Every Single Tip You’ll Want to Know Before Visiting Dakar, Senegal

Planning your trip to Dakar and looking up travel tips before you go? During my trip, I jotted down everything I would want to know, and now I’m sharing them all with you!

When I booked my tickets to Dakar, I had this realization that this was the first time in a while that I was planning a trip from scratch. Besides the friends I was visiting, I only knew one other person who went before and, of course, the average traveler I’ve encountered isn’t talking about visiting Senegal.

Luckily, I did have friends here so they filled me in on all the logistics before I came and, of course, gave me a bunch of recommendations for my time here. A lot of what they shared are little things I wouldn’t have even thought to consider or pack for, so I’m eternally grateful someone else thought of them.

From start to finish, here are all the Dakar travel tips I could think of!

Planning Your Trip to Dakar

Choosing where to stay

Okay first things first, where to stay in Dakar. Let me just say this city is massive and by massive, I mean it’s incredible spread out. Just know that wherever you stay, you’re going to have at least a few long taxi rides if you want to see everything possible.

While there’s pretty much a million options all along the coast, I’d narrow down my choices to Downtown Dakar and Almadies, specifically around Cap-Vert Peninsula, aka the westernmost point of Africa.

Downtown Dakar will put you right at the center of everything and you’ll be able to walk around to different cafes, bakeries, galleries, and more. It’s also where you’ll get the ferry to Gorée Island!

Almadies technically encompasses a pretty large swath of the city, but I’m mainly talking towards the end of the peninsula where it’s a bit quieter. You can walk to the Ngor Island ferry area and also check out the different beachside restaurants and shops. It’s not nearly as bustling as downtown (although Dakar overall is quite busy, so be prepared!)

Figuring out what to do

Lucky you, I have a whole post full of the top things to do in Dakar! Besides talking to my friends who lived there, I also looked up a lot of blogs and videos on Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok. I actually thought this post was really beautiful while this post had some gorgeous photos of Ngor Island, and I particularly loved this video of Gorée Island.

Booking your flights

When you book your flights to Dakar, try to book them super early in the morning or super late in the evening. Traffic is nightmarish and getting from the airport to, say, the end of Almadies can take up to three hours in bad traffic. Without any, it’s a very quick hour!

Staying connected with E-Sims

As far as getting a local SIM card goes, I just got an E-Sim via Airalo before I left the US. It’s easy to pre-install and then activate as soon as you land. I don’t know if it’s pricier than if you try to figure it out on the ground, but it wasn’t particularly expensive so I just got it to make my life easier.

Keep French downloaded on your phone

You will interact with very few people who speak fluent English, so have French pre-downloaded in Google Translate to make yours and their lives ten times easier. You can also pre-download Wolof as both languages are official Senegalese languages but I found myself using French more.

Get Whatsapp

I mean, if you’re a seasoned traveler, you don’t need to be told this. But if you’re not — most of the world uses Whatsapp and you will need it for your Senegal. It also works because most E-sims are data-only, so you can’t text or call normally.

Getting to and from the airport

This is not unique to Dakar but taxi drivers at some airports around the world are aggressive. If you can manage to cut through the noise and bargain in French, go ahead and just figure it out when you arrive or use the Yango app to book a car.

However, if you don’t want to deal, pre-arrange your airport transfers so you have someone waiting for you as soon as you emerge from baggage claim. My friend set me up with Relax Voyages, which worked like a dream. Bonus because I left my jacket in the backseat and if it had been a Yango or taxi driver, I’d have never seen it again. Relax, however, brought it back the next day after we emailed them asking.

Pre-trip medicine and shots

The shot I for sure needed was typhoid, and I got mine done at a nearby CVS. It might take some pre-scheduling and checking around to find a pharmacy to get it done at. My friend said her shot cost over $100 but luckily my insurance covered mine.

My friend also had malaria pills for my stay here. You need enough for your stay and a week after. Check with your insurance of PCP on how to get them for your trip.

Money Matters in Dakar

Senegal uses the West African CFA Franc (XOF)

I always struggle with currency exchanges lol. Know that Senegal uses the West African CFA Franc, which comes out to 1,000 XOF = slightly less than $2 USD. (i.e. a 10,000 XOF meal will come out to just under $20 USD). Whatever the price is, I just kind of double the first two digits so I can quickly figure out what to pay.

