Niger – Guerewool Festival Tour

Itinerary

Sunday 21 September – Niamey

• Arrive at your own convenience in Niamey with airport pick up.
• OR: arrival from our Chad Highlights Tour.
• 12PM, meet the group with a short introduction on travelling around Niger.
• Visit the Great Mosque of Niamey, the capital’s main mosque.
• Check out a local art gallery and learn more about Niger’s vibrant art scene.
• Overnight stay in Niamey.

Monday 22 September – Niamey

• Highlight: Head to the Niger River for a morning boat ride to nearby fishing villages. Along the way we might spot hippos!
• Check out the Katako Market, a great place to experience the diversity of Niger.
• Overnight stay in Niamey.

Tuesday 23 September – Niamey – Dosso – Tahoua  

• We’ll say goodbye to Niamey as we head out into the Sahara desert for our long drive towards Agadez.
• If time permits, we’ll stop in the city of Dosso, where we will pay a visit to the Djemakoye Palace, of the Honourable Sultan of Djema.
• Along the way we make several stops to stretch our legs and to enjoy the beautiful countryside.
• Overnight stay in Tahoua.

Wednesday 24 September – Tahoua – Agadez

• We’ll continue towards Agadez
• Late afternoon arrival in Agadez, in Central Niger. Agadez is a historical yet cosmopolitan city where Hausa and Tuareg people live side by side. It has a very rich culture, and ancestral traditions that have been preserved for hundreds of years. Its ancestral customs make this city an exceptional jewel in the Sahara.
• Highlight: Explore the historical downtown (a UNESCO Heritage Site) of Agadez.
• We’ll visit the impressive Agadez Mosque, the tallest mud-brick structure in the world.
• Overnight stay in Agadez.

Thursday 25 September – Agadez – Abalak – Guerewool Festival

• Morning drive to Abalak (Woodabe), the gateway to the Guerewool festival grounds.
• Visit the local cattle market, where we’ll encounter various local tribes, including the Tuareg. A great place for photos and to learn about the nomadic cattle herding culture.
• After a final stop at Abalak we will head truly off road towards our campsite at the Guerewool Festival. As the festival is a nomadic event, we’ll only find out the exact location shortly before joining!
• Overnight stay at our campsite.

Friday 26 September – Guerewool Festival

• Highlight: Spend the whole day at the Guerewool Festival. Watch and join in the ceremonies at various camps, surrounded by lively music and traditional dancing.
• See the famous make-up transformations and the rituals. Learn about the local traditions surrounding this incredible festival.
• Overnight stay at our campsite.

Saturday 27 September – Guerewool Festival – Abalak – Tahoua

• In the morning we’ll bid farewell to our new friends and wish them luck for the remainder of their festivities.
• We’ll spend the day driving towards Tahoua, on the road to Niamey.
• Highlight: Along the way we make various quick stops at a few of our favourite locations, while passing by the old pond of Tabalak and various nomadic camps.
• Overnight stay in Tahoua.

Sunday 28 September – Tahoua – Niamey

• In the morning we’ll depart early towards Kouré, making sure we have enough time to try spotting the giraffes.
• Highlight: Kouré, close to Niamey, is home to almost all of the remaining West African Giraffes. These self-sustaining herds of giraffes live and graze in perfect harmony with Niger’s nomadic groups. Unfortunately, this ‘Giraffe Zone’ is not an official National Park, so we must be lucky to spot them.
• Arrival in Niamey
• Overnight stay in Niamey.

Monday 29 September – Niamey

• Airport drop off.
• End of the tour.