Things to do in Senegal

Museums, restaurants, markets, beaches, nightlife and useful addresses across Senegal.

• Musée des Civilisations Noires

  The Museum of Black Civilisations explores the histories, arts and intellectual legacies of Africa and its diasporas. This guide helps visitors prepare without replacing the museum’s current information.

• Musée Théodore Monod (IFAN)

  The Théodore Monod Museum presents collections of West African arts and cultures. Its displays help visitors compare the forms, uses and techniques of objects from societies across the region.

• Maison des Esclaves

  The House of Slaves is a museum and memorial to the Atlantic slave trade on Gorée Island. The visit calls for time, respect and historical context to understand its spaces, narratives and debates.

• Village des Arts

  Dakar’s Village des Arts brings together artists’ studios and a gallery devoted to contemporary creation. Visitors can discover different media and, when artists are available, discuss their work directly.

• Monument de la Renaissance Africaine

  The African Renaissance Monument overlooks Dakar from the Mamelles hill. A visit combines the monumental staircase, views over the peninsula and, subject to current access conditions, the interior spaces.

• Musée historique & Musée de la Mer

  This Gorée stop offers two complementary perspectives: the Historical Museum in Fort d’Estrées covers several periods of Senegalese history, while the Museum of the Sea explores maritime heritage and ecosystems.

• Musée de Saint-Louis (CRDS)

  The museum of Senegal’s Research and Documentation Centre stands at the southern tip of Saint-Louis Island. Its displays explore the history, societies and heritage of the Senegal River valley, alongside the centre’s documentary and photogr

• Musée des Traditions Diola

  The Museum of Diola Culture is in Mlomp, in Oussouye Department, not central Ziguinchor. Housed in traditional architecture, it presents objects connected with daily life, techniques, the environment and Diola memory.

• Chez Loutcha

  Chez Loutcha is a family-style restaurant in central Dakar known for a menu bringing together Senegalese, Cape Verdean and international cooking. This guide explains the experience and helps visitors plan without guaranteeing which dishes w

• Le Lagon 1

  Le Lagon 1 is a restaurant built on stilts beside Anse Bernard on Dakar’s eastern Corniche. This guide introduces its waterfront setting and helps visitors plan a meal without fixing menus, prices or opening times that may change.

• Restaurants de poisson des Almadies

  At Pointe des Almadies, this guide helps you choose a place to eat in the coastal neighbourhood. It does not identify a partner restaurant or promise a particular menu. Compare location, the displayed menu and the total price before sitting

• Dibiteries de Dakar

  Dibiteries are popular grill houses where dibi—usually mutton, sometimes chicken or beef—is cooked over fire and served simply with onions, mustard, bread or a side. This page explains the Dakar dibiterie experience without endorsing an unv

• Terrasses de Gorée

  Gorée is explored on foot after the crossing from Dakar. This listing points to dining options on the island without endorsing a specific venue. Leave time to visit its memorial sites respectfully, and choose a meal from menus and opening t

• Restaurants de Saly & Ngaparou

  Saly and Ngaparou are neighbouring areas on the Petite Côte with a range of places to eat. This is an area guide, not a verified business directory. Choose according to your route, actual access, the menu and prices displayed by the venue.

• Tables de la lagune, Somone

  The Somone lagoon combines mangroves, birdlife and local activities. This guide helps plan a meal near the site without assuming it is included in a boat trip. Check each operator’s exact location and whether a reserve visit is separate.

• Tables de l'île, Saint-Louis

  On Saint-Louis Island, a city walk can be combined with a meal at a venue that is open. This area guide covers the island’s streets and quays without promising a terrace, river view or live music. Check the menu, access and booking with you

• Paillotes de Cap Skirring

  Cap Skirring is a coastal area of Lower Casamance. This listing helps you look for a place to eat near the beach, but confirms no specific beach restaurant, daily special or availability. Access and services vary by venue and season: ask lo

• Marché Sandaga

  Sandaga is a historic market in central Dakar and a landmark of everyday commerce. These photographs show the market in 2013: construction work, access and vendor locations may have changed since then. This walk explores the trading distric

• Village artisanal de Soumbédioune

  Soumbédioune Craft Village brings together workshops and shops specialising in wood carving, jewellery, textiles, basketry and decorative objects. It is close to the fish market, but this guide focuses on the craft area and its makers.

• Marché Kermel

  Kermel Market is both a food market in the Plateau district and one of Dakar’s landmark buildings. A visit reveals its circular architecture, busy produce stalls and surrounding craft shops while respecting the vendors’ daily work.

