Best time to go to Senegal

Head to Senegal in the dry season, when the Saharan harmattan wind barrels through but temperatures are comfortably cooler.![]()

Harmattan brings swirling clouds of dust, a constant haze and a tickly throat, so bring plenty of water – and moisturiser! But this remains far more comfortable than June-Oct rains, when temps reach the low to mid 30°Cs, and the humidity is stifling. The best time to visit Senegal is Nov-Mar, when the desert regions can be surprisingly cool at night. During this period, the drier north around Dakar hovers around 26°C, and the low 30s in the lusher south. It also brings migratory birds. Squeeze in a trip just before the rains begin for warmer beach weather – or in May for the renowned Saint Louis Jazz Festival.
Senegal Weather Chart
MIN °C
MAX °C
RAIN (mm)
JAN
17
26
2
FEB
17
27
1
MAR
18
27
0
APR
19
27
0
MAY
20
28
0
JUN
23
30
15
JUL
25
30
72
AUG
25
30
179
SEP
25
31
149
OCT
24
31
39
NOV
22
30
1
DEC
20
28
1
Our Senegal Holidays
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vibrant tribal culture, stunning scenery and native wildlife
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What to do in Senegal
What to do in Senegal…
What not to do in Senegal…
Our top Senegal Holiday
Senegal and Guinea Bissau cultural holiday
Discover Senegal and Guinea Bissau on this 14 day group tour
From
£3725
14 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2021: 3 Feb, 26 Mar, 30 Apr, 5 Nov, 27 Dec
2022: 16 Feb, 8 Apr, 18 Nov, 27 Dec
2021: 3 Feb, 26 Mar, 30 Apr, 5 Nov, 27 Dec
2022: 16 Feb, 8 Apr, 18 Nov, 27 Dec
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Senegal or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
Senegal travel advice
Culture in Senegal
Culture in Senegal
Guy Lankester, from our leading Senegal supplier From Here 2 Timbuktu, shares his top travel tips for holidays in Senegal:
“Like most African countries, Senegal is very diverse. The dominant tribe are the Wolof – and Wolof is the national language. You’ve actually got a mix between Christian and Muslim, to the north you’ve got the Wolof mixing with the Moors from Mauritania, and also a group called the Tukolor, who are a branch of Fulani people. They are a group that lives amongst other groups; they are originally nomadic cattle herders. The north has a more Saharan culture because the Senegal River acts as the border between the Sahara and West Africa. In the south you’ve got the Casamance region which is much more typically West African. It’s very different.”
“Like most African countries, Senegal is very diverse. The dominant tribe are the Wolof – and Wolof is the national language. You’ve actually got a mix between Christian and Muslim, to the north you’ve got the Wolof mixing with the Moors from Mauritania, and also a group called the Tukolor, who are a branch of Fulani people. They are a group that lives amongst other groups; they are originally nomadic cattle herders. The north has a more Saharan culture because the Senegal River acts as the border between the Sahara and West Africa. In the south you’ve got the Casamance region which is much more typically West African. It’s very different.”
Why visit Saint Louis?
Why visit Saint Louis?
“In colonial times the French administered not just Senegal but the whole of what we call French West Africa – which stretched right over to Niger – and Saint Louis was the capital. It’s a beautiful town, probably one of the only places in West Africa where you see colonial style architecture. I call it the Manhattan of West Africa because it’s an island and it’s the centre of Senegalese jazz, West African jazz. Saint Louis has a very unique feel to it; is is unlike anywhere else.”
A historical cruise
“Senegal is a very good for first timers in Africa, especially the cruise, because there’s not that much travelling involved in terms of road travelling – most African countries are huge. There’s a four-hour drive from Dakar to Saint Louis, and then you spend a week on the river. You stop off every day at historic sites or to spend time in villages and you get a fantastic guide on the boat who takes you through the history of the region, the history of Senegal, the history of colonialism and how the cultures relate to each other. In a week’s holiday you’re doing a journey but you’re in good, old-style, colonial luxury. The Senegal River is the border between two countries, and you stop off on the Mauritanian side and the Senegalese side. It was the route into West Africa. When the French took West Africa in colonial times, the only thing they built was a railway that linked the Senegal River and the Niger River that runs through Mali into Niger. And so they would go from Saint Louis, along the river, onto the train, link up with the Niger River, and that was their route into the interior. The Senegal River is a very important river historically.”