Most places take cash only

The most important thing to know with money in Senegal is that it’s largely still cash-based. Many, many places will only take cash and even if they do take card, you can except some small fee. I also read that ATMs can be somewhat unreliable (and my friend mentioned Charles Schwab debit cards won’t work!), so make sure you have enough cash for your trip. I took out the equivalent of $500 USD and had just enough to make it with lots of souvenir shopping. I’d bring at least that for a week’s worth of travel with minimal shopping.

Break your bills into small bills aSAP

Break up your bills into smaller ones as soon as possible because so often I ran into people, especially Yango drivers, saying they didn’t have change. If you live in Senegal there are ways to pay virtually but as a visitor you likely won’t be able to use them. Twice I had Yango drivers show me empty wallets! The first one I just let him keep the change because it was Christmas but the second one, I made the guy wait while I went to my room to get the change because I was running low and needed every 1,000 XOF I had.

Figuring out your budget

Although Senegal is technically a developing nation, it can definitely get pricey even by American standards. Budget much more than you think you need and at worse, you’ll just have left over money to transfer back. Decent hotels will come out between $100-$200 USD if not higher. Food and drink can easily be $20-30 a meal. Souvenir shopping is pretty mixed but pricier than you might expect. Just remember to double the number they tell you.

There’s a small tipping Culture

Be aware that there’s a small tipping culture where you’ll be expect to tip often. I guess some might call it a “gift.” Like when Relax Voyages brought back my jacket, I pulled out a 2,000 XOF note for the driver. Sometimes you’ll wind up tipping even if you never asked for attention at all.

Pressure to Spend

Ok I’ll get into this below, but I’ll say it here as well and reiterate that Senegal is a developing nation. Unless you are a fluent French-speaking, Sengalese looking person… you’re very obviously a tourist in their country. And chances are you’re a tourist from a country with a much higher GDP.

There is this mild pressure to spend money whether it’s through shopping or tipping or whatnot that can be very jarring if you’ve never experienced before. It’s been a minute since I traveled or lived in a more developing place, and even I was getting kind of overwhelmed by the constant selling. It probably didn’t help that I was an Asian woman walking alone so I stuck out like a sore thumb everywhere I went.

Just know you do not ever have to part with your cash but there are polite ways to go about it and rude ways to go about it. And also remember the person you’re interacting with is likely making a fraction of what you make in a month, so, you know, don’t be an asshole even if it feels like they’re almost bullying you into buying something. Just nod, be polite and keep walking. Say “non merci” if you need to.

General Safety & Cultural Good to Knows

If you’re American and need help in Senegal

As I always do with safety tips, go to the US Embassy site for Senegal, click link that says “Emergency Contact for American Citizens,” and save the numbers listed. Most if not all US embassy and consulates have a 24/7 emergency line. It’s better to have it saved and not need it than to have to scramble to find it in the middle of said emergency.

For other nationalities, check your country’s embassy pages for something similar.

Senegal is a very Extroverted Country

From what I’ve seen, Senegalese people over all are quite extroverted. It’s kind of why not being able to speak French was such a bummer because I feel like I could’ve chatted with a lot more people.

I am going to warn introverts that you will probably not be left alone wherever you go unless you’re, like, sitting down at a cafe or restaurant. Someone will always try chatting with you especially if you’re obviously not Senegalese. Sometimes they’ll even try to get your phone number. At the very least, you’re going to get a ton of stares. (I dodged this fate in Vietnam and Korea but it’s something my non-Asian friends dealt with in both countries all the time!)

Over all, everyone I interacted with was friendly and chatting with me to chat or to sell me something, not to try and rob or steal my information. It can feel a little overwhelming to constantly be approached but know that you don’t have to be overly concerned for your safety. Senegalese people are just very, very extroverted!

It’s also a Muslim Country

Keep in mind when you come that Senegal is a Muslim country. This over all means you want to dress in longer layers and be mindful of the call to prayer. It may also have some complications if you’re LGBTQIA+, so just be aware!

The tap Water is not Drinkable

Not really sure where else to put this but know that the tap water in Dakar isn’t drinkable. I went further and used bottled water to brush my teeth as well. Bring some sort of filtered water bottle and/or plan to buy big bottles of water while there.

