Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Senegal to Lac Rose
After you arrive in Senegal and handle your entry paperwork, your local guide will meet you and then drive you to Lac Rose for the night. The drive takes roughly an hour and covers about 45 km, so it's a fairly easy first day to settle in.
Landmarks Lac Rose 
- Day 2
Lac Rose to Lompoul
This morning you'll watch the salt mining operations at Lac Rose, which you might know from the Paris-Dakar Rally finish line. From there, head to a Peulh village to learn about local life, then continue toward Lompoul. Later in the day you can take a short dromedary ride through the sand dunes if you'd like. You'll arrive at your desert camp after traveling about 3 to 4 hours and covering roughly 160 km.
Included Activities
- Watch salt mining at Lac Rose
- Visit Peulh ethnic group village
Optional Activities
- Short dromedary ride into the dune field
Landmarks Lac Rose Lompoul 
- Day 3
Lompoul to Saint-Louis
Travel to Saint-Louis, the former capital of French Sudan and once called the Pearl of West Africa. Despite having around 150,000 people, the city has a quiet character sitting at the mouth of the Senegal River. Take a horse-drawn carriage through the old town to see the colonial architecture, then explore the fishing district on the Langue de Barbarie headland. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is about 2 hours away and covers approximately 110 km.
Included Activities
- Horse-drawn carriage tour of Saint-Louis old town
- Explore fishing district on Langue de Barbarie headland
Landmarks Ile St-Louis Langue de Barbarie - Day 4
Saint-Louis and Djoudj National Park
Head out early for Djoudj National Park, which holds the world's third-largest bird reserve and sits on the border with Mauritania as a UNESCO site. You'll spend several hours on a boat trip watching and photographing different bird species, including some rare ones. By afternoon you're back in Saint-Louis with free time to relax on the beach or walk around town. The journey each way takes roughly 3 hours and covers about 150 km.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Boat trip through Djoudj National Park
- Bird observation and photography
Landmarks Djoudj National Park 
- Day 5
Saint-Louis to Kaolack via Touba
After breakfast, drive to Touba, the holy city and center of the Murids Islamic Sufi brotherhood. The place has strict rules against alcohol and cigarettes, and respectful behavior is expected. Visit the large mosque where the spiritual leader Cheick Amadou Bamba is buried. Continue on to Kaolack and check out the market in the late afternoon. This 6-hour journey covers around 300 km.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit mosque with tomb of Cheick Amadou Bamba in Touba
- Visit market in Kaolack
Landmarks Touba Mosque - Day 6
Kaolack to Niokolo-Koba National Park
You'll travel east through dry savannah with acacia trees, passing through Tambacounda on your way to Niokolo-Koba National Park, a UNESCO site since 1981. Your camp sits on the banks of the Gambia River. In the afternoon, you have the option to take a boat trip where hippos might be spotted in their natural habitat. The trip takes about 6 to 7 hours and covers roughly 390 km.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Afternoon boat trip to observe hippos (optional)
Landmarks Niokolo-Koba National Park - Day 7
Niokolo-Koba National Park Game Viewing
Spend the full day game viewing in Niokolo-Koba National Park. You might see West African chimpanzees, lions, baboons, or antelopes like roan or cob. By evening, drive to Mako, which takes about an hour and covers around 50 km.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Game viewing in Niokolo-Koba National Park
Landmarks Niokolo-Koba National Park - Day 8
Mako to Kedougou
In the morning, take a walk along the Gambia River to the village of Badian where you can watch for hippos. After that, drive to a gold mine in eastern Senegal where local gold diggers have worked for several years. Visit a women's agricultural cooperative focused on shea butter production. Continue to Kedougou in the evening after about an hour of travel covering roughly 50 km.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Walk along Gambia River to village of Badian
- Visit gold mine
- Visit women's agricultural cooperative for shea butter production
Landmarks Badian - Day 9
Kedougou to Salemata/Ethiolo via Bédik and Dindefelo
Meet the Bédik, a small tribe with only a few thousand members who have lived isolated in the mountains near Kedougou for centuries. In the village of Iwol, the village chief will welcome you and introduce you to inhabitants so you can learn about their traditions and crafts. Take a detour to Dindefelo waterfall, Senegal's highest at around 100 meters. Travel on to Salemata or Ethiolo for your overnight stay in a simple camp. This leg takes about 2 to 3 hours and covers approximately 120 km.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Bédik village of Iwol
- Meet village chief and learn about traditions and crafts
- Visit Dindefelo waterfall
Landmarks Iwol Dindefelo Waterfall - Day 10
Salemata District Bassari Villages
Check out some Bassari villages in the Salemata district. Ethiolo, a small village, serves as the religious center for this ethnic group found only in this area. You'll meet local people and learn about their animist beliefs and traditional way of life. Travel time is about an hour covering roughly 20 km.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Bassari villages in Salemata district
