birds in Kenya. Other than that he is also a very kind and friendly man, so all in all I can only recommend doing yours with him.

Lea K from Denmark

"Amazing!"

Our guide Joseph was the best. He showed us all animals, big and small. Knew every species of bird. A conservationist at heart. We told him where we wanted to go and our budget and he planned it all for us. We always felt very safe. I am from the UK, I taught in Kenya for a while and went on a few different safaris. This was definitely the best tour operator. I went with him several times. Recommend to all my friends traveling to Kenya!

Nia Gibson from United Kingdom

"Birding With Oluokos"

My friends and I had a blast spending the day birding around Malaba and Busia with Ouma Oluoko's guidance! Ouma is such a kind and friendly guide, not to mention very knowledgable on not only the birds of the area but also the landscape, cultures, and communities that we encountered. He and his wife Awuor (or Christine) clearly have very good relationships with the people who live in the areas we visited and are doing great work trying to educate locals on the importance of conservation and conserving the land themselves where possible. The Oluokos had us over to their home for a wonderful home-cooked meal (I unfortunately couldn't only eat so much as I was suffering from a stomach bug) and gracious hospitality that I haven't encountered with other guiding companies before. I can highly recommend using Oluokos Signature for your birding adventures in western Kenya and beyond!

Nathan M from USA

"Great Experience at Ruma National Park"

Our group was on a business trip to Kenya, and we were able to take a Saturday off from work and took a safari trip to Ruma National Park with Oluokos Signature Ltd. We had a great time! We had the pleasure of being the only tour group in the park on the day we went, and thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Ouma and Christine were so lovely, and made sure we enjoyed our day. Ouma happens to be one of the top birders in Kenya too!

Sarah G from USA

"Once In Lifetime"

What can I say? We had the most incredible safari trip of our lives. Ouma was polite, professional, friendly, thoughtful and extremely knowledgeable. He went to every effort to ensure we made the most out of our trip, and ensuring we were comfortable and happy throughout. He liaised with hotel staff to ensure everything was perfect ahead of our arrivals, he planned our route taking into account what we wanted to see and do, ensuring we never took the same road twice (!!) and he taught so much about the African wildlife, culture and landscape. He made the trip for us, and I have no doubt that had we have chosen another guide; we wouldn’t have had such an incredible and memorable experience. We felt very lucky to be in such capable hands. In addition, Big John, our driver - he was brilliant. We made quite the little team and we were very very sad to leave when the journey ended. Ouma was not just our guide, he was our friend and we can’t wait to come back and do it all again with members of our family. Thank you Ouma for giving us memories, which will last us a lifetime.

Charlotte from United Kingdom

"Best Birding Guide"

Great birding day on Lake Victoria and at the Impala Preserve! Oluokos was great with experienced and novice birders in our group. Very professional and bird knowledge was excellent.

Valerie M from USA

"Not Your Regular Safari/Tour Guide.... So Much More!"

I can't begin to describe what an incredible day I spent in Ruma National Park with Oluokos Signature and Mr. Ouma Oluoko recently. Ouma is way more than a safari guide. His knowledge of wildlife, birds and the region created not only a memorable experience but one where I learned a tremendous amount. The customised agenda for our day allowed us to make the most of our time in Ruma while also not feeling rushed. As we visited during low season for tourism, we literally had the park to ourselves and what a treat! I'm delighted to provide this review and wholeheartedly recommend Oluokos Signature and Ouma for any safari or other wildlife/outdoor adventure you may want to do while visiting Africa. I can't wait for my next trip!

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