The Marché Central is one of the largest markets in Central Africa, and one of the most overwhelming. Thousands of vendors sell everything imaginable across a sprawling warren of covered stalls and open lanes: fresh fish and dried insects, bolts of vivid kitenge fabric, electronics, hardware, bootleg cassettes, secondhand clothing from Europe, and vegetables you won't recognise from home. The noise, the smell, and the press of bodies is intense by any standard.
Go with a guide and keep your phone and wallet secured. Bargaining is expected everywhere. The best time to visit is morning, when the produce is fresh and the light through the metal roof turns the whole place golden. Even if you buy nothing, an hour in the Marché Central tells you more about the daily economic life of Kinshasa than any number of museum visits.