• Marché Ocass

  Ocass market is a major trading centre in Touba. A walk through its aisles and stalls gives a glimpse of daily commerce; fabrics and everyday goods vary with the day. The municipality announced changes to the surrounding streets in 2026, so

• Marché de Guet Ndar

  Guet Ndar is Saint-Louis’s fishing neighbourhood on the Langue de Barbarie. Its streets and seafront reflect an active maritime community, with pirogues, fishing equipment and activity around landings. It is a residential and working area,

• Marché Saint-Maur de Ziguinchor

  Saint-Maur-des-Fossés market, also known as Boucotte, is one of Ziguinchor’s main markets. APS reports fish, fruit, vegetable and fabric stalls there. A visit offers a view of the city’s everyday trading life; the exact selection depends on

• Île de Ngor & plage de Ngor

  Ngor Island lies a short distance from Ngor village off Dakar’s western tip. A pirogue crossing leads to a small inhabited island with beaches, narrow lanes, colourful houses and a rockier ocean-facing coast.

• Îles de la Madeleine

  Madeleine Islands National Park protects a group of volcanic islets off Dakar’s western Corniche. Sarpan, the main accessible islet, features rocky landscapes, salt-tolerant vegetation and important habitats for seabirds.

• Lagune de la Somone

  The Somone Lagoon is a coastal wetland where mangroves, sandbanks and shallow waters shelter birds, fish and crustaceans. Visitors generally explore by pirogue or from authorised paths, with the landscape changing with the tides.

• Réserve de Popenguine

  Popenguine Nature Reserve protects Atlantic cliffs, coastal savannah, wetlands and shoreline on the Petite Côte. Its routes reveal varied habitats and viewpoints, with local guidance recommended.

• Parc national des Oiseaux du Djoudj

  Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary protects a major wetland in the Senegal River delta north of Saint-Louis. Its channels, marshes and islands host many resident and migratory species; visits are generally guided and may include a boat trip dep

• Désert de Lompoul

  The Lompoul Desert is an ochre dune landscape between Dakar and Saint-Louis, near the coast. Mining activity has changed parts of the landscape and access routes, so visits should be arranged with a local operator familiar with current cond

• Réserve de Fathala

  Fathala is a private reserve near Toubacouta and the Gambian border. Guided drives through wooded savannah offer views of several large animals living in the reserve, including giraffes, zebras and different antelope species.

• Cascade de Dindéfelo

  Dindéfelo Waterfall is reached on foot from the village through the wooded highlands of the Kédougou region. The trail leads to a tall rock face and natural pool whose water level and flow vary considerably with the season.

• Clubs de mbalax de Dakar

  Mbalax brings together rhythms including sabar and tama with urban arrangements. This guide introduces Dakar’s music scene and does not represent any particular club’s schedule. Choose a venue using its own current programme and entry condi

• Combat de lutte sénégalaise

  Senegalese wrestling, or laamb, is both a sporting and cultural event, bringing together competition, preparation and spectators. These three photographs show a bout and its crowd at Dakar’s Demba Diop stadium in 2007: they document a past

• Festival de Jazz de Saint-Louis

  The Saint-Louis International Jazz Festival periodically turns the city into a music venue with scheduled concerts, street activity and related events. Locations, artists, access conditions and dates change every year, so this guide explain

• Percussions à Kafountine

  Kafountine has a documented craft scene. This guide suggests how to explore music and percussion in the area without claiming that classes, schools or performances run continuously. Nearby Abéné is in the Kafountine commune; check any event

• Niokolo-Koba National Park

  Niokolo-Koba National Park protects 913,000 hectares of savannah, gallery forest and wetlands crossed in part by the Gambia River. A UNESCO World Heritage property since 1981, it should be explored slowly with an authorised guide and a suit

• Gambia River at Wassadou

  At Wassadou, the wooded banks of the Gambia River provide a quiet setting for river scenery and birdwatching. Pirogue outings, when available and water levels permit, should be arranged locally with an experienced operator; no particular an

• Tambacounda Craft Village

  Tambacounda Artisan Village brings together workshops and display spaces dedicated to local crafts, including sculpture, weaving, dyeing, jewellery and leatherwork. Activity levels and the number of artisans present may vary, so it is best

• Tambacounda Old Railway Station District

  The railway station, its former hotel and the neighbourhood built around the tracks reflect the decisive role of rail transport in Tambacounda’s growth. The building retains its historic architecture, but railway operations and accessible a

• Medina Baye

  Médina Baye is a religious district of Kaolack associated with El Hadji Ibrahima Niass and the Tijani Fayda. Its main mosque is a landmark of this centre of prayer and learning. Visitors should respect worshippers; access to religious build

• Kaolack Central Market

  Kaolack’s main market is a commercial hub in the city centre. Visitors can observe everyday shopping and goods that vary by stall and season. Both photographs document the market in 2007; they are historical references and may not reflect i

