Dakar (Senegal)
Dakar is the capital of Senegal and the westernmost city on the African mainland, a lively Atlantic port on a peninsula of hills, beaches and busy markets.
This guide covers the city properly: the car-free island of Gorée and its memory of the Atlantic slave trade, the 52-metre African Renaissance Monument, the Museum of Black Civilisations and the IFAN museum, the 1864 Mamelles Lighthouse and the Soumbédioune craft village on the corniche. Beyond the city we cover the pink waters of Lac Rose and the giraffes and rhinos of Bandia Reserve, plus a jollof cooking class and a half-day city tour to get your bearings. Five hotels span the Plateau, the Corniche Ouest and the Almadies, from a beachfront resort to a value stay.
Gorée Island Heritage Tour
A guided half day on Gorée, the small car-free island in Dakar's bay that carries one of West Africa's most important memories of the Atlantic slave trade. A local guide connects the House of Slaves, the lanes and the colonial houses into one clear story.
African Renaissance Monument
A 52-metre bronze and copper statue of a man, woman and child on a hill above Dakar, with a summit view over the city and the Atlantic. It is the capital's boldest skyline landmark, whatever you think of it.
Lac Rose (Lake Retba)
A salt lake about 40 kilometres from Dakar, ringed by dunes and filao trees, famous for its pink water and the salt harvesters who work it by hand. It is Dakar's classic half-day escape.
Dakar City Half-Day Tour
A guided half-day introduction to Dakar, a busy Atlantic capital on a peninsula of hills, markets, corniche roads and monuments. A driver-guide handles the traffic so you can see the main districts in one morning.
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
A guided half day on Gorée, the small car-free island in Dakar's bay that carries one of West Africa's most important memories of the Atlantic slave trade. A local guide connects the House of Slaves, the lanes and the colonial houses into one clear story.
A guided half-day introduction to Dakar, a busy Atlantic capital on a peninsula of hills, markets, corniche roads and monuments. A driver-guide handles the traffic so you can see the main districts in one morning.
A hands-on class in making jollof, the spiced one-pot rice dish at the heart of West African cooking, in a country where rice and fish are a way of life. It is the most direct way to taste Dakar beyond the restaurants.
A 52-metre bronze and copper statue of a man, woman and child on a hill above Dakar, with a summit view over the city and the Atlantic. It is the capital's boldest skyline landmark, whatever you think of it.
A salt lake about 40 kilometres from Dakar, ringed by dunes and filao trees, famous for its pink water and the salt harvesters who work it by hand. It is Dakar's classic half-day escape.
A private game reserve about an hour or more from Dakar where giraffes, rhinos, zebras and antelope roam among giant baobabs. It is the easiest real safari in the region.
Dakar's national museum of African history and culture, opened in 2018 in a purpose-built landmark. It is the place to understand the continent's story told from an African point of view.
One of the oldest art museums in West Africa, in the Plateau district, with collections from across francophone Africa. A calm, old-school museum that rewards slow looking.
Dakar's oldest lighthouse, built in 1864 on the volcanic Mamelles hill, with panoramic views over the Cap-Vert peninsula and a restaurant and bar on site. A sunset stop on the western edge of the city.
A working fishing beach and artisan village on Dakar's western corniche, set up in 1961, where you can browse crafts and watch the fishing boats come in. One of the best free stops in the city.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Fann, Corniche Ouest, Dakar
Dakar's beachfront splurge: a five-star resort on a private beach on the Corniche Ouest, with outdoor pools, a hammam, several places to eat and free on-site parking.
Check rates →Fann, Route de la Corniche Ouest, Dakar
A five-star hotel on the Route de la Corniche Ouest with 241 rooms, an outdoor pool, a spa, three restaurants and a bar. The property was formerly the Radisson Blu Dakar Sea Plaza and now trades under the Noom name.
Check rates →Plateau, central Dakar
A four-class hotel in the Plateau, Dakar's historic centre, with an outdoor pool, free valet parking and several sights within a short walk. The best base for visiting on foot.
Check rates →Almadies, western Dakar
A modern hotel on the Route des Almadies with free buffet breakfast, free secured parking and the golf club, US Embassy and Pointe des Almadies beach all within a short walk.
Check rates →Ngor and Almadies, western Dakar
A three-class hotel on the Route de l'OCI in Ngor with an outdoor pool, free parking and Wi-Fi, a short walk from the golf club and the beaches. The most affordable stay in this lineup.
Check rates →What to book ahead, how to get around, how many days to allow and where the headline sights fit, for a first visit to Senegal's capital.
A neighbourhood guide to Dakar hotels, from a walkable Plateau base and beachfront resorts to value stays in the Almadies, tied to five places we recommend.
