Benin tours & holidays

The most pleasant months to visit Benin are between November and February when temperatures and humidity drop.

Expect heavy rains between April and July and September to October.

Between December and March, the dry and dusty harmattan winds from the Sahara blow, and this period, can be uncomfortably hot.

This relatively small slice of Africa has a beautiful coastline dotted with palm trees and beaches. Behind the coast is a network of lagoons which flood during the rainy months. Further inland the plateau gradually rises into the highlands and the Atakora Mountains. Benin shares a border with Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso and Nigeria to the north and Togo to the west.

1. Travel by pirogue

A good chunk of Benin is under, over, or around water and when the roads disappear, there’s only one way to travel – by pirogue! These dugout canoes have serviced the Beninese for centuries. Catch a ride around a lagoon with a local!

2. Pay respects in Ouidah

The city of Ouidah was an important historical site during the transatlantic slave trade. A UNESCO memorial traces the Route of the Slaves from Ouidah to the Door of No Return. Visit the slave auction plaza which now houses the Museum of History for a sobering glimpse into the grim history of the slave trade in West Africa.

3. Visit a stilt village

Over 10,000 people call the waters of Ganvie home and stilted houses sit miles away from dry land. Ganvie can only be reached by canoe, and locals travel via water to fish, visit floating markets, get to school and move between buildings.

4. Learn Vodun

Over 60% of Beninese practice Vodun, a traditional West African religion. Attend a Vodun ceremony and learn the difference between Vodun and the more commonly known Voodoo. Although the birthplace of Vodun is Benin, the faith was brought to the Americas by enslaved Africans, blending with European and Indigenous influences, evolving into Voodoo in Louisiana, Hoodoo in the Dominican Republic, Vodou in Haiti and Candomblé Jejé in Brazil.

5. Tuck into yams

They’re the favourite, number one food of the Beninese. Mashed, fried, as chips or slathered in peanut sauce - it’s not a meal until it’s been yammed.

The local currency in Benin is the West African CFA franc. Cash is the preferred payment universally.

Many businesses and banks in West Africa may not accept US dollar notes issued before 2006 or those that are old or damaged.

The use of credit cards in Benin is somewhat limited compared to more developed regions. Even where credit cards are accepted, power outages and connectivity issues can sometimes make card payments and ATM withdrawals unreliable. Therefore, we recommend carrying sufficient cash in local currency or USD for backup.