Burundi travel guide
Standing in a semi-circle on a hilltop with their sacred instruments before them, Burundi’s royal drummers perform their mesmerising set to a select few. They dance, perform acrobatics and wink at the crowd, drumming to ward off evil and to bring good omens. This is your dramatic welcome into the ‘heart of Africa’, a green, hilly land with remarkable wetlands, where the long, lovely shore of Lake Tanganika attracts East Africans looking for a weekend on the beach.
A traditional Burundi greeting in Kirundi is ‘amashyo’ – it means ‘may you have many herds of cattle’.![]()
Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world, beset by years of instability, civil war and authoritarian rulers. Most of the country ekes out a living in subsistence farming. But recent years have welcomed a relative peace. Burundi is surrounded by neighbours who have successfully attracted tourism – Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania. Travellers would be privileged to share in the country’s culture, but for now, the drummers perform to a very small audience.
Read our Burundi travel guide for more details.
Read our Burundi travel guide for more details.
Burundi is…
a small player among the giants of Africa’s Great Lakes region.
Burundi isn’t…
on the tourist map.
Burundi map & highlights
Heart-shaped – hence its nickname ‘the heart of Africa’ – at first glance it would seem that every inch of Burundi is farmed. Little fields break up even the steepest hillsides. Yet forest prevails in the high mountains on the Congo-Nile divide, whilst the east of the country is a savannah region, where you’ll find Ruvubu National Park. There are also several important bodies of water. Most of Burundi’s western border, including its largest city and important port, Bujumbura, runs along the bank of massive Lake Tanganyika. Lake Rweru, and the Ruzizi, Ruvubu and Ruvyironza rivers add to the hippo- and bird-rich areas of wetland. The capital was moved to the central city of Gitega in 2019.
1.
Bujumbura
2. Gitega
3. Lake Tanganyika
4. Lake Rwihinda Natural Reserve
5. Teza tea plantation
6. Rusizi National Park
2. Gitega
3. Lake Tanganyika
4. Lake Rwihinda Natural Reserve
5. Teza tea plantation
6. Rusizi National Park
Bujumbura
1. Bujumbura
The biggest city in the country, its economic capital, and a vital port on Lake Tanganyika, Bujumbura is where most travellers stay for at least some of their time in the country. The city, known locally as ‘Buja’, lies in easy reach of tea and coffee plantations. The idyllic lakeshore is even closer, so you can dine each night on fresh barbecued fish and enjoy sunset views across the water.
Gitega
2. Gitega
Burundi’s capital as of 2019, and its second largest city, Gitega was the seat of the Kingdom of Burundi. It is still the headquarters of Burundi’s royal drums. Travellers need to book well in advance to see the drumming performances, which start with the massive drums carried in on the performers’ heads, and mix folklore and stories with acrobatics and a good deal of showmanship.
Lake Tanganyika
3. Lake Tanganyika
Holding 16 percent of the world’s fresh water, Lake Tanganyika is the second-deepest lake in the world. Swimming isn’t advised, due to crocodiles and water-borne diseases, but eating fish and chips on the bank certainly is. Mukeke – a type of perch – is endemic to the lake and a very popular local dish. There are resorts along the lakeshore and sandy beaches not far from Bujumbura.
Lake Rwihinda Natural Reserve
4. Lake Rwihinda Natural Reserve
The north of Kirundo province, near the Rwandan border, is speckled with lakes, and they’re important for migrating birds. So much so that one, Lake Rwihinda, was previously known as ‘Bird Lake’. Slipping into a dugout canoe, you can nudge towards the lake’s unusual floating islands of peat, where birds nest and feed, looking out for cormorants, darters, herons and egrets.
Teza tea plantation
5. Teza tea plantation
If Burundi has a pleasant climate, then Teza tea plantation, set in the rolling hills, has a blissful one. Tea, Burundi’s second-largest export after coffee, is grown at high altitude – leading to some pretty settings and cool climes. The plantations jostle around the last remaining slice of Kibira forest, a skinny vestigial piece of montane forest that joins to Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda and is home to chimpanzees.
Rusizi National Park
6. Rusizi National Park
The brown waters of the River Rusizi bleed into blue Lake Tanganyika, but before they do, they wind and braid through banks of tall hippo grass hiding – you guessed it – huge hippopotamuses, but also Nile crocodiles, birds, and water-loving Sitatunga antelope, who wade deep on their wide marshland-adapted hooves. The park was once terrorised by a crocodile called Gustave – now presumed dead – who was said to have killed 300 people.