- Learn about animist beliefs and traditional way of life
Landmarks Ethiolo - Day 11
Bassari Villages to Tambacounda
In the morning, visit the village square where young men go through initiation ceremonies every May. Then leave the Bassari area and drive back to Tambacounda, arriving in the late afternoon. This 6-hour journey covers about 305 km.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit village square of initiation ceremonies
- Day 12
Tambacounda to Kolda
Drive through the country's rice-growing heartland with its endless rice fields to reach Kolda, where you'll see Portuguese camps in the town on the Casamance River. Walk through the local market, which is dominated by the Diola people selling a wide range of fruit and vegetables. This 4-hour journey covers around 230 km.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Portuguese camps in Kolda
- Stroll through local market
- Day 13
Kolda to Cap Skirring
Continue traveling to Cap Skirring, where you can relax on the beach in the afternoon. The journey takes about 5 to 6 hours and covers approximately 260 km.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Landmarks Cap Skirring - Day 14
Cap Skirring to Ziguinchor Region
In the morning, the local king will have an audience with you in the village of Oussouye near Ziguinchor. Learn about cashew nut processing at a nearby factory. Later, go to the village of Mlomp, which is known for its multi-story buildings and a museum about Diola culture. Drive to Edioungou and take a boat to Eloubaline to see traditional Diola impluvium houses. Head back to Cap Skirring by evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Royal audience with local king in Oussouye
- Visit cashew nut processing factory
- Visit village of Mlomp with multi-storey architecture and museum
- Boat trip to Eloubaline
- View impluvium houses (typical Diola architecture)
Landmarks Oussouye Mlomp Eloubaline - Day 15
Cap Skirring to Carabane
The morning is free for you to enjoy the beach at Cap Skirring. Then drive to Elinkine and from there take a pirogue to Carabane. The journey takes roughly an hour and covers about 30 km.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Landmarks Carabane - Day 16
Calabash Festival Opening
A local guide will show you around Carabane village, visiting the church and cemetery. Continue to Ziguinchor after about 2 to 3 hours of travel covering roughly 90 km. In the afternoon, join the official opening of the calabash festival, held every December since 2008. The festival celebrates local artists and various Casamance groups who work with calabash. Another event happens in the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Village tour of Carabane with local guide
- Visit church and cemetery
- Attend official opening of calabash festival
- Evening festival event
Landmarks Carabane - Day 17
Ziguinchor Calabash Festival
Meet local healers, artisans, and artists at the fairground who'll explain different processing methods and uses of calabash. In the afternoon, a street carnival takes place with thousands of people from various ethnic groups parading through the streets in colorful processions. Relax and celebrate at a concert in the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Meet local healers, artisans and artists
- Learn about calabash processing and uses
- Street carnival with ethnic group procession
- Evening concert
- Day 18
Ziguinchor to Dakar by Ferry
Depending on your ferry departure time, head to the ferry port and check in for the Alioune Sitoe Diatta ferry to Dakar. The ferry leaves around 1 pm and arrives in Dakar at 6 am the next morning. You'll spend the night in shared cabins on board.
Included Activities
- Ferry journey Ziguinchor to Dakar
- Day 19
Dakar City Tour
Take a city tour of Dakar, the capital with over 2 million people. Founded in 1857, it's the oldest European-style city in West Africa. See Independance Square and the Carmel market where women sell flowers. Check out the arts and crafts market for last-minute shopping. Head to the Monument de la Renaissance Africaine, a 49-meter bronze statue that marks the westernmost point of mainland Africa.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- City tour of Dakar
- Visit Independance Square
- Visit Carmel market
- Visit arts and crafts market
- Visit Monument de la Renaissance Africaine
Landmarks Independance Square Carmel Market Monument de la Renaissance Africaine - Day 20
Dakar to Goree Island and Departure
After arriving in Dakar, take a boat to Goree Island, first settled by Europeans in the 15th century and a center of the slave trade for around 300 years. Visit the slave house with its Gate of No Return, the church of St. Charles de Boramee, and the museum along with other UNESCO sites. Return to Dakar in the afternoon and visit the African Arts Museum (I.F.A.N.). By evening, transfer to the airport for your flight back to Europe. A day room near the airport is available.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Boat trip to Goree Island
- Visit slave house and Gate of No Return
- Visit St. Charles de Boramee church
- Visit museum on Goree Island
- Visit African Arts Museum (I.F.A.N.) in Dakar
Landmarks Goree Island Goree Slave House St. Charles de Boramee Church African Arts Museum 
- Day 21
Arrival in Europe
You'll arrive back in Europe.
