Senegal / Gambia
Tour Highlights
- Welcome greetings and dinner in Dakar
- Tour of Goree Island and visit to the Museum Maison des Esclaves (Slaves' House)
- City tour of Dakar
- City tour of Banjul
- Visit to the village of Juffure - Alex Haley's ancestral home
- Visit to the Mandingo village
- Experience a naming ceremony
- City tour of Saint Louis
- Tour of Oiseaux du Djoudj National Park
- Visit the Pink Lake and Kayer village
| (minimum group size 10 pax)
Based on 3 Star Hotels |
| DAY 1 ARRIVAL IN DAKARArrive in Dakar, Senegal. You will be met at the airport by your guide and transferred to your hotel for check-in. Dinner and overnight at your hotel. |
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| Lodging: Hotel in DakarMeals: D |
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| DAY 2 GOREE ISLANDAfter breakfast, meet your guides for an emotional and haunting day touring Goree Island, the departure point of millions of slaves who were sent to the Americas. Now a tranquil UNESCO World Heritage Site, Goree was one of the first French settlements on the continent. You will have time to explore and visit the Museum Maison des Eclaves (Slaves’ House), where you will be given a spectacular view of Goree and beyond. Visit the Town Square and from there the Historical Museum. Enjoy lunch on your own at a beachfront restaurant specializing in Senegalese cuisine. Upon returning to Dakar, visit the University of Dakar where you will receive an in-depth tour of the campus, including lecture halls and an opportunity to interact with students. Settle-in at your hotel for a leisurely evening, dinner and overnight. |
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| Lodging: Hotel in Dakar Meals: B, D |
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 DAY 3 CITY TOUR OF DAKAREnjoy breakfast at your hotel. Depart for a sightseeing tour of Dakar. Visit Independence Square, where you see old colonial buildings and new African inspired architecture. Continue on through one of Dakar’s best markets, the Kernel Market, with its colorful flowers, fruits, fabrics, clothing and souvenirs. Then move on to view the main government buildings: the all white Palais Présidentiel (Presidential Palace) surrounded by luscious gardens, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Cornice with the Anse Bernard Beach.
From there drive through Soweto Square to see the National Assembly and the main museum, Institut Fondemental d’Afrique Noir (IFAN),which houses an amazing collection of masks, statues and musical instruments from West Africa. Then, drive to the Cathedral and the National Theatre. Pass through Sandaga Market, the city’s main fruit and fabric market. Continue to the Grand Mosque and Dakar University. From there you visit the well-known craftsman’s village of Soumedioune, where high quality goods in many mediums may be admired or purchased. Lunch on your own at a local restaurant. Dinner and overnight at your hotel. |
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| Lodging: Hotel in Dakar Meals: B, D |
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| DAY 4 GAMBIA – BANJUL CITY TOURAfter breakfast at your hotel, check out and depart by road to Gambia. Arrive and check-in at your hotel. In the afternoon, embark on a city tour of Banjul, including the National Museum of Gambia, Albert market, old town, and the craft market where you can shop for artifacts. Dinner and overnight at your hotel. |
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| Lodging: Hotel in Banjul Meals: B, D |
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 DAY 5 JUFFURE VILLAGEAfter breakfast, depart for a visit to the village of Alex Haley’s ancestral home, Juffure. This small village became famous in the 1970s following the television adaptation of Haley’s bestselling book, "Roots." As a young boy, Haley first learned of his African ancestor, Kunta Kinte, by listening to the family stories of his maternal grandparents in Henning, Tennessee. According to family history, Kunta Kinte landed with other Gambian Africans in "Naplis" (Annapolis, Maryland) where he was sold into slavery.
