Things to do in Burkina Faso

25 things to do in Burkina Faso

Listed in full below. The running order is set by votes and loads with the page.

• Watch sunrise over the Sindou Peaks

  Hike among the dramatic, wind-sculpted rock needles of the Sindou Peaks at dawn, when the sandstone glows gold and the plains stretch endlessly below.

  Banfora

• Walk among the Dômes de Fabedougou

  Explore the surreal rounded sandstone domes of Fabedougou, a natural gallery of eroded shapes that create a silent, otherworldly landscape.

  Banfora

• Stand before the thundering Karfiguéla Falls

  Feel the cool spray of the Cascades de Karfiguéla, a wide waterfall plunging into a natural pool, surrounded by lush vegetation and smooth rock terraces.

  Banfora

• Spot elephants and antelopes at Nazinga Ranch

  Drive through the Nazinga Game Ranch at sunrise to encounter herds of elephants, buffalo, and West African antelopes in this vast protected savanna.

  Nazinga

• Search for hippos at Mare aux Hippopotames

  Take a traditional pirogue onto the calm waters of Lake Bala, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, to see families of hippos and a spectacular variety of birds.

  Bala

• Explore the UNESCO-listed Loropéni ruins

  Walk among the imposing 11th-century stone walls of Loropéni, a mysterious fortified settlement that once controlled the gold trade and is now Burkina Faso's only World Heritage site.

  Loropéni

• Admire Sudano-Sahelian architecture at the Grande Mosquée de Bobo-Dioulasso

  Gaze up at the towering wooden beams and intricate mud-brick pinnacles of this 19th-century mosque, a masterpiece of Sudano‑Sahelian style in the heart of the old city.

  Bobo-Dioulasso

• Stroll through the bustling Rood Woko Market

  Lose yourself in Ouagadougou's central market, a labyrinth of stalls selling wax-print fabrics, fresh produce, spices and handcrafted leather goods, alive with haggling and colour.

  Ouagadougou

• Encounter sacred crocodiles at Sabou Pool

  Approach the revered crocodiles of Sabou, considered protectors by the local community, and watch them bask on the banks of the sacred pond.

  Sabou

• Step inside a painted Kassena house in Tiébélé

  Enter a traditional compound in the Gourunsi village of Tiébélé and admire the intricate, symbol-laden black-and-white murals that decorate every wall.

  Tiébélé

• Attend a mask ceremony at the Royal Court of Tiébélé

  Witness a powerful masked dance, with whirling raffia costumes and pounding drums, performed by the Kassena inhabitants inside the sacred royal courtyard.

  Tiébélé

• Marvel at Balafon music during FESPACO

  Soak up the excitement of Africa's largest film and television festival, where open-air screenings are paired with live balafon and kora performances across Ouagadougou.

  Ouagadougou

• Discover traditional instruments at Musée de la Musique

  Browse a rich collection of Sahelian string, wind and percussion instruments at Ouagadougou's museum of music, with demonstrations that bring the sounds of Burkina to life.

  Ouagadougou

• Explore Burkinabe history at the National Museum

  Trace the country's diverse ethnic heritage through masks, bronze statues, Mossi royal artefacts and contemporary art inside the Musée National in Ouagadougou.

  Ouagadougou

• Watch a live concert at the Institut Français of Ouagadougou

  Enjoy an evening of theatre, dance or live music from Burkina Faso's top performers in the courtyard of this cultural hub, a regular stage for FESPACO and other festivals.

  Ouagadougou

• Dance until dawn at Le Privilège nightclub

  Experience Ouagadougou's nightlife at this long-established club, where DJs spin coupé-décalé and Afrobeats until the early hours in a lively, upscale setting.

  Ouagadougou

• Enjoy a juicy grilled chicken at Le Pirate maquis

  Join locals at this popular open-air eatery in downtown Ouaga for perfectly spiced grilled chicken, plantains and a chilled local Brakina beer.

  Ouagadougou

• Sample Burkinabè specialties at Le Jardin Rima

  Taste tô with gombo sauce, riz gras and bissap juice in the leafy garden of this well‑loved restaurant, a quiet oasis in the capital.

  Ouagadougou

• Browse handmade crafts at the Village Artisanal

  Haggle for bronze figurines, leather bags, silver jewellery and batik fabrics directly from artisans in the open‑air workshops of Ouagadougou's crafts village.

  Ouagadougou

• Photograph modern African sculptures at Laongo Sculpture Park

  Wander an open-air museum of giant granite sculptures by artists from across the continent, set in a sparse Sahelian landscape that amplifies the works' mystique.

  Laongo

• Hike to the summit of Pic du Nahouri

  Climb the isolated rocky peak that rises abruptly from the savanna near Pô, rewarded with panoramic views over Ghana and Burkina Faso’s southern plains.

  Pô region

• Visit the iron smiths of Kaya

  Watch Mossi blacksmiths shape tools and jewellery using traditional methods in the bustling market town of Kaya, the heart of Sahelian metalwork.

  Kaya

• Birdwatch at Oursi Pond in the Sahel

  Scan the seasonal wetlands of Mare d'Oursi, a Ramsar site, for huge flocks of migratory pelicans, storks, and ducks against a stark desert backdrop.

  Oursi

• Attend the SIAO arts and crafts fair

  Join Africa’s largest gathering of artisans at the Salon International de l'Artisanat de Ouagadougou, where hundreds of stalls showcase textiles, sculptures, and design from all over the continent.

  Ouagadougou

• Feed sacred fish at the Dafra pond

  Offer millet paste to the giant sacred catfish in the natural pool of Dafra, a traditional ritual site in Bobo-Dioulasso that blends animist belief with community veneration.

  Bobo-Dioulasso