Gambia travel guide

Best time to visit Gambia from the UK

Best value: Apr–May, Oct. Nov–Feb: dry and sunny; popular UK winter escape. Busiest and priciest: Nov–Mar.

Each bar is the average temperature in Banjul for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

• Our pick: May and OctoberThe warmest of the best-value months (24–28°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
• Peak season: Nov–MarUsually 23–27°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
• Quiet season: Jun–SepAround 26–28°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
• Warmest: October (28°C) · coolest: February (23°C)A 5°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.

Festivals and events

• Roots Festival May · Juffureh (when held)
• Kartong Festival Feb · Kartong

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time

About 6h

Distance

4,469 km

Main airport

BJL

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Gambia to your bucket list Search flights to BJL

Practical info and travel guidance

• VisaNo visa neededUp to 28 days
• HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
• LGBT+ travellersSame-sex relations are illegal or prosecutedRead the FCDO LGBT+ advice before you go.
• Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Gambia, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 7 July 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Gambia before you book and again before you go.