Tour Overview
| Duration | 8 Days / 7 Nights |
|---|---|
| Country | Senegal — Gateway to West Africa |
| Price From | $2,340 per person (twin share) |
| Tour Style | Cultural / Heritage Safari |
| Data Source | TourRadar — 2026 (Across Africa Tours) |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Arrive Dakar
Welcome to Dakar, Africa’s westernmost capital! Airport transfer to Hotel Farid. Afternoon visit to the African Renaissance Monument — the tallest statue in Africa, towering 52 meters above the Atlantic. Evening stroll along the Corniche with ocean views. Welcome dinner featuring thieboudienne (Senegal’s national dish). Overnight in Dakar.
Day 2: Goree Island — House of Slaves
Morning ferry to Goree Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit the House of Slaves and stand before the Door of No Return, a solemn memorial to the transatlantic slave trade. Explore the island’s colonial architecture, pastel-colored houses, and artists’ studios. Lunch at a seaside restaurant. Return to Dakar for an evening at leisure. Overnight in Dakar.
Day 3: Pink Lake (Lac Rose) & Lompoul Desert
Drive north to Lake Retba, the famous Pink Lake — its rosy hue comes from high-salinity algae. Watch salt harvesters at work and float effortlessly in the hypersaline water. Continue to the Lompoul Desert, where rolling orange sand dunes meet the Atlantic. Sunset camel ride and overnight in a traditional Mauritanian tent camp under the stars.
Day 4: Saint Louis — Colonial Heritage
Journey to Saint Louis, the former capital of French West Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Cross the Faidherbe Bridge, designed by Gustave Eiffel’s workshop. Explore the colonial quarter with its balconied houses, the Governor’s Palace, and vibrant fishing quarter of Guet Ndar. Afternoon pirogue ride through the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary — home to over 3 million migratory birds. Overnight in Saint Louis.
Day 5: Touba — The Holy City
Visit Touba, the spiritual center of the Mouride brotherhood. Marvel at the Great Mosque of Touba — one of Africa’s largest mosques with its 87-meter minaret. Learn about the city’s unique autonomous status and Senegalese Sufi traditions. Continue south through baobab-dotted landscapes. Overnight in the Sine Saloum region.
Day 6: Sine Saloum Delta
Full day exploring the Sine Saloum Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage biosphere reserve. Boat through mangrove-lined channels, spot pelicans, flamingos, and monitor lizards. Visit traditional Serer villages with their distinctive granaries on stilts. Enjoy fresh oysters harvested from mangroves by local women. Sunset over the delta’s labyrinth of islands. Overnight at an eco-lodge.
Day 7: Joal-Fadiouth — The Shell Island
Visit Joal, birthplace of Senegal’s first president Leopold Senghor. Cross a wooden bridge to Fadiouth — an entire island made of millions of clam shells. Walk shell-paved streets, visit the unique mixed Christian-Muslim cemetery, and climb the granaries on stilts. Afternoon at the seaside resort town of Saly. Farewell dinner by the beach. Overnight in Saly.
Day 8: Depart Dakar
Morning at leisure in Saly. Transfer to Blaise Diagne International Airport. Take home memories of Senegal’s legendary teranga (hospitality). Safe travels!
Inclusions
- 7 nights accommodation (mix of 3-4 star hotels, desert camp, eco-lodge)
- Daily breakfast, 4 dinners
- Airport transfers
- English-speaking guide
- Goree Island ferry & entrance fees
- Lompoul Desert camel ride
- Sine Saloum boat excursion
- All national park entrance fees
Why Visit Senegal
- Teranga — the legendary Senegalese hospitality that welcomes every visitor like family
- Goree Island — a UNESCO site and powerful memorial to millions who passed through the Door of No Return
- Pink Lake — one of the world’s most unusual natural wonders, pinker than the Dead Sea
- 3 million migratory birds at Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary — a paradise for birdwatchers
- Fadiouth — the only island in the world made entirely of seashells
