Best time to visit Burundi

Best time to visit Burundi

Over 90 percent of Burundians are Christian. Instead of a Christmas tree, Burundians often decorate their homes with banana leaves.

Burundi’s climate is pleasant all year round. It’s close to the equator, tropical and humid, but kept cool by its high average altitude. It’s lovely sunbathing on the shore of Lake Tanganyika, where it’s around 23°C year-round – and it can be up to 10°C cooler in the mountains. The best times to go to Burundi are in its two dry seasons, in June to August or December to January. This is when you’ll find small group tours running. The two rainy seasons run from September to November and from February to May, and the hilly regions – like Kibira National Park – are wettest.

Call us for the best time to go to Burundi

Bujumbura Weather Chart

MIN °C

MAX °C

RAIN (mm)

JAN

166

FEB

140

MAR

170

APR

196

MAY

103

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

113

NOV

174

DEC

164

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Things to do in Burundi…

Enjoy nature. National parks in Burundi are small and don’t have the gorillas and lions of their neighbours, but the landscape is lusciously green and there are magnificent wetland areas. One of Burundi’s best sights is the Chutes de la Karera – a six-branched, three-level series of five fantastic waterfalls, where the main drop is 80m high. Then there’s the Nyakazu Fault – also known as the Germans’ Gorge – a long, rocky tract filled with forest, with fantastic views over the Tanzanian plain from its top. Buy traditional crafts. Burundi’s basketry art form is threatened by the increasing use of plastic containers, but it’s representative of Burundi’s rich craft culture. To make the lidded baskets, women gather long strands of sweetgrass together, and wrap them tight in thin strips of colourful fibre that come from unravelled grain sacks. These form bonded ropes of different colours that can be coiled to make baskets and neat matching lids. Stop at craft shops in Bujumbura to pick yours out. Go with a guide who can help you interpret the country’s culture, much of which exists in oral tradition. In Bujumbura you could go on a tour led by local women to find out how people really live in different suburbs of the city. Consider giving back. Burundi can be a country that is hard to visit without wanting to offer ongoing support. There is mass unemployment, widespread malnutrition, and climate change is making both drought and flooding more common, threatening the country’s already terrible food security. Some of our partners have set up charitable arms so that they can directly support Burundi; they can help you direct your support, too.

Things not to do in Burundi…

Miss the drumming. The karyenda (‘sacred drum’) is used during important occasions in Burundi. The drummers also perform for tourists – and around the world – and the drumming has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. You’ll need to reserve your spot at the royal hill of Gishora in advance. Expect to speak English. Burundians are united in their use of Kirundi, which is spoken by all three main population groups, the Hutu (who make up 85 percent of the population), Tutsi (14 percent) and Twa (1 percent) peoples. French is also spoken – a result of its period under Belgian colonial rule in the 20th century. In some areas you may be able to get by with a bit of Swahili or English, but it’s no guarantee. Travelling with a local guide can help you overcome any language barriers. Visit the zoo. We don’t advertise trips that include zoos – let alone zoos with captive chimpanzees, crocodiles and leopards, that let visitors feed live guinea pigs to the exhibits. Skim-read health and safety warnings. Travel can be difficult in Burundi for a variety of reasons, including changing security situations and poor infrastructure, and there’s little health provision outside of Bujumbura. Getting around Burundi can be challenging. You’ll be driving on unpaved roads, navigating frequent and often unofficial roadblocks. Go as part of an organised tour to ensure you’re in safe hands.

Best time to visit Burundi