Senegal & the Gambia tour
Solo travellers can join an existing small group. Can depart any day of the year.
Description of Senegal & the Gambia tour
If you’ve always wanted to explore west Africa, this trip gives you two of its most biodiverse countries at once. You’ll get swept away by Senegal, learning its interesting history. Then it’s on to little Gambia for two nights, to enjoy a wildlife haven centred around its eponymous river.
Senegal’s cities are a great introduction to the country’s culture. You’ll start this trip in the capital Dakar, where you can move between grand mosques and bustling markets, before heading on to colonial St Louis in the north and the holy city of Touba.
You’ll also visit Senegal’s smaller villages and towns, to get a taste of local life. Different ethnic groups in the region live very differently, and you’ll spend time among nomadic Fula herders and Fulani, Wolof and Serere villages, as well as setting foot on Fadiouth, an island made entirely out of seashells.
You’ll visit Senegal’s historical sites: the monolithic stones at Sine Ngayene, stone circles that are astounding in their scale, and UNESCO listed. You’ll also stop at Goree Island, outside Dakar, to see the place where millions of West Africans also came, before they passed into the Atlantic slave trade.
Senegal’s natural wonders range from deserts to a pink lake in which you can swim and take unbelievable photographs. And no trip to this area is complete without a short safari. In Senegal’s Bandia National Park there are rhinos, giraffes and gazelles among the stunning baobab trees.
Gambia is an unusual country, in that it is completely surrounded by another: Senegal. After five days in Senegal, you’ll take the ferry over the mouth of the Gambia River to the country’s capital, Banjul. Here you’ll find its busy markets brimming with Batik prints, groceries and livestock. From here, visit the Abuko Nature Reserve to see where the country really comes into its own: as a haven for birdlife.
This is a small group tour with an expert guide and driver, so you can get to know both countries really well and share your experiences with your group. Meeting village leaders and enjoying local markets along the way gives you a unique perspective of each place.
Price information
Solo travellers can join an existing small group. Can depart any day of the year.
Departure information
Travel guides
Holiday information
Reviews
1 Reviews of Senegal & the Gambia tour
Reviewed on 20 Dec 2022 by Sandra Akacem
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
They were wonderful! Our driver and guide were very attenntive.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Just enjoy.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I would like to believe it did.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Superb, and I have traveled all over the planet.
Read the operator's response here:
Thanks for taking your holiday tour with us. It was with pleasure to make this trip truly memorable. We are working our best to ensure that our tours always benefit the local people, reduce environmental impacts, and support conversation. We hope your future travels bring you back to West Africa.
Kind regards,
Responsible Travel
Planet
Senegal and the Gambia are in one of the most naturally diverse regions of the planet. This is Africa like you've never seen it before.As a company we are always searching for ways to improve and are happy to be "Responsible in everything we do."
All staff, tour Leaders, and partnership suppliers have received training in ethical and sustainable tourism.
We take responsible travel seriously. For us, that means minimizing our impact on local communities by focusing on locally owned accommodations and partnering with local guides, skilled artisans, and merchants whenever possible.
We provide drinking water for our travelers throughout our tours, reducing the need for bottled water purchases. In addition we provide reusable, longer-lasting bags instead of plastic bags when shopping for groceries; we bury biodegradable waste or give it to local people to feed livestock; and we generally use gas instead of wood for cooking, a cleaner fuel that leaves natural resources for local people.
Travelers are encouraged to use rechargeable batteries for items such as cameras, which can be charged from mains supplies or on our trucks as we travel.
People
Our aim is to promote responsible travel and a sustainable tourism that benefits the local people and their environment. We want our holiday-makers to forge lasting relationships with local people and hear their stories first-hand. Therefore we prefer to utilize smaller, locally owned businesses wherever we go, ensuring that local communities benefit directly from our business. For example, we use small, locally owned hotels, campgrounds, and activity providers whenever feasible.We also participate in a range of community projects in significant destinations. Our participation in these projects is long-term, allowing us and our passengers to actively contribute to the delivery of tangible benefits to the communities we pass through on the ground.
The projects are not intended to be tourist attractions, but rather a means of using tourism to raise funds and provide support in the areas such as assisting to provide potable drinking water in communities with no portable water.
We also believe it is vital for our visitors to immerse themselves in the culture of their host nation, therefore we make sure to include activities in our itineraries that will help them do so such as visiting local markets along the route, meeting villages and their leaders, and so on.
Popular similar holidays
Senegal tour, coast and delta
From £2195 - £2525 7 days excluding flights
Discover the culture, history and beauty of Senegal
Senegal holiday, best of Senegal
From US $3780 8 days excluding flights
Experience the nature, communities and culture of Senegal
Senegal and Gambia river cruise holiday
From £1959 - £2409 13 days excluding flights
Discover west Africa's wildlife & Senegal's heritage