You will also visit the tranquil village of Albreda. There you will view the ruins of the 'factory,' a fortified slave station built by the French in the late 17th century. You will also have the opportunity to shop for some of the finest batik in Gambia and visit a small museum with a basic but striking exhibition about the history of slavery and the Gambia River. Dinner and overnight at your hotel. |
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| Lodging: Hotel in Banjul Meals: B, D |
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| DAY 6 BANJUL – DAKARAfter breakfast, depart for a morning tour on the Gambia River. Visit the bird sanctuaries and native villages in the creeks of the river. Visit the Mandingo villages near the southern Senegal border. You will have the opportunity to experience a naming ceremony of and socialize with local residents. Cross the border to return to Senegal. Dinner and overnight at your hotel. |
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| Lodging: Hotel in Dakar Meals: B, D |
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| DAY 7 DAKAR – ST LOUISAfter breakfast, check out of your hotel for a scenic drive to Saint Louis. Saint Louis, once Senegal's capital, is another French settlement from the days of slave trading. Named by the French in honor of (then) King Louis XIV, Saint Louis is the oldest city created by Europeans on the western coast of Africa. Today, Saint Louis is considered both the intellectual capital of Senegal and the capital of good taste. The island is also classified in the Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO.
Arrive in Saint Louis in time for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, transfer to your hotel and prepare for a memorable city tour in a horse drawn carriage. This evening you will enjoy dinner at a local restaurant overlooking the Senegalese River. Overnight at your hotel. |
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| Lodging: Hotel in Saint Louis Meals: B, D |
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 DAY 8 SAINT LOUIS – DAKAR After breakfast, check out for a guided tour to the Oiseaux du Djoudj National Park, north east of Saint Louis. This park provides a range of wetland habitats which are very popular with migrating birds, many of which have just crossed the Sahara. You will be thrilled by the sight of thousands of Pelicans perched on rocks overlooking the wetlands. A wide range of wildlife also inhabits the park, which in 2000 was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger (due to the introduction of the invasive giant Salvinia plant, which threatens to choke out the park's native vegetation). Return to Saint Louis for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, depart for the return to Dakar. Dinner and overnight at your hotel. |
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| Lodging: Hotel in Dakar Meals: B, D |
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DAY 9 PINK LAKE – KAYAR – DAKAR After breakfast, depart for a full day tour of the mysterious Pink Lake. Arrive at this incredible rose colored body of water known as Pink Lake, ('Lac Rose' in French, 'Retba' in Wolof). Take some time to swim in the shallow, warm waters without any fear of drowning. You are guaranteed to float (as everything floats on this lake due to its very high salinity)! During the week, men and mostly women are busy crushing the bottom of the lake, which consists of a thick crust of salt. The lake is particularly spectacular at dawn and dusk, when feldspar deposits reflecting the sunlight through the salty waters produce the unique and vibrant pink color. After visiting the lake, lunch at a nearby resort located on the beach. You will have the opportunity to relax by the pool, take a ride along the beach on a camel or ride on the beach in a dune buggy. After lunch, proceed to the Kayar village, a fishing community along the Atlantic coastline where donkey drawn buggies are the most common form of transportation. If you are lucky, you will arrive in time for the spectacular return of the local fishermen from the high sea where they have spent the night. They bring tons of fish, shrimp, and lobsters in their brightly-colored painted dugout pirogues (canoes). For their welcome, the beach is alive with buyers, families, and children. It is a colorful spectacle not to be missed. Return to Dakar in the late afternoon and spend the remainder of the evening at leisure. Dinner and overnight at your hotel. |
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| Lodging: Hotel in Dakar Meals: B, D |
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| DAY 10 DAKAR AT LEISURE / FAREWELL / DEPARTUREBreakfast is served in your hotel. Enjoy a free day in preparation for your return home. In the evening, you will be treated to a farewell dinner with Senegalese music and dancing. Transfer to the airport for check-in and departure. |
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| Meals: B, D |
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| ** DISCLAIMER: The cost of package will increase if hotel and transportation costs increase. Quote will be reviewed 3 months before your tour begins and you will be notified accordingly. |
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