Be care of Night Time Break-Ins

You probably won’t need to worry about this at all if you stay at a hotel, but my friends warned me to just be extra careful of night time break-ins. Apparently what happens is they dodge the front-of-building security guards by climbing up the backs (even to rooms on upper floors) and get in that way. If you’re not at a hotel, just ask about security and make sure they have an alarm system set up.

As always, Take normal precautions

As I say with anywhere in the world, you always want to take your normal precautions when traveling in Dakar. In all my years of travel, I’ve never felt the need to get the extra fancy anti-theft bags and the one time I had a money pouch, it ruined every single outfit I wore and I hated it. Just be careful, secure your belongings, always keep an eye on them, and, of course, do not walk alone at night!

Packing for Dakar

And now for what to actually pack for your trip to Dakar!!

Bring an empty suitcase or leave a lot of space in yours

Trust me when I say you’re going to want to buy souvenirs. There are so many cool things I get into below, you’re going to need that space. I’m not even sure where to tell you to buy an extra suitcase in Dakar so plan accordingly!

You NEED sunscreen and insect repellent

Both the threat of the sun and mosquitos are strong, so bring both and apply them liberally.

Keep your Shirts and Pants on the Longer Side

Like I mentioned above, Senegal is a Muslim country so it’s always better to dress on the conservative side. Sure I saw people in tank-tops and short skirts or dresses on occasion but they were very much not the norm. Chances are you’re already going to get stared at a lot, no need to add to the fuel.

Bring heavy conditioner and lotion

Dakar is a very, very dry city so you need heavier duty conditioner and lotion than you may be used to at home. My hair was parched for the first week I was there, and I was constantly applying lotion all over! I’d also bring hydration tablets or powders because I’m truly not kidding when I say you’re in the desert and the moisture is gonna get sucked right out of you!!

Wear bright colors!

One thing about Dakar is… everyone is stylish as hell in the most gorgeous, colorful outfits I’ve ever seen. Like I truly wish I was a street photographer with the ability to speak French so I could capture some of these outfits!! Take this as your chance to wear fun, bright colors. Again, I was traveling to three other countries, so I had to limit what I brought but let me just say — between my bright red skirt, bright yellow skirt, and denim skirt, it was the latter that stuck out more than the former two.

Shoes that can handle getting dusty and sandy

My last packing tip for Dakar — wear only shoes you don’t mind getting dusty and sandy. I washed both my sneakers and my Rothys flats at the end of my trip. If I wasn’t going elsewhere after, I would’ve just packed my Teva Midform Infinity sandals.

How to Get Around Dakar

Can you drive?

I mean, you can. And my friend does. But I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re already very comfortable driving in chaotic environments. She actually told me to bring my license in case I wanted to drive their car, and as soon as she took me out and our first turn was a bumpy dirt road, I said, “I think I’m good. You can put this car wherever you need to while you’re gone, I’ll use Yango.”

So, like, maybe but I wouldn’t plan on it.

Download the Yango App

While you can walk some places, you can’t walk everywhere and you especially cannot walk as far as Almadies to downtown! (Well, I guess you can but you shouldn’t). Instead of Uber or Lyft or Grab, you’ll want the Yango App. This is Senegal’s version of Uber. You’ll still pay with cash at the end but at least it’s a set rate! I usually just rounded up to add as a tip.

Taxis

There are taxis but you always have to negotiate a price, and you’ll need to at least know French to do it. Much easier to just use Yango!

Walking

Like I said, you can walk some places but not all. There are some random stretches I walked that I wouldn’t necessarily recommend someone else walk. It kind of reminded me of a less hectic Vietnamese city with more sandy alleyways. Google Maps took me down some really random sand paths that had me second guessing where I was going a few times.

Public Transportation

There is some sort of public bus system. You’ll see the really colorful car rapides which are these mini buses that came from France in the seventies and are painted in all sorts of brilliant designs. They’re smaller forms of public transport and from what I read, you ask the bus drive where they’re going when you get on (again in French at least). It kind of reminds me of the little buses we took in Chiang Mai way back when I visited.

What’s funny is I saw a bunch my first day when I was just driving around with my friend, and I wanted to go and photograph them later only to never see them out. Then when I went to church for Christmas, I randomly passed a whole line of them on the street!!

There’s also a 100% electric public bus system that was started in 2024 but I think I was staying too far west in Almadies for that to be an option. Really, Yango is not that much — especially if you compare it to getting around in the US –, so I would just stick to that unless you’re feeling adventurous and can bargain in French.

Eating, Shopping, & Sightseeing

Dining out in Dakar

While I mostly cooked and ate where I was cat sitting, I did eat out a few times! Just a note that dining out prices are higher than what you might expect, and many, many places do not take credit card. And if they do, they want you to spend over a certain amount.

Some things I noted about eating out in Dakar:

• Thieboudienne – Also know as jollof rice. It apparently originated in Senegal, so this is the country to try it!
• Dibiteries – I didn’t necessarily get to go to one (I really wanted to try Dibiterie Chez Roger – Ngor), but I got to experience something similar for Christmas. Think seasoned, fire-grilled meat. Mmmmm!
• Seafood – I mean you’re on the coast, indulge in all the seafood.
• Senegalese juices and teas – Most menus have some sort of juices of teas listed. Just note they’re very sugary. The hibiscus tea is delicious though.
• Ordering in – If you ever want to try ordering in, you’ll probably use WhatsApp or I think Yango has a delivery feature. I ordered in twice from Shadys Grill because that chicken was criminally good.

Basket weaving

I’m working on a post of where to shop in Dakar, but if there’s one souvenir to consider it’s something woven! Senegalese artisans weave some truly beautiful creations and the traditions around basket weaving have been passed down through generations. If you can swing getting something as large as a laundry hamper home, I would do it. But there are small options too such as place mats, coasters, little cup holders, and trays. I’m kicking myself for not picking some up.

Painting and art

As I’ve mentioned whenever talking about Dakar, this city is full of art. If I were to recommend another souvenir you must look into bringing home, it’s something related to art. I bought a few different pieces but my favorites have to be the sand paintings I got on Gorée Island. They make them with sand from all over Senegal and glue made from baobab trees.

Tour guides vs Seeing things on your own

Now that I’ve been, I have to say — I really recommend tour guides. They can provide much-needed context to what you’re seeing and can help with translation or just keeping the more eager shopkeepers from pressuring you to buy. It’s also hard to navigate Dakar without at least speaking French!

Miscellaneous Advice

Get Your Nails Done

This is really random but I highly recommend getting a manicure and even a pedicure in Dakar. Specifically with Brie Nails. She does house calls and I got them done at my friend’s. Those nails stayed on for over a month, it was kind of insane. I would’ve honestly just let them grow out but I had a work conference and needed to have a fresh manicure.

give yourself plenty of time Leaving Dakar

However close you cut it to the airport whenever you travel elsewhere, add at least an hour to ninety minutes in Dakar. Even when I left at 4am, we hit traffic because the clubs were just letting out. From Ngor to the airport is an hour with no traffic, and like I said above, with it can be three.

It’s why I recommend leaving and arriving in the dead of night to make things easier!

Leaving Through Dakar Airport

On top of the traffic, the airport itself is kind of… not disorganized but not organized. It’s also quite slow. Like maybe one of the longest waits I’ve had getting from arrival to my gate with only a carry-on considering how few lines and crowds there actually were.

Anyway a few things to note:

• When you get out of your transfer, someone will inevitably come up to try and “help” you. They’re not helping; they’ll want money. If you don’t mind paying, have at it. But this isn’t just some airport employee offering assistance so expect to have bills on hand.
• There’s a security check as soon as you enter. You have to stand in line and they put your belongings through a scanner.
• You have to print our your ticket. No you can’t do it ahead of time. No, the ticket on your phone doesn’t count. And also no, there are no kiosks. Even if you’re carry-on, you have to go wait at the check-in desks to get your ticket printed with them. This is so the police can either check and/or stamp a physical ticket, I can’t remember.
• After check-in, the customs/border control area will be like right there. Also takes forever, I’m not kidding. There is no sense of rush in this place even with a line wrapping all the way through.
• Right after that, is the police table where they want to check your ticket.
• Only after that is the normal TSA part.

And there you have it! All my Dakar travel tips in one, very long post. Phew!!

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