West Africa Overland
Overview
Highlights
- Relax on Ghana's beautiful Brenu Beach
- Explore the dense jungles of Kakum National Park
- Get absorbed in Bissau's buzzing arts scene
- Discover Ghana's capital city of Accra
- Embark on a pirogue trip through the Sine-Saloum Delta
- Unlock the secrets of the historic Elmina Castle
- Encounter the great mosques of Senegal
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Itinerary
Border information: if you are joining at Dakar, you will most likely enter Senegal at Dakar Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport (IATA code: DKR). Today is an arrival day with a pre departure meeting at 10:00am. Your leader will leave a note in reception tel...
" Day 2 to 3 " Today we head north through the dry Sahel region to the old colonial city of St. Louis, formerly the capital of French West Africa. Estimated Drive Time - 5-6 hours (please note that all drive times given here are the approximate number of hours that...
" Day 4 to 5 " Today we start our journey south to the small town of Toubakouta, situated close to the Sine-Saloum Delta. On the way we will see the landscape change as we enter the greener wetland region, and we will stop to see the Grand Mosque of Touba, one of the...
" Day 6 to 7" Border information: Exit Senegal at Karang, enter The Gambia at Fass. Today we will head across the border from Senegal into the small country of The Gambia, then cross the Gambia River on a local transport barge to arrive at the famous Tendaba Camp o...
" Day 8 to 10 " Border information: Exit The Gambia at Soma, enter Senegal at Senoba. Today we will cross the border into the southern Casamance region of Senegal, arriving at the beautiful beaches of Cap Skirring. Estimated Drive Time - 7-8 hours. We will have...
" Day 11 to 12" Border information: Exit Senegal at Mpack, enter Guinea Bissau at São Domingos. Today we will drive across the border into the very rarely-visited country of Guinea-Bissau, and drive to its capital of Bissau. Estimated Drive Time - 7-8 hours. On ...
" Day 13 to 15" Border information: Exit Guinea-Bissau at Kandika, enter Guinea at Kandika. From Bissau we will journey through Guinea-Bissau and into the remote hilly areas of northern Guinea on our way to the town of Labé, the gateway to the stunning Fouta Djallo...
" Day 16 to 17 " From Labé we will set off for an included 2-day excursion to the heart of the Fouta Djallon region of Guinea. On the first day we will travel in 4x4 jeeps through very remote country roads to the small rural community of Aïnguel (approximately a 4 ...
Leaving the Fouta Djallon region behind us, we head south through central Guinea to the town of Mamou. In Mamou we will stay in a local guest house. Estimated Drive Time - 6-7 hours. About Mamou: Mamou is a city in a valley of the Fouta Djallon area of Guinea. I...
Today we will continue our drive south through Guinea, stopping to wild camp close to the border with Sierra Leone. Estimated Drive Time - 7-8 hours.
" Day 20 to 21 " Border information: Exit Guinea at Pamalap, enter Sierra Leone at Kindia. Today we leave Freetown for the stunning beaches of Freetown Peninsular, where we will spend 2 nights for some well-deserved relaxation after our journey through the tough ro...
Today we will have a short drive up the western side of the Freetown Peninsular to arrive in the Aberdeen district of the city of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. In Freetown we will stay in a comfortable hotel with good facilities. Estimated Drive Time - 3-4...
Border information: if you are joining in Freetown, you will most likely enter Sierra Leone at Freetown Lungi International Airport (IATA code: FNA). There will be an important group meeting at 10:00am at the joining hotel - please look out at the hotel reception for ...
Today we leave Freetown for the stunning beaches of Freetown Peninsular, where we will spend 3 nights. There are a few different options for which beaches we could choose to visit, our favourites being Bureh Beach at the south of the peninsular and River Number 2 Beac...
Leaving the Freetown Peninsular behind, today we have a full day's drive through Sierra Leone to the Tiwai Island Sanctuary, one of Sierra Leone's largest inland islands. Estimated Drive Time - 9-10 hours. On the following day, we will enjoy various nature walks throu...
the small town of Kabala. Kabala is famous for being an oasis of cool air in the hills of northern Sierra Leone, and for its traditional Ronko-dyed clothes - shirts or gowns made of strips of cloth, typically dyed a rusty reddish-brown using local pigments. We aim to ...
Border information: Exit Sierra Leone and enter Guinea at GberiaFotombu. The next 2 days we will spend travelling through the remote border region between Sierra Leone and Guinea, driving through scenic areas very rarely visited by tourists and wild camping for a nigh...
Today we will travel through the central region of Guinea, stopping for a night in one of the towns en route (depending on how the drive goes, this may be Macenta or Guéckédou). In Macenta or Guéckédou we will stay in a small locally-run hotel. Estimated Drive Time - 7-9 hours.
Today we will continue through the forested region of Guinea, visiting one of the famous vine bridges (Pont de Liana) en route. We will arrive at the small town of Nzerekoré in the heart of Guinea's Forest Region. Estimated Drive Time - 8-10 hours. On the following da...
Border information: Exit Guinea at Gbakoré, enter Côte d'Ivoire at Gbapleu. The next 2 days are spent crossing the border and driving through central Côte d'Ivoire. These days take us through some very remote areas and some very poor quality dirt roads, so a great dea...
Today we will drive through the lush countryside to the northern Ivorian town of Korhogo, famed for the multitude of crafts that are made there. Estimated Drive Time - 7-8 hours. On the following day, we will head out on an included tour around many of the handicraft ...
Today we will drive to Yamoussoukro, the tiny and bizarre capital of Côte d'Ivoire. Yamoussoukro was the birthplace of Felix HouphouëtBoigny, the first president of independent Côte d'Ivoire, and is also the unusual location of the colossal and breathtaking Basilica o...
Today we will drive to the Atlantic coast, arriving at the old French colonial capital of Grand Bassam situated east of Abidjan. Estimated Drive Time - 7-8 hours. On the following two days, we will have free time to explore the old colonial town and to relax on the be...
Border information: Exit Côte d'Ivoire at Elubo, enter Ghana at Elubo. Today we cross into Ghana and then head east along the Atlantic coast to the beaches of Beru Akyinim near the historic town of Elmina. Estimated Drive Time - 7-8 hours. On the following day, we wil...
Today we will head into the nearby town of Cape Coast for a fascinating and moving tour of the old slave fort there. We will then drive inland to the rainforests of Kakum National Park. On arrival we will head out on an included evening walk through the forests in sea...
Today we have an early start with an included morning visit to the Kakum National Park canopy walkways. These are a long series of hanging bridges at the forest canopy level that gives us a unique perspective of the rainforest - and at that time of the morning we will...
Today we will drive to Accra, the chaotic capital of Ghana! We will have free time on arrival to explore the city. In Accra we will stay in a comfortable hotel with good facilities. Estimated Drive Time - 6-7 hours. Activity Approximate Cost Explore the fascinating a...
Border information: if you are joining in Accra, then you will most likely enter Ghana at Accra Kotoka International Airport (IATA code: ACC). There will be an important group meeting at 10:00am at the joining hotel - please look out at the hotel reception for a not...
This morning, we will apply for Togo visas at the Togolese Embassy in Accra. Once they are issued, we will leave Accra and head north to the village of Akosombo. In Akosombo we will stay in a campsite next to the River Volta. Estimated Drive Time: 3-4 hours (please...
Today we will have an included visit to the nearby Akosombo Dam, a major project built in the 1960s to provide almost all of Ghana's energy needs. The rest of the day will be free to relax at our campsite in Akosombo. INCLUDED ACTIVITIES Visit Akosombo Dam, the col...
Border information: Exit Ghana at Klouto, enter Togo at Klouto. Today we will have a full day's drive to the spectacular Mont Klouto, crossing the border into Togo. Estimated Drive Time: 5-6 hours. In Mont Klouto we will stay in a campsite, with the option to upg...
Today we will have a free day around the beautiful Mont Klouto region, with the opportunity to head out on optional forest walks or to visit Kpalimé town nearby. In the evening, we will head to the village centre to see a spectacular show of drumming and dancing fro...
Over the next 3 days we will drive up the length of Togo, all the way through the remote northern border with Benin. We will wild camp for 2 nights en route. Estimated Drive Times: 8-9 hours each day.
This morning we will go on an included walking tour of the nearby Tata Somba villages with some of the local villagers. This is a fascinating visit to an area rarely visited by tourists, where we will learn a lot about the local traditional way of life and explore the...
From the Tata Somba region we have a short journey north to the beautiful Pendjari National Park. We will stay for two nights wild camping in the National Park, where we will have freedom to explore and head out on game drives in the truck in search of wildlife. Est...
Today we have a full day's drive heading south through Benin. We will wild camp somewhere en route between the towns of Natitingou and Abomey. Estimated Drive Time: 8-10 hours.
Our journey today continues to Abomey, the ancient capital of the Dahomey kingdom. On arrival we will take an included tour of the Dahomey Palace and Museum. We will then have a free day to explore the local area. In Abomey we will stay in a campsite, with the possib...
This morning we will drive to Abomey-Calavi (a port on the outskirts of Cotonou), where we say goodbye to the truck for the night and jump aboard motorised pirogues to Ganvie, a fascinating town built entirely on stilts in the middle of Lake Nokoué. In Ganvie we will...
Today we will start with an included tour of the stilt town of Ganvie, exploring deeper on our pirogues and soaking up the unique way of life in the floating village. Following this, we will head back to land to re-join the truck and drive along the coastal road to Ou...
Today we will take a very interesting half-day tour of the sites in Ouidah, including the Voodoo Python Temple, the "Route des Esclaves" (Slave Route), La Maison du Brésil art gallery and the Ouidah Museum of History in the old Portuguese Fort of São João Baptista de ...
Today we will have a free day at Grand Popo for relaxing on the beach or taking a pirogue trip around the nearby ocean and mangroves. There is also an option this evening to visit an incredible local vodun (voodoo) ceremony in the nearby village, complete with very ...
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