Gorilla safari in DRC, Rwanda & Burundi
Track the world’s largest gorillas across Central Africa
From
£6995
10 days
ex flights
Contact Us
Call us for a chat about our holidays. We are happy to discuss your holiday and help in any way we can. No bots, queues or awful hold music.
01273 823 700
Call us until 6pm
Calling from outside the UK
Burundi travel advice
Getting around Burundi
The majority of people in Burundi get around by foot – some walking miles and miles on the roads to take produce to market. This results in lots of road traffic accidents. For visitors, who will usually get around with a driver, it’s a small country, meaning that travel distances are very manageable, but most roads are not paved, and there are often roadblocks to negotiate, making for bumpy journeys that aren’t without a few hiccups.Augustin Ndikuriyo works with our partner Undiscovered Destinations. He runs Augustine Tours, providing access for travellers who want to visit Burundi. “In general roads are good,” says Augustin, “But sometimes they are not comfortable.” He highlights the importance of a good guide for telling the difference. “Because we know the area, we know how much time it takes to get there and come back. People might look at a map and think, ‘Okay, from this place to this place it’s 3km, so why do they say it will take 1.5 hours?’ And the reason is: because they’re bad roads.”
Things to see in Burundi
We spoke to Augustin about the best things to see in the country. Bujumbura, the largest city, has some interesting examples of German Bauhaus. “People who really know and are interested in architecture always find it interesting,” says Augustin.
Then there are the country’s emblematic drums – essential viewing. “From my experience, it is appreciated by everyone,” says Augustin. “We always include it.”
Burundi has the most distant source of the White Nile in Rutovu. Whilst Rwanda and Uganda are great for wildlife, “Burundi is best for culture and traditions,” explains Augustin. Alongside the drums, these include the country’s wonderful craft traditions, such as its skilfully created basketry and wickerwork, beads and wood carvings.
Then there are the country’s emblematic drums – essential viewing. “From my experience, it is appreciated by everyone,” says Augustin. “We always include it.”
Burundi has the most distant source of the White Nile in Rutovu. Whilst Rwanda and Uganda are great for wildlife, “Burundi is best for culture and traditions,” explains Augustin. Alongside the drums, these include the country’s wonderful craft traditions, such as its skilfully created basketry and wickerwork, beads and wood carvings.
Is Burundi safe?
You should refer to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for the latest advice. Travellers should always be aware of malaria risk – which is very high here – and get the appropriate vaccinations.
Augustin has a lot of experience in organising tours to Burundi and has seen the perception of the country change over time. “It’s a challenge for us operating in the travel sector,” he says. “Since 1993, Burundi hasn’t had a good image in the travel world.”
For Burundians, Burundi is not always safe – the leading causes of death include malnutrition, malaria, road accidents, and maternal and neonatal conditions.
In the 1990s, Burundi experienced an ethnic conflict between Hutu and Tutsi people, and there was a 12-year-long civil war that ended in 2005. The country is now much safer but experienced a spike in violent protests in 2016 when the president stayed in power for an illegal third term. Since then, the police have cracked down on any civil disobedience, and dissenters are thought to be tortured and killed. In 2024, tensions escalated with Rwanda, and the border was closed between the two countries.
“The problems are between Burundians – this is what I always tell my clients,” says Augustin. “Nobody speaks about how Burundi can be travelled safely. But you know who does speak about it? Those who go to Burundi. They see it and they are amazed. They are our ambassadors.”
Augustin has a lot of experience in organising tours to Burundi and has seen the perception of the country change over time. “It’s a challenge for us operating in the travel sector,” he says. “Since 1993, Burundi hasn’t had a good image in the travel world.”
For Burundians, Burundi is not always safe – the leading causes of death include malnutrition, malaria, road accidents, and maternal and neonatal conditions.
In the 1990s, Burundi experienced an ethnic conflict between Hutu and Tutsi people, and there was a 12-year-long civil war that ended in 2005. The country is now much safer but experienced a spike in violent protests in 2016 when the president stayed in power for an illegal third term. Since then, the police have cracked down on any civil disobedience, and dissenters are thought to be tortured and killed. In 2024, tensions escalated with Rwanda, and the border was closed between the two countries.
“The problems are between Burundians – this is what I always tell my clients,” says Augustin. “Nobody speaks about how Burundi can be travelled safely. But you know who does speak about it? Those who go to Burundi. They see it and they are amazed. They are our ambassadors.”
More Burundi articles
The best time to go to Burundi is in its two dry seasons which run in June, July and August, and December and January.
Burundi has great natural landscapes – looking at its neighbours Rwanda and Tanzania how could it not?
