Things to do in Gabon

25 things to do in Gabon

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

• Watch surfing hippos at Loango National Park

  Observe the famous 'surfing hippos' that frolic in the Atlantic waves along Loango's remote beaches. This is one of the only places on Earth where hippos regularly enter the sea.

  Ogooué-Maritime Province

• Track forest elephants in Lopé National Park

  Trek through ancient rainforest and savannah mosaics to find forest elephants and buffalo in one of Central Africa’s most accessible wildlife reserves.

  Ogooué-Ivindo Province

• Hike to the thunderous Kongou Falls

  Trek deep into Ivindo National Park to witness the monumental Kongou Falls, a 3-kilometer-wide wall of water plunging 56 meters into the forest.

  Ivindo National Park

• Observe mandrill troops with researchers in Lopé

  Follow primatologists into the forest to see the world’s largest mandrill gatherings. Massive, colourful troops can number over 1,000 individuals.

  Ogooué-Ivindo Province

• Visit the historic Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambaréné

  Step into the Nobel laureate’s 1913 jungle hospital, now a museum, to learn about humanitarian medicine and Schweitzer’s complex legacy on the Ogooué River.

  Lambaréné

• Relax on the pristine beach of Pointe Denis

  Escape Libreville’s bustle by taking a short boat ride to Pointe Denis, where golden sands meet calm waters perfect for swimming and sundowners.

  Estuaire Province

• Browse the vibrant stalls of Mont-Bouët market

  Immerse yourself in Libreville’s largest market, a lively maze of colourful textiles, traditional medicines, fresh produce, and street food aromas.

  Libreville

• Visit the National Museum of Arts and Traditions

  Admire Gabon’s finest collection of ancestral masks, reliquary figures, and musical instruments that narrate the spiritual depth of the Bantu and Pygmy civilisations.

  Libreville

• Go gorilla trekking in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park

  Track habituated western lowland gorillas through dense, remote rainforest in one of the few places where you can sit meters away from a silverback.

  Nyanga Province

• See the Eiffel-designed Saint Anne church of Fernan Vaz

  Marvel at a prefabricated iron church attributed to Gustave Eiffel, standing incongruously beside a peaceful lagoon with a poignant missionary history.

  Ogooué-Maritime Province

• Watch leatherback turtles nesting in Pongara National Park

  Walk moonlit beaches during nesting season (November–March) as giant leatherback turtles haul themselves ashore to lay eggs just across the estuary from Libreville.

  Estuaire Province

• Canoe through the mangroves of Ndogo Lagoon

  Paddle silently through tannin-dark waters fringed by mangrove tunnels, spotting kingfishers, herons, and the occasional West African manatee.

  Loango National Park

• Witness an authentic Bwiti ceremony

  With permission and respectful guidance, observe a night-long Fang Bwiti spiritual ritual, using ancestral harp music and iboga root to connect with the unseen.

  Estuaire Province

• Hike to the summit of Mount Brazza

  Summit the isolated peak named after explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, offering panoramic views of savannah and forest near the Congo border.

  Haut-Ogooué Province

• Admire the Presidential Palace from the waterfront

  Stroll Libreville’s seafront promenade to view the striking modern Presidential Palace and its immaculate gardens, a symbol of Gabonese statehood.

  Libreville

• Savour fresh-caught seafood in Port-Gentil

  Dine on grilled barracuda, lobster, or crevettes at a beachside maquis, where the ocean breeze meets warm Gabonese hospitality.

  Port-Gentil

• Shop for Mbigou soapstone carvings

  Visit artisan workshops in Mbigou to watch Punu sculptors carving distinctive thin-lipped masks and figurines from the region’s famous soft stone.

  Ngounié Province

• Explore the colonial charm of Port-Gentil’s old quarter

  Wander streets lined with faded wooden colonnades and 1920s oil-boom architecture, capturing the atmosphere where the Ogooué meets the Atlantic.

  Port-Gentil

• Take a scenic ride on the Trans-Gabon Railway

  Board the overnight train from Libreville to Franceville, slicing through steaming rainforests, logging towns, and remote villages accessible only by rail.

  Libreville (departure point)

• Spot African manatees in Ndogo Lagoon

  Scan the calm lagoon waters from a pirogue to glimpse West African manatees surfacing among the lily pads of this protected sanctuary.

  Loango National Park

• Descend into the caves of Lastoursville

  Explore a subterranean labyrinth of limestone caverns and tunnels, once used by ancestors and now sheltering bats and unique invertebrates.

  Ogooué-Lolo Province

• Search for the endemic sun-tailed monkey in Birougou National Park

  Embark on a guided hike into the misty Chaillu Mountains, home to the rare sun-tailed monkey, a shy primate discovered only in 1988.

  Ngounié Province

• Attend a dance performance at the French Institute of Libreville

  Catch a live show of traditional mvet music or contemporary Afropop dance in this dynamic cultural hub that draws local and international artists.

  Libreville

• Visit the St. Michael’s Cathedral in Libreville

  Step inside this imposing twin-towered cathedral, an architectural landmark blending European stained-glass artistry with Gabonese Christian heritage.

  Libreville

• Go sport fishing for giant tarpon off Cap Lopez

  Cast into rich Gulf of Guinea waters around the Cap Lopez peninsula, chasing trophy tarpon and jack crevalle with seasoned local guides.

  Port-Gentil