Are you on the Smiling Coast of Gambia and eager