Niamey and its surroundings in 7 days


Trip description

Arriving in Niamey is like entering Africa of colours, a surprising capital, one of the most pleasant with its human scale. Everyone knows each other more or less, few huge towers, but rather many working class districts made of adobe (banco). Niamey is life on the street, it's the spectacle of the eyes: small street shops, stalls right on the street, camels loaded with wood or straw crossing the Kennedy Bridge. It is therefore necessary to take the time to stroll through the markets, along the river for the spectacle of washers, fishermen, tanners, to attend the arrival of market gardeners loaded with baskets of vegetables grown on the banks of the river... Few monuments to visit, but rather to meet all these ingenious little trades, the museum's dyers, shoemakers and weavers, the dinosaurs, repairers and material collectors of all kinds from the Katako market... If you are autonomous, no problem for this discovery of the region, otherwise, local travel agencies offer good services for day trips or excursions of a few days.

Day 1: Visit to Niamey

Day 2: The giraffes of Kouré

Day 3: W National Park

Day 4: W (bis) National Park

Day 5: New visit to Niamey

Day 6: Rio Bravo

Day 7: Rio Bravo-Niamey

Day 1 : Visit to Niamey

©Muriel DEPRAETERE


In the morning, go to the national museum for a complete overview of Niger. Excellent ability to understand Nigerian culture and society: representations of different ethnic groups through traditional costumes, musical instruments, crafts.... This museum is at the same time a place of safeguarding, a craft workshop and a place of sale. Thus, you will meet jewellery craftsmen, shoemakers, weavers in full labour, you will see shops and high quality batiks. The commercial aspect is also a kind of heritage preservation, because it keeps Nigerian art alive, and you will see the younger generations rediscovering their culture. In this cultural site, several pavilions display major themes such as paleontology, a field that arouses curiosity, the exploitation of uranium, which is still in the news. In the afternoon, stroll through the small market, which is nothing small, between the displays of peppers, tomatoes, fruits and many other culinary surprises. Feel free to ask for the name of anything you don't know, without the guarantee of having the answer in French, experience the exoticism! Ali Baba's real cave, the large market offers a quantity and variety of remarkable items; there are modern and traditional clothes, sandals and shoes imitating "great brand", fabrics from all over the world, loincloths, basins... This labyrinth is full of surprises at every turn! And in the evening, the must is an aperitif on the terrace of the Grand Hotel for a sunset on the river and the city below.




Day 2 : The giraffes of Kouré

©François JANNE DOTHEE


In the "tiger bush" of Kouré, the last herd of free giraffes in West Africa graze: a striking sight as these heads so high perched in the nonchalant port; they are used to seeing people and let themselves be approached very closely since they are protected.




Day 3 : W National Park



Ideal from December to April, it is only 2 hours drive south of the capital. After traveling with a forest guard in the savannah on the lookout for buffalo, elephants or birds, we can recover and spend the night in a tent tourist camp in the middle of the park and stand up to the aurora to surprise again the fauves or antelopes on the edge of the mares.




Day 4 : W (bis) National Park

©Muriel DEPRAETERE


Continue your visit in the W National Park. Return to Niamey.




Day 5 : New visit to Niamey

©Muriel DEPRAETERE


Visit of the market to flowers at the edge of the river, meeting with the tanners (even if it releases a strong "fragrance", their work is interesting). Discovery of the craft village of Wadata: work place of all kinds of craftsmen of leather, fabric, furniture, potters, weavers and large boutique of presentation and sale of objects. The object or furniture of its choice can also be ordered. Also reserve one afternoon walking in the rice fields upstream or downstream of Niamey where families are met in field or at harvest.




Day 6 : Rio Bravo

©Muriel DEPRAETERE


Take the road to Tillabéri. 15 km from Niamey is the place called Rio Bravo, on the banks of the river, a garden under the mango trees, with the possibility of barbecues, camel rides or canoeing. To spend the night there, there is the Kanazi relay which offers rooms, or under the stars or camping (bring a tent) on a fenced area along the river for a relaxing stay with your feet in the water.




Day 7 : Rio Bravo-Niamey

©Muriel DEPRAETERE


Wake up by singing the birds of Niger, before resuming the road to Niamey.




Describe us your travel plan : your wishes and your needs

We send your request to local agencies

Receive freely up to 4 tailor-made quotes

Choose the agency that fits your needs