Upon your arrival at Blaise Diagne International Airport, our expert local tour guide will meet and greet you warmly after you clear airport formalities and customs. You will be escorted to your vehicle for a private transfer directly to your 5-star hotel, staying at either the premium Hotel Terrou Bi or Radisson Blu. Your private guide will brief you on all aspects and logistics of your upcoming itinerary. You can spend the rest of the day settling in, adjusting to West Africa, and enjoying your provided lunch and evening dinner at the hotel restaurant before your overnight stay.

After a relaxing breakfast at your hotel, we transfer directly to the harbor to board a scenic 20-minute ferry ride to the historic Island of Gorée, which measures 300 meters wide by 900 meters long. Long ago, this strategic island was the focal point of numerous military confrontations between the Portuguese, English, Dutch, and French. Hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children were historically deported from here during the slave trade era. You will take an emotional guided tour of the famous “Slaves’ House” (Maison des Esclaves) to see its heartbreaking door opening directly onto the ocean, serving as a powerful reminder of human cruelty. After exploring the island’s colonial architecture, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant on Gorée before taking the ferry back to Dakar for dinner and your overnight stay at Hotel Terrou Bi / Radisson Blu.

Enjoy breakfast before embarking on a comprehensive, privately guided city tour of Dakar. This excursion is designed to let us discover the grand colonial remains of what was once the historic capital of French Africa. We will explore key landmarks including the Presidential Palace, the bustling Independence Place, the Chamber of Commerce, and various local museums. Your guide will lead you through vibrant local street markets packed with colorful clothing, fabrics, and exotic spices, followed by a visit to the monumental African Renaissance Monument. At the end of the tour, we head to Soumbedioune to browse all kinds of traditional crafts, before standing on the shore to witness the spectacular return of local fishermen in their brilliantly painted, colored pirogue boats overloaded with fresh fish. Enjoy lunch and dinner before your overnight stay at Hotel Terrou Bi / Radisson Blu.

Enjoy a completely open Free Day in Dakar to relax and unpack at your own pace. There are no scheduled tours or private guide services for this day, giving you the perfect opportunity to utilize the luxury facilities at your hotel, explore nearby coastal beaches, or head into town for independent shopping and sightseeing. Because today’s package is on a Bed & Breakfast basis only, you have the total freedom to explore Dakar’s vibrant dining scene for your own lunch and dinner arrangements. Overnight stay at Hotel Terrou Bi / Radisson Blu.

Following breakfast and hotel check-out, we drive north of the Cap Vert peninsula to visit the famous Pink Lake (Lac Rose), named for its unique pink waters caused by Dunaliella Salina algae. Boarding a private 4X4 vehicle, you will navigate the terrain to observe how local workers harvest salt from the lake bed as their primary source of livelihood. (Important Note: Due to heavy seasonal rains last year, excess rainwater ended up in the lake, raising the water level and temporarily diluting its pink color; however, all salt harvesting observations and 4×4 excursions continue exactly as normal). After a local lunch stop in the town of Thiès, we continue driving north to the historic island-city of Saint-Louis, situated at the mouth of the Senegal River. Renowned as the prized capital of the French colonies, it is famous for its colorful colonial architecture, annual jazz festival, and vast fishing villages. It is also the capital of national gastronomy and home to the popular “Thieb u Djeun” (fish and rice with vegetables), recently declared an intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO. Check-in, dinner, and overnight stay at Hotel Residence / Siki (Suite).

After a relaxed breakfast, we embark on a traditional horse-cart tour to experience the old-world charm of Saint-Louis. We will clip-clop through streets lined with historic colonial homes, visit the active fishermen’s district, and explore its unique local cemetery where fishing nets are creatively draped across the tombstones. We will also visit the Jean Mermoz Museum or the local Photographic Museum before enjoying lunch. Next, we drive to the stunning Lompoul Desert, which gives you an incredible indication of how close Senegal sits to the massive Sahara Desert. A fun-packed afternoon awaits as you choose from desert activities including camel riding over the dunes, sandboarding down the slopes, or taking an exciting ATV quad-bike ride across the landscape. Tonight, you will stay in comfortable, traditional Bedouin-style desert tents at Ecolodge Lompoul, fully equipped with regular beds, a toilet, shower, and washbasin. The highlight of the evening is sitting around the campfire enjoying dinner under a vibrant canopy of stars, completely free of any city light pollution.

Wake up to a stunning, peaceful desert sunrise and enjoy a relaxed breakfast in this unique setting before packing your bags and checking out of the Ecolodge. We set off directly to visit Touba, the Holy City of Mouridism. Touba acts as the spiritual home to the annual religious pilgrimage of the Senegalese Mourides Brotherhood, which is one of the four main Tariqa (Islamic Sufi orders). During our time in Touba, you will take a guided tour of the majestic Great Mosque and learn all about the deep spiritual history of this unique city. After a meaningful morning, we will stop for a final lunch along the way or in the coastal area of Saly. Finally, your private vehicle will transfer you directly to the airport to connect with your international departure flight home, concluding your tour.