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Senegal travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Île de Gorée
Île de Gorée. Photo: Gregor Rom, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
5h 45mflight from London
West African CFA franccurrency
No visafor UK passports
Type C, D, E, Kplugs

Pink lakes, Gorée Island and Dakar's music scene

Don't miss

  1. Gorée Island
  2. Lac Rose
  3. Saloum Delta
Good forCultureBeachesHistory & ruins

Best time to visit Senegal from the UK

Best value: Apr–May, Oct. Nov–May: dry season. Busiest and priciest: Nov–Mar.

21.9 C22°J20.5 C20°F20.5 C20°M20.6 C21°A22.2 C22°M24.9 C25°J26.6 C27°J27.3 C27°A27.8 C28°S28.2 C28°O26.9 C27°N24.3 C24°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Dakar, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Dakar 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 (22–28°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Nov–MarUsually 20–27°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: Jun–SepAround 25–28°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
  • Warmest: October (28°C) · coolest: February (20°C)A 8°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
21.920.520.520.622.224.926.627.327.828.226.924.3

Festivals and events

  • Saint-Louis Jazz Festival May · Saint-Louis
  • Dak'Art Biennale May–Jun · Dakar (every 2 years)
  • Grand Magal of Touba Varies · Touba

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

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 5h 45m
Distance
4,360 km
Main airport
DSS

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

Add Senegal to your bucket list Search flights to DSS

Practical info and travel guidance

West African CFA francCapital: Dakar
Type C, D, E, K · 230VBring a UK adapter
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
17
EmergencyAmbulance 15
Drink bottledOr treated water
  • VisaNo visa neededUp to 3 months
  • 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 Senegal, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 15 October 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Senegal before you book and again before you go.

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