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What to book before you travel to Senegal?

Most visits can be booked on the spot. A few sell out days ahead. Here they are, stop by stop, with what you can do without booking underneath. Keep the rest of your time free.

Trip length
WeekendOne weekTwo weeks

8 activities to book · about €200 per person

Dakar and Gorée

Days 1-2
Days 1-2Gorée island: ferry and guided visitHalf dayTwenty minutes by ferry from Dakar, then the House of Slaves and the quiet lanes of an island with no cars.€20Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 1-2City tour and Sandaga market2hTwo hours through the Plateau, the colonial centre, and the crowded trading streets around Sandaga.€15Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: The African Renaissance Monument · Pointe des Almadies · Yoff beach and its pirogues · The Mosque of the Divinity

All activities in Dakar on GetYourGuide

Saint-Louis

Days 3-4
Days 3-4Horse-drawn carriage tour of the old town1h30An hour and a half around the island city at a horse's pace, past the balconied merchant houses.€15Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 3-4Langue de Barbarie National ParkHalf dayA boat trip along the thin spit of sand between the river and the Atlantic, where terns and gulls come to nest.€30Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: The Faidherbe bridge · Guet Ndar, the fishermen's quarter · The Creole architecture of the old town · Sunset over the river

All activities in Saint-Louis on GetYourGuide

Lake Retba (the Pink Lake)

Day 5
Day 5Lake tour and salt harvest, guided2hThe salt collectors at work, chest-deep in the water, breaking salt from the lakebed and piling it on the shore.€15Book on GetYourGuide →
Day 54x4 over the dunes to the beachHalf dayA ride across the dunes that separate the lake from the ocean, ending on the Atlantic beach.€40Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: The pink of the lake · The dunes between lake and ocean · The village of Niaga

All activities in Lake Retba (the Pink Lake) on GetYourGuide

The Sine-Saloum delta

Days 6-7
Days 6-7Pirogue trip through the bolongsHalf dayHalf a day gliding between the mangroves, with herons, kingfishers and oysters growing on the roots.€35Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 6-7Birdwatching and the shell islandsHalf dayThe birdlife of the delta, then islands built up over centuries from discarded shells, some topped with baobabs and old burial grounds.€30Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: The mangroves · The village of Ndangane · Fishing from the pirogues · Empty beaches and islets

All activities in The Sine-Saloum delta on GetYourGuide

Indicative prices per person, checked when written. The button opens the GetYourGuide search for the activity and the town, on the days of the stop once your dates are known. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked questions

How much do the activities to book in Senegal cost?

€200 per person if you do them all, across 8 bookings. The most expensive is "4x4 over the dunes to the beach" at €40, the cheapest "City tour and Sandaga market" at €15. Prices checked when written: confirm them when you book.

What can you do in Senegal without booking anything?

15 visits on this itinerary need no ticket or time slot, starting with The African Renaissance Monument, Pointe des Almadies, Yoff beach and its pirogues, The Mosque of the Divinity. They make up most of your days: booking ahead only concerns a handful of sites with limited places.

At which stop should you book earliest?

Dakar and Gorée, with 2 activities to book, against 2 at the quietest stop. That is where slots go first.

How long do these activities take?

From 1h30 for the shortest to Half day for the longest. Fit them into your days before filling the rest: a guided visit often takes half a day.

The rest of the trip

📒 The free printable Senegal guide: itinerary, map, where to sleep→ 🗓️ Best time to visit Senegal, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book: all our destinations→