Angola travel guide

Getting there

Most travellers fly into Luanda, which has connections to Europe, the Middle East, Brazil and southern Africa. Overland, the main crossing is from northern Namibia at Oshikango–Santa Clara.

Best time to visit: May–Oct – the dry season with cooler, sunny days.

Tougher months: March–April: the heaviest rains can wash out rural roads, especially in the north and central highlands.

Weather by month in Luanda

• 29°J●
• 30°F●
• 30°M●●
• 29°A●●
• 28°M
• 25°J
• 23°J
• 23°A
• 25°S
• 26°O
• 28°N●
• 28°D●

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: Africa/Lagos. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 101 of 198 other passports can enter Angola without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 0 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 97 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of Angola (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (U.S. Department of State, updated 2026-03-05). Read the advisory.

Source and more: Angola travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to Angola are based around Luanda, Kalandula Falls or Pungo Andongo. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$50–80 for a backpacker and US$120–220 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun Angola page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: C, F. Voltage: 220 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +244.

Mobile data: read the travel eSIM setup guide before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• Luanda (Capital · coast): A fast-changing oil city with a colonial fortress, a lively bay promenade and the sandy Ilha spit packed with beach bars and seafood spots.
• Kalandula Falls (Malanje · waterfall): A thundering, broad curtain of water that is at its most dramatic after the rainy season.
• Pungo Andongo (Malanje · rock formations): Towering black monoliths rising from the savannah, steeped in royal legend and ideal for short hikes.
• Lubango & Tundavala (Huíla highlands): A cool, relaxed highland city with a Christ statue overlook, gateway to the vertiginous Tundavala Gap and Serra da Leba pass.
• Namibe & Iona National Park (Southwest · desert): Where the Namib Desert meets the Atlantic, with red dunes, welwitschia plants and remote wilderness for 4x4 adventures.
• Kissama National Park (Bengo · wildlife): Angola's most accessible park, home to restocked herds and coastal river scenery within reach of Luanda.
• Benguela & Lobito (Central coast · beaches): Laid-back coastal towns with old Portuguese architecture, a historic railway and sweeping bays.
• Mbanza Kongo (Zaire province · history): The former royal capital of the Kongo Kingdom, with cathedral ruins and a UNESCO-listed historic centre.

Things to do

• Stroll the Marginal. Walk Luanda's palm-lined bayfront promenade at sunset as the city lights flicker on across the water.
• Feel the spray at Kalandula. Stand at the edge of Kalandula Falls, one of Africa's largest waterfalls by volume, roaring through a horseshoe of green cliffs.
• Drive the Serra da Leba. Snake down the famous hairpin road from the cool Huíla highlands to the desert coast below.
• Peer into Tundavala Gap. Look over a sheer escarpment edge near Lubango where the plateau drops away more than a kilometre to the plains.
• Hunt for welwitschia. Spot the bizarre two-leaved desert plant that can live for over a thousand years in the Namib Desert of the south.
• Learn at the Slavery Museum. Visit the small but powerful National Museum of Slavery in a former chapel on the coast south of Luanda.
• Dance semba and kizomba. Join a live-music night where Angola's signature partner dances fill the floor until late.
• Go on safari at Kissama. Look for elephants, giraffes and antelope in Kissama National Park, a short drive from the capital.

Source: full Angola guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Muamba de galinha – chicken stewed in palm oil sauce
• Funge – smooth cassava or maize porridge
• Calulu – dried fish stew with vegetables
• Mufete – grilled fish with beans, plantain and sweet potato

Source: RoamSun Angola guide

Money and safety

Currency: Angolan kwanza (AOA). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: About 10% in restaurants if service is not included.

Emergency numbers: 113 police · 115 fire · 112 ambulance.

• The kwanza is the local currency; carry enough cash for rural areas, where card payments are rare.
• ATMs are common in cities but can run out of cash or reject foreign cards – Visa tends to work more often than other networks.
• Petty theft and bag snatching occur in Luanda; keep phones out of sight and avoid walking alone at night.
• Use trusted taxis or ride-hailing apps after dark rather than flagging cars in the street.

Source: RoamSun Angola facts