• Kaolack Salt-Pan Landscapes

  Salt production around Kaolack is part of the region’s economy, from extraction to processing. Landscapes and work vary by season, site and conditions. This guide suggests observation from public access points and does not present an indust

• Kahone, Former Capital of Saloum

  Kahone was a capital of the Saloum kingdom before Kaolack became a key administrative and trading centre. A visit offers a way to explore the region’s Serer history and living memory. Specific sites and local storytellers should be confirme

• Senegalese Manufactures of Decorative Arts

  The Senegalese Decorative Arts Manufactures in Thiès are known for tapestry making and artistic crafts. The photographs show the entrance and exhibition space in 2007 and tapestry work documented in 2024. They illustrate the place and its s

• Thiès Craft Village

  Thiès craft village brings together the making and sale of handmade goods. Photographs taken on site in 2024 show craftspeople and different kinds of work; they offer a glimpse of local skills without promising that every workshop will be p

• Thiès Railway Heritage

  Railways shaped Thiès and its connections with inland Senegal. The station and railway heritage help explain that history. The photographs document the station and a railway exhibition room; they do not establish current train services, tim

• Tivaouane and Tijani Heritage

  Tivaouane is an important centre of Tijani heritage in Senegal. The Serigne Babacar Sy Mosque is a landmark in the town. These photographs show the building at different dates; visitors should respect its religious role and current access r

• Senegal River Banks in Matam

  In Matam, the Senegal River shapes the valley landscape and daily life. A walk can offer views from a safe public access point; it does not imply that boating or swimming is possible. Water level and bank conditions can change considerably,

• Ourossogui Market

  Ourossogui’s central market is a documented trading hub in the Matam region. This guide suggests walking through public areas and discovering what is actually on sale on the day. Stalls and access may change, including during improvement an

• Thilogne and Fouta Architecture

  Thilogne is a town in the Matam region whose history can also be seen in its public spaces and older and newer buildings. Its first school has been important to generations of residents. This guide proposes a respectful walk and does not cl

• Fouta Food and Family Tables

  In the Matam and Ourossogui area, this guide helps visitors explore meals offered by venues that are actually open, without listing a verified restaurant or menu. Agriculture and food production are documented in the region, but dishes, ser

• Kolda Central Market

  Kolda’s central market brings together food stalls and everyday shops, offering a glimpse of trade in Upper Casamance. Produce and crowds vary with deliveries and celebrations; prices and opening times are not fixed by this guide.

• Casamance River Banks in Kolda

  The Casamance River runs through the Kolda region. Its banks offer a view of the landscape and daily uses of the water, which change with the season and rainfall. A riverside walk is neither supervised swimming nor an organised boat excursi

• Fouladou Agricultural Landscapes

  Fouladou is best explored through its rural landscapes, villages and farming activity. Agriculture and livestock are important in the Kolda region, and fields look very different across the seasons. This is an opportunity for a locally acco

• Vélingara and Its Market

  Vélingara is a trading town in the department of the same name, within Kolda region. Its trade includes permanent and weekly markets; the stalls and atmosphere depend on the local calendar. This guide does not promise a particular event or

• Hann Forest and Zoological Park

  Hann Park combines woodland, environmental education and a zoo. Take a slower-paced break in Dakar by walking along permitted paths, observing vegetation and exploring areas open to visitors. For a family outing, ask at reception which sect

• Mamelles Lighthouse

  Commissioned in 1864, Mamelles Lighthouse is a maritime landmark on the Cape Verde peninsula. Discover its architecture and the views from the hill. Reaching the site involves uphill walking, so plan according to your fitness. Access to the

• Mosque of the Divinity in Ouakam

  On the Atlantic coast in Ouakam, the Mosque of the Divinity is an architectural landmark distinguished by its minarets. Begin from accessible public spaces and observe how the building sits within the bay. This is an active place of worship

• Our Lady of Victories Cathedral, Dakar

  Our Lady of Victories Cathedral, also known as the African Memorial Cathedral, stands on Boulevard de la République in the Plateau district. Explore the building’s architecture and forecourt before continuing a walk through the neighbourhoo

• Lake Retba: scenery and salt discovery

  Lake Retba, known as the Pink Lake, makes an outing beyond central Dakar in the Niaga area. Explore the shore landscape and salt-related activities when these are visible and accessible. A local guide can help explain the work of salt harve

• Dakar Station: heritage and the TER

  Dakar Station is a stop for discovering railway heritage and urban mobility in the Plateau district. Observe the building’s façade and passenger activity from accessible public spaces. The TER connects this discovery to the current transpor

• Independence Square and a Plateau walk

  Independence Square is a starting point for discovering Dakar-Plateau on foot. Observe the façades around the square, street perspectives and city life, then plan a short walk to suit your time. This is a working neighbourhood with traffic,

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