Cities & Towns

Cities in East Africa - Best Places to Visit

There are 688 cities in East Africa. Nairobi is the most popular city with a population of 4,397,073.

Most Popular By Name By Population
Nairobi
1
Nairobi
Kenya's capital known for wildlife and culture
Pop. 4,397,073
Mombasa
2
Mombasa
Kenya's second-largest city and port
Pop. 1,208,333
Malindi
3
Malindi
Coastal city in Kenya, popular tourist destination
Pop. 119,859
Naivasha
4
Naivasha
Lakeside town of hippos, flowers and Hell's Gate
Pop. 198,444
Nanyuki
5
Nanyuki
Equator town at the foot of Mount Kenya
Pop. 72,813
Nakuru
6
Nakuru
Rift Valley city by flamingo-filled Lake Nakuru
Pop. 570,674
Kisumu
7
Kisumu
Lake Victoria port and western Kenya's hub
Pop. 397,957
Eldoret
8
Eldoret
Highland town famous for distance runners
Pop. 475,716
Garissa
9
Garissa
City in Garissa County, Kenya
Pop. 163,399
Nyeri
10
Nyeri
City in Nyeri County, Kenya
Pop. 80,081
Addis Ababa
11
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia's capital and a major city in Africa
Pop. 3,860,000
Lalibela
12
Lalibela
Pilgrim town of 11 rock-hewn churches
Pop. 39,100
Gondar
13
Gondar
Royal city of 17th-century castles
Pop. 466,000
Axum
14
Axum
Ancient city with obelisks and archaeological sites
Pop. 94,500
Harar
15
Harar
City known for its ancient walls
Pop. 157,000
Bahir Dar
16
Bahir Dar
City on Lake Tana in Ethiopia
Pop. 350,000
17
Dire Dawa
Eastern trading city near Harar
Pop. 343,000
Mekelle
18
Mekelle
City known for its historical significance
Pop. 457,900
Jimma
19
Jimma
City in Oromiya, known for coffee production
Pop. 250,900
Arba Minch
20
Arba Minch
City with scenic lakes and wildlife
Pop. 201,000
Adama
21
Adama
City famous for its coffee production
Pop. 456,900
Jijiga
22
Jijiga
City in Somali region, Ethiopia
Pop. 483,000
Hawassa
23
Hawassa
City in Sidama Region, known for Lake Awasa
Pop. 422,200
Khartoum
24
Khartoum
Capital city at the confluence of rivers
Pop. 1,974,647
Omdurman
25
Omdurman
City across the Nile from Khartoum
Pop. 1,849,659
Port Sudan
26
Port Sudan
Port city on Red Sea, Sudan
Pop. 489,725
Dongola
27
Dongola
Nubian town on the Nile near ancient Kerma
Pop. 56,167
Nyala
28
Nyala
Darfur's largest city
Pop. 565,734
El-Obeid
29
El-Obeid
Kordofan city and gum arabic market
Pop. 393,311
El Fasher
30
El Fasher
Historic Darfur sultanate capital
Pop. 252,609
Kassala
31
Kassala
Eastern city below the Taka Mountains
Pop. 401,477
Wad Madani
32
Wad Madani
City in Al Jazirah, Sudan
Pop. 332,714
Khartoum North
33
Khartoum North
City known for its rich history
Pop. 1,012,211
Kampala
34
Kampala
Uganda's capital and largest city
Pop. 1,680,600
Entebbe
35
Entebbe
Lakeside town by Uganda's international airport
Pop. 102,600
Jinja
36
Jinja
Adventure town at the source of the Nile
Pop. 93,061
Gulu
37
Gulu
Northern Uganda's main town
Pop. 177,400
Mbarara
38
Mbarara
Western town near Lake Mburo National Park
Pop. 221,300
Mbale
39
Mbale
Eastern town at the foot of Mount Elgon
Pop. 111,300
Fort Portal
40
Fort Portal
Crater-lake town near Kibale chimpanzees
Pop. 60,800
Arua
41
Arua
West Nile market town
Pop. 72,400
Kasese
42
Kasese
City in Western Region near Rwenzori Mountains
Pop. 115,400
Soroti
43
Soroti
City in Eastern Region, Uganda
Pop. 60,900
Asmara
44
Asmara
Capital city known for Italian architecture
Pop. 563,930
Massawa
45
Massawa
Ottoman-era Red Sea port with coral-stone houses
Pop. 23,100
Keren
46
Keren
Green highland town with a Monday camel market
Pop. 74,800
Assab
47
Assab
Southern Red Sea port near Djibouti
Pop. 21,300
Mendefera
48
Mendefera
Highland market town south of Asmara
Pop. 17,781
Barentu
49
Barentu
Western lowland market town
Pop. 15,891
Agordat
50
Agordat
Western town on the Barka River
Pop. 8,857
Dekemhare
51
Dekemhare
Highland town of Italian-era buildings
Pop. 10,959
Adi Keyh
52
Adi Keyh
City in Eritrea with a vibrant community
Pop. 13,061
53
Badme
Town in Gash-Barka, site of prolonged border dispute
Pop. 1,563
Antananarivo
54
Antananarivo
Capital city of Madagascar with rich history
Pop. 1,349,501
Toamasina
55
Toamasina
Madagascar's main port on the east coast
Pop. 345,107
Antsiranana
56
Antsiranana
Northern port by Diego Suarez bay
Pop. 136,959
Antsirabe
57
Antsirabe
Highland town of thermal springs and rickshaws
Pop. 260,907
Fianarantsoa
58
Fianarantsoa
Southern highlands city near wine and tea country
Pop. 203,105
Toliara
59
Toliara
Southwestern port, gateway to Ifaty beaches
Pop. 178,725
Mahajanga
60
Mahajanga
Northwestern port with a baobab-lined seafront
Pop. 260,556
Fort-Dauphin
61
Fort-Dauphin
Southeastern port of beaches and rainforest
Pop. 71,258
Morondava
62
Morondava
City in Menabe, Madagascar, near the coast
Pop. 56,671
Ambositra
63
Ambositra
City in Madagascar's Amoron'i Mania region
Pop. 43,504
Maputo
64
Maputo
Capital city of Mozambique, known for beaches
Pop. 1,254,837
Beira
65
Beira
Port city on the Indian Ocean in Mozambique
Pop. 687,764
Island of Mozambique
66
Island of Mozambique
UNESCO coral island of old Portuguese buildings
Pop. 55,829
Nampula
67
Nampula
Northern hub on the road to Ilha de Moçambique
Pop. 770,379
68
Tete
Zambezi River city
Pop. 357,000
Quelimane
69
Quelimane
Riverside city in Zambezia province
Pop. 349,842
Xai-Xai
70
Xai-Xai
Coastal town near Limpopo beaches
Pop. 154,356
Chimoio
71
Chimoio
Central town near the Chimanimani Mountains
Pop. 422,046
Lichinga
72
Lichinga
City in Niassa Province with natural beauty
Pop. 281,341
Pemba
73
Pemba
City in Mozambique, known for its natural beauty
Pop. 232,932
Kigali
74
Kigali
Capital city known for cleanliness and safety
Pop. 1,132,686
Gisenyi
75
Gisenyi
Lakeside town on Lake Kivu's northern shore
Pop. 172,357
Muhanga
76
Muhanga
Central town on the Kigali to Huye road
Pop. 87,613
Byumba
77
Byumba
Northern highland town near Uganda
Pop. 43,134
Kibuye
78
Kibuye
Hilly lakeside town on Lake Kivu
Pop. 48,024
Nyanza
79
Nyanza
Old royal capital with the King's Palace Museum
Pop. 32,016
Ruhengeri
80
Ruhengeri
Gateway to Volcanoes National Park gorillas
Pop. 153,368
Cyangugu
81
Cyangugu
Southern lakeside town near Nyungwe Forest
Pop. 43,866
Rwamagana
82
Rwamagana
City in Rwanda known for its agriculture
Pop. 47,203
Kibungo
83
Kibungo
City in Eastern Province with local markets
Pop. 46,240
Dar es Salaam
84
Dar es Salaam
Tanzania's largest city and economic center
Pop. 5,383,728
Zanzibar City
85
Zanzibar City
Tropical island famous for spice plantations
Pop. 709,809
Arusha
86
Arusha
Safari capital for Serengeti and Kilimanjaro trips
Pop. 617,631
Moshi
87
Moshi
Coffee town at the foot of Kilimanjaro
Pop. 221,733
Dodoma
88
Dodoma
Capital city of Tanzania with political significance
Pop. 765,179
Mwanza
89
Mwanza
Lake Victoria port city with balancing rocks
Pop. 1,104,521
Bagamoyo
90
Bagamoyo
Historic Swahili and slave-trade town on the coast
Pop. 82,426
Iringa
91
Iringa
Southern highland town, gateway to Ruaha National Park
Pop. 202,490
Tanga
92
Tanga
City in Tanga known for its port
Pop. 393,429
Lindi
93
Lindi
Port city on Tanzania's southern coast
Pop. 95,096
Morogoro
94
Morogoro
City in Tanzania, known for agriculture
Pop. 471,409
Mbeya
95
Mbeya
Tanzanian city and regional economic center
Pop. 541,603
Kigoma
96
Kigoma
City on Lake Tanganyika's shores
Pop. 232,388
Bujumbura
97
Bujumbura
Lakeside capital on Lake Tanganyika
Pop. 769,317
Gitega
98
Gitega
Burundi's political capital and cultural center
Pop. 64,904
Bururi
99
Bururi
Southern highland town near a forest reserve
Pop. 6,929
Muyinga
100
Muyinga
Northeastern market town
Pop. 14,869