Gorée, forts and Afrobeat

Gorée Island off Dakar, the colonial forts of Accra and the Lagos of the New Afrika Shrine, home of Afrobeat, with short flights along the coast.

Day by day Open the itinerary in the app

Dakar → Accra → Lagos · 5–9 days

The route on the map, in the itinerary’s order.

SenegalDakar
Days
2–3
When
Jan–May · Nov–Dec
Per person/day
Average 55–90 EURMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
GhanaAccra
Days
2–3
When
Jan–Mar · Nov–Dec
Per person/day
Average 450–1,100 GH¢Mid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
NigeriaLagos
Days
1–3
When
Jan–Feb · Nov–Dec
Per person/day
Explore costsGuide estimate
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.

Who it is for

For anyone who wants West Africa's cities, markets and music, and the memory of the Atlantic slave trade.

Not for anyone who needs a predictable schedule, since Lagos traffic changes the day.

The strategy

The trip goes from west to east along the coast, from Dakar to Lagos, with short flights between the three. Lagos comes last because the traffic requires slack in the schedule.

What you will see

Île de Gorée, Dakar. An island of about 28 hectares 3 km from the port, occupied by the Portuguese, the Dutch (1621), the English, and the French (1677), and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.
Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum, Accra. It stands on the Old Polo Ground, the exact lawn where independence was declared on March 6, 1957.
Idumota, Lagos. The commercial cluster of Isale Eko: Idumota sells everything wholesale, Balogun is the fabric corridor, and the palace of the Oba of Lagos, Iga Idunganran, dating from the 17th century, sits a few blocks away.

Day by day