Things to do in Gambia

25 things to do in Gambia

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

• Explore Kunta Kinteh Island (James Island)

  Visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site in the River Gambia where thousands of enslaved Africans were held before being shipped across the Atlantic. The crumbling fort ruins are a haunting and deeply moving reminder of the transatlantic slave trade.

  Juffureh, North Bank Region

• Watch the crocodiles at Kachikally Crocodile Pool

  Get up close with dozens of sacred Nile crocodiles at this holy pool in Bakau, believed to hold fertility-giving powers. Locals walk among and even touch the crocs, considered sacred guardians of the community.

  Bakau, West Coast Region

• Stroll the Albert Market in Banjul

  Wander through Banjul's bustling main market where vendors sell everything from colourful wax-print fabrics and handcrafted leather goods to fresh fish and spices. The sensory overload of sounds, smells, and colours captures everyday Gambian life.

  Banjul

• Birdwatch in the River Gambia National Park

  Cruise through mangrove-lined waterways spotting some of the 560+ bird species found in Gambia, including ospreys, African fish eagles, and malachite kingfishers. This park also protects a chimpanzee rehabilitation colony on Baboon Islands.

  Central River Region

• Visit Juffureh Village and the Roots Heritage

  Walk through the village made famous by Alex Haley's 'Roots' and meet descendants of Kunta Kinteh's family. A small museum and oral histories from village elders bring the story of the slave trade to vivid, personal life.

  Juffureh, North Bank Region

• Relax on Kololi Beach

  Sink your toes into the golden sands of Kololi, the most popular tourist beach on Gambia's Atlantic coast. Palm-fringed and backed by hotels and bars, it's ideal for swimming, sunbathing, and watching colourful fishing pirogues launch at dawn.

  Kololi, West Coast Region

• Taste Benachin (Jollof Rice) at a Local Home

  Share a communal bowl of benachin, Gambia's version of Jollof rice cooked with fish or meat, tomato, and vegetables in a single pot. Eating with your right hand from a shared platter is the authentic Gambian way.

  Nationwide

• Take a Pirogue Ride Through Makasutu Cultural Forest

  Glide in a traditional dugout canoe through the mangrove creeks of this 1,000-acre community forest reserve near Brikama. The guided tours include encounters with monitor lizards, monkeys, and rare birds in one of Gambia's last pristine forests.

  Mandina Bolong, West Coast Region

• Experience a Kankurang Masquerade in Janjanbureh

  Witness the Kankurang, a masked figure covered in red bark or leaves who roams the streets enforcing social order during initiation rites. This UNESCO-recognised tradition is rooted in Mandinka and Jola culture and accompanied by drumming and chanting.

  Janjanbureh (Georgetown), Central River Region

• Visit the National Museum in Banjul

  Browse exhibits on Gambian archaeology, ethnography, and colonial history housed in a modest downtown building. Highlights include Stone Age tools, traditional musical instruments, and photographs documenting the 1994 coup.

  Banjul

• Explore the Stone Circles of Wassu

  Stand among towering laterite pillars arranged in mysterious circles, dating back over 1,500 years to a forgotten megalithic civilisation. These UNESCO-listed monuments are among the most important megalithic sites in West Africa.

  Wassu, Central River Region

• Shop at the Senegambia Craft Market

  Haggle for woodcarvings, batik fabrics, leather bags, and hand-painted masks at this lively open-air market in the tourist strip. It's one of the best places to see skilled artisans at work and pick up authentic souvenirs.

  Kololi, West Coast Region

• Watch Wrestling (Borreh) at the Beach

  Cheer alongside passionate crowds as muscular grapplers compete in Gambia's beloved traditional sport. Matches are accompanied by drumming, chanting, and playful trash-talk, and are held most weekends on sand beaches or cleared grounds.

  Various coastal towns

• Spot Hipimos on a Boat Safari to River Gambia Camp

  Board a motorised pirogue and drift past mangrove islands where hippos surface and wallow in the warm brown waters of the upper River Gambia. Birdlife is spectacular, with giant kingfishers, pelicans, and cormorants lining the banks.

  Georgetown area, Central River Region

• Eat Fresh Oysters at Lamin Lodge

  Dine on freshly harvested oysters and cold Julbrew beer at this quirky, multi-storey wooden lodge perched on stilts over Lamin Bolong creek. The hand-painted interior and tranquil mangrove views make it a beloved off-the-beaten-path eatery.

  Lamin, West Coast Region

• Attend the International Roots Festival

  Join thousands of diaspora visitors and locals for this biennial celebration of African heritage held in Juffureh and Banjul. Events include traditional drumming, dance performances, libation ceremonies, and emotional visits to slave-trade sites.

  Banjul and Juffureh

• Swim and Picnic at Bijilo Forest Park

  Walk shaded forest trails to a secluded beach, spotting green vervet monkeys, monitor lizards, and dozens of bird species along the way. This small coastal reserve is a pocket of wilderness squeezed between resort hotels.

  Bijilo, West Coast Region

• Take the Barra Ferry to Banjul

  Cross the wide mouth of the River Gambia on the battered but iconic government ferry alongside trucks, livestock, and dozens of traders. The chaotic loading process and scenic 30-minute crossing is a quintessential Gambian experience.

  Barra to Banjul

• Visit the Arch 22 Monument in Banjul

  Climb this imposing 35-metre gate built in 1996 to commemorate the military coup that brought Yahya Jammeh to power. From the top-floor balcony you get sweeping 360-degree views over Banjul, the river, and the Atlantic coast.

  Banjul

• Drink Ataya (Gambian Tea) with Locals

  Sit on a low wooden stool at a roadside tea stand and watch the theatrical pouring of strong, sweet Chinese green tea through three rounds of increasing sweetness. Ataya is Gambia's social glue — every problem is discussed over tiny glasses.

  Nationwide

• Discover Tanji Village Museum and Fish Smokers

  Explore this open-air museum displaying traditional Gambian housing, tools, and costumes, then walk to the adjacent beach where hundreds of women smoke fish over smouldering wood fires in one of West Africa's most photographed scenes.

  Tanji, West Coast Region

• Kayak Through the Bolong Creeks Near Tendaba

  Paddle a sea kayak through narrow mangrove channels teeming with herons, egrets, and mudskippers near the Tendaba Camp. The still, brackish water and overhanging roots create an atmospheric, almost primeval landscape.

  Tendaba, Lower River Region

• Listen to Griot Storytelling in Brikama

  Sit under a baobab tree as a griot — West Africa's hereditary storyteller and musician — performs epic oral histories accompanied by the kora, a 21-string harp. Brikama is one of Gambia's strongest griot-tradition towns.

  Brikama, West Coast Region

• Visit the Abuko Nature Reserve

  Walk boardwalk trails through gallery forest just 25 km from the coast, spotting vervet monkeys, bushbuck, Nile crocodiles, and over 290 bird species. It's one of the smallest but most accessible wildlife reserves in West Africa.

  Abuko, West Coast Region

• Party at the Senegambia Strip Nightlife

  Join the lively open-air bars and beach clubs along the Senegambia strip in Kololi, where live Afro-Manding bands play mbalax and Afrobeat until the early hours. The energy peaks on weekends with tourists and locals dancing side by side.

  Kololi, West Coast Region