Day 1

Arrival in Banjul, capital of The Gambia. Transfer to a hotel in Banjul. Depending on your arrival time, we can arrange a city tour of Banjul. Otherwise, it will be arranged when we return back to Banjul.

Accommodation: in Banjul

Day 2

After breakfast we leave Banjul and drive to the Senegalese border (Giboroh / Selety), crossing the border to Senegal and continue onwards to the town of Ziguinchor. The day's drive is about 150 kilometres, which will take a few hours, depending on how long it takes to cross the border.

Ziguinchor is the capital of the Casamance region, and has over 200 000 inhabitants. The town is located in the Casamance river estuary and the surrounding area is rich in mangrove forests. During the rainy season, the region is subject to heavy flooding. We will take a walking tour of the charming centre of Ziguinchor, which is full of beautiful colonial buildings.

We apply for a Guinea-Bissau visa in Ziguinchor, which usually takes a few minutes. The consulate is closed on weekends.

Accommodation: in Ziguinchor

Day 3

Today we continue our exploration of the lush Casamance region. For example, we will do a mangrove tour. We will also visit the long, beautiful sandy beaches of Cap Skirring. The day's drive is about 100 kilometres.

Accommodation: in Cap Skirring

Day 4

After breakfast, the journey continues back to Ziguinchor and on to the Guinea-Bissau border. We cross the border and arrive in the afternoon in the Guinea-Bissau town of Bissau. The day's drive is approximately 220 kilometres.

Accommodation: in Bissau

Day 5

Today we will take a city tour of Bissau, the charming and peaceful capital of Guinea-Bissau. The city has a population of about half a million people. The city is located at the mouth of the river Geba, right on the Atlantic coast.

The city is rich in buildings from the Portuguese colonial era – the charming old town of Bissau Velho is particularly stunning. Other places to visit include port, various markets, the presidential palace and, for example, Fort São José da Amura, built in the 1700s. The fortress is still in military use and is not open to visitors.

Accommodation: in Bissau

Day 6

Today we will take a ferry from Bissau to the Bijagos Islands off the coast of Guinea-Bissau. If you are in Bissau on Friday, we will depart for Bubaque Island (3-4 hours by ferry), returning either on Sunday or Monday.

Accommodation: on Bubaque Island

If you are in Bissau early in the week, we will take a ferry to Enxude, from where we will continue by car to the village of São João and from there by boat to the historic town of Bolama on the island of Bolama. In this case accommodation will be on Bolama.

Day 7

Sightseeing Bubaque Island. The culture and language of Bubaque is very different from that of the mainland. This is due to its isolated location. Bubaque has beautiful beaches and colonial buildings.

Accommodation: on Bubaque Island

Day 8

Return back to Bissau by ferry.

Accommodation: in Bissau

Day 9

Today we drive back to Senegal.

Accommodation: Kolda, Senegal

Day 10

Today we return to the Gambia and drive about three hours to the town of Janjanbureh and the nearby Senegambian stone circles, the largest concentration of stone circles seen anywhere in the world. These stone circles are of different ages, but the oldest are over 1500 years old. They may have been erected on top of graves. Today, the Senegambian stone circles are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Accommodation: in Janjanbureh or somewhere on the way to Banjul

Day 11

Today we return to Banjul for a tour of the city, if we haven't already done so: Arch 22, Albert Market etc.

Accommodation: in Banjul

Day 12

We will transfer you back to Banjul airport and your journey home begins.