Attraction
Gorée Island
Small car-free island off Dakar, inscribed by UNESCO in 1978 as a place of memory of the Atlantic slave trade, with museums, forts and colonial-era houses.
There are plenty of things to do in Dakar, Senegal's Atlantic capital and the westernmost city on the African mainland. It sits on the Cap-Vert peninsula, with the Plateau, the old administrative and business centre, at its southern tip and the beaches, surf spots and hotels of Ngor and Les Almadies in the north-west. The main sights are spread across the city: the Musée des Civilisations Noires and the Musée Théodore Monod d'Art Africain in the centre, the African Renaissance Monument and the Mosquée de la Divinité in Ouakam, and the Village des Arts on the airport road. A short ferry ride away, Gorée Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a place of memory of the Atlantic slave trade.
Food is a strong reason to come, from thiéboudienne and yassa at simple local restaurants to seafood eaten over the water on the corniches. Allow three or four days: one for the Plateau and its museums, one for Gorée, one for the western coast and Ngor Island, and one for a day trip to Lac Rose or the Réserve de Bandia.
Attraction
Small car-free island off Dakar, inscribed by UNESCO in 1978 as a place of memory of the Atlantic slave trade, with museums, forts and colonial-era houses.
Attraction
Late 18th-century house on Gorée, a museum since 1962 and home of the Door of No Return, the island's best-known memorial to the Atlantic slave trade.
Attraction
Bronze statue about 50 metres tall on one of the Mamelles hills in Ouakam, unveiled in 2010 and showing a family rising towards the sky.
Attraction
Round museum opened in 2018 near Dakar's port and railway station, devoted to the cultures and history of Africa and its diaspora.
Attraction
IFAN's museum of West African art in a 1931 neo-Sudanese building on Place Soweto, with masks, sculpture, textiles and jewellery.
Attraction
Shallow salt lake about 35 km north-east of Dakar whose water can turn pink, known for its salt collectors and as the former finish of the…
Café
Bright café and concept store in Mermoz with Senegalese twists on burgers and pasta, a co-working space and a shop of local designers' products.
Café
Garden café-restaurant under a large kapok tree at the Institut Français in the Plateau, popular for set lunches, juices and evenings around concerts.
Café
Terrace café on the road to King Fahd Palace in Les Almadies, serving coffee, homemade pastries, crêpes, salads and sandwiches.
Café
Parisian-style brasserie in the Café de Rome hotel on Avenue de la République, a Plateau landmark for French breakfasts, coffee and brasserie dishes.
Hotel
Family-owned five-star resort on the Corniche Ouest with a private beach, long pool, casino, spa and several restaurants overlooking the ocean and marina.
Hotel
Large resort hotel on 35 hectares at the tip of Les Almadies, with more than 370 rooms, seaside pools, a golf course and a major conference…
Hotel
Large Accor hotel on Place de l'Indépendance with sea or city views, a beach club with heated pool, a spa with hammam and a lounge restaurant.
Hotel
Seafront hotel on the Corniche Ouest, formerly the Radisson Blu, with 234 rooms, an infinity pool and a direct link to the Sea Plaza shopping mall.
Hotel
Family-run waterfront hotel on the Corniche Est founded in 1976, next to the Le Lagon 1 seafood restaurant and close to the Gorée ferry.
Hotel
Seven-room boutique hotel in two colonial-era villas near Place de l'Indépendance, decorated with contemporary African art and home to the Italian restaurant Il Pappagallo.
Bar
Restaurant, lounge and club beside Dakar's 1864 lighthouse on the Mamelles hill, with city and ocean views, live music and late DJ nights.
Bar
Open-air restaurant and live music venue opposite the university on Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop, hosting Senegalese and international acts from jazz to rap.
Bar
Rooftop bar-lounge and restaurant a short walk from Ngor beach, with views over the Atlantic and Ngor Island, cocktails and Italian-inspired food.
Restaurant
Seafood restaurant built on stilts over the sea in 1956, with views of Gorée and a nautical dining room, still run by the founding Calendini family.
Restaurant
Long-running family restaurant in the Plateau serving large plates of Senegalese and Cape Verdean food, including thiéboudienne, mafé and caldou.
Restaurant
Long-established Plateau restaurant mixing French technique, Asian touches and Senegalese produce, with live music on Thursday evenings.
Restaurant
Beachfront restaurant on the Corniche des Almadies with terraces over the Ngor fishing fleet, serving grilled fish, thiéboudienne and poulet yassa.
Restaurant
Beachside seafood restaurant in Ngor known for the day's fresh catch, from grilled amberjack and marlin steaks to fried fish and crayfish.
Restaurant
Beach restaurant on the Corniche des Almadies with a wooden dining room and its own stretch of sand, serving French dishes, crêpes and Senegalese seafood.
Thing to do
Small island a few minutes by pirogue from Ngor beach, with small beaches, seafood restaurants and well-known surf breaks on Dakar's northern tip.
Thing to do
Uninhabited volcanic islands off Dakar protected as a national park since 1976, visited by park boat for seabirds, cliffs and a clear swimming cove.
Thing to do
Wildlife reserve of about 3,500 hectares on the road from Dakar to Mbour, visited on guided drives to see rhinos, giraffes, zebras and antelopes.
Tour operator
Dakar travel agency founded in 1996 that runs city tours, excursions to Gorée, Lac Rose and Bandia, and tailor-made circuits across Senegal.
Tour operator
Dakar surf school running since 2000, teaching surf, bodyboard and stand-up paddle at Ngor, Les Almadies and Les Mamelles for ages four and up.
Tour operator
Surf school on Ngor beach offering lessons for beginners and experienced surfers in Ngor Bay, one of Senegal's best-known surf spots.
Three or four days covers the Plateau and its museums, Gorée Island, the western coast with Ngor Island, and a day trip to Lac Rose or the Réserve de Bandia
The Plateau is best for museums, restaurants and the Gorée ferry; the Corniche Ouest has seafront hotels; Ngor and Les Almadies suit beach and surf stays
Blaise Diagne International Airport is well outside the city, so most visitors take a pre-booked transfer or a taxi, agreeing the fare in advance; allow extra time for traffic
Local restaurants, street food and taxis are inexpensive, while international hotels and seafront restaurants in the Plateau and Les Almadies cost much more
Most visits are trouble-free, but take normal precautions against pickpockets in markets and crowds, use taxis at night and check your government's travel advice before you go
Passenger ferries run by the Liaison Maritime Dakar-Gorée leave from the port of Dakar near the Plateau and take about 20 minutes
The pink colour is usually strongest in the dry season, roughly late January to early March, on sunny and breezy days