Gitega is a compact town and its main sights can be seen in a day. The National Museum is the essential stop — the best collection of Burundian cultural objects in the country, with excellent material on royal drumming traditions. Combined with a visit to the royal drummers if one can be arranged, this takes a morning.
The Cathedral of Christ the King on its hill is worth visiting for its position and its historical weight as the seat of the Archbishop of Gitega. The central market is the other essential stop: it is the heart of the town and gives a truer sense of Gitega's daily character than anything else.
Day trips from Gitega can extend into the surrounding hills — the landscape is rolling, green, and relatively cool. The Source of the Nile at Rutovu is about 80 kilometres south; the drive passes through beautiful highland scenery.