Day 1 - Dakar
Arrive in Dakar and transfer to the hotel. Overnight Hotel Djoloff or similar.
Day 2 - Dakar – Goree Island
Spend the morning exploring Dakar and experiencing urban West Africa, before boarding a ferry to visit nearby Goree Island, once a centre of the slave trade. Explore the historic sights of the island with its colonial architecture and colourful markets. Overnight Hotel Municipal or similar. (BLD)
Day 3 - Goree Island - Lac Rose
Leave the island and continue to Lac Rose. A shallow salt lake surrounded by dunes, the high concentration of minerals sometimes gives it a pink hue. Explore the surrounding area and visit a nearby fishing village, the largest in Senegal. From here we drive into the Lampoul Desert, where we stay overnight in a tented camp. (BLD))
Day 4 - Saint Louis
Continue to the atmospheric town of St Louis, once the capital of French West Africa. Spend the day exploring its streets by traditional caleche (horse and carriage).Overnight Hotel La Poste or similar. (BLD)
Day 5 - Djoudj National Park – Fulani Villages
Travel to Djoudj National Park with its incredible bird life. We discover vast flocks of pelicans, flamingos and more, Afterwards we head out into the Ferlo desert, home to the semi-nomadic Fulani people. We have the opportunity to meet them and learn about their unique culture, centred around livestock and grazing. Overnight in simple huts. (BLD)
Day 6 - Touba
Drive to Touba, a stronghold of the Mourid Islamic brotherhood and considered to be a sacred town in Senegal. Spend the rest of the day exploring the town and learning about the spiritual traditions of Islam in Senegal. Overnight Relais de Kaolack or similar. (BLD)
Day 7 - Sine Ngayene – Banjul
Drive to Sine Ngayene, an astonishing megalithic site of over a thousand carved stones arranged into fifty two circles , recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From here we cross the border into the Gambia and take a ferry across the river, to transfer to our hotel on the outskirts of Banjul. Overnight Atlantic Hotel or similar. (BLD)
Day 8 - Banjul – Casamance
Spend the morning in the company of an ornithological guide, looking for birds in the large park by the hotel – this is home to over 70% of the species that live in the country. We then visit the National Museum with its exhibits on local archaeology and history, before crossing back into Senegal and the lush Casamance region. Overnight Hotel Kadiandoumange or similar. (BLD)
Day 9 - Ziguinchor
Spend the day exploring the culture of the Dioula people, meeting the king of the oldest Dioula kingdom. With his permission we learn about the animistic customs that hold sway here and venture into a sacred forest where we may be lucky enough to see traditional rituals taking place. Return to Ziguinchor for the night. Overnight Hotel Kadiandoumange or similar. (BLD)
Day 10 - Dakar
Fly back to Dakar over the river estuaries and Atlantic coast. Evening transfer back to the airport for your flight home. (B)
Please note that we sell this trip in conjunction with our local partner and therefore you should expect people of different nationalities and a maximum group size of 16 on this tour.
There may be some minor changes to this itinerary for 2024 departures. Please ask us for the relevant itinerary.
What's included:
Airport transfers - We include arrival and departure transfers regardless of whether you book flights yourself, or we book them for you. If you're booking them yourself, then please let us know the details so that we can arrange the transfers. Please note though that if you arrive earlier than Day 1 of the tour, and leave after the final day, we may need to make an additional charge for an airport transfer.
Accommodation - Accommodation as listed in the dossier. The nature of the destinations that we operate may sometimes mean that we need to change hotels, but we'll always endeavour to keep the same standards. Please be aware that as we operate in many countries where tourism is in its infancy, hotel standards may not be the same as you're used to elsewhere.
Guides - You will be accompanied by an English speaking guide.
Meals - As listed within the itinerary / dossier (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner). These will vary from trip to trip - in some areas it makes sense to include all meals while in others there is a good choice of restaurants and we feel people might like to 'do their own thing' now and again.
Entrance fees - Entrance fees are listed for those sites that we mention within the itinerary. If there are any other sites that you'd like to see, these would be at your own expense.
Not included:
- Visas
- Airport taxes
- International flights
- Travel Insurance