Mauritania travel guide

Best time to visit Mauritania from the UK

Best value: Dec–Mar, Oct. Nov–Mar; check FCDO advice for desert regions. Busiest and priciest: Nov.

Each bar is the average temperature in Nouakchott 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: October and DecemberThe warmest of the best-value months (22–27°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
• Peak season: NovUsually 24°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
• Quiet season: Apr–SepAround 21–28°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
• Warmest: September (28°C) · coolest: January (20°C)A 8°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.

Festivals and events

• Festival of the Ancient Cities Nov–Dec · Chinguetti and other towns

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

Getting there from the UK

Flight time

About 5h 15m

Distance

3,955 km

Main airport

NKC

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

Add Mauritania to your bucket list Search flights to NKC

Practical info and travel guidance

• FCDO adviceAdvises against travel to parts of MauritaniaCheck which areas before you book.
• VisaApply online before you goeVisa before you travel
• HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
• LGBT+ travellersIllegal, and the death penalty is possibleRead 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 Mauritania, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 24 March 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Mauritania before you book and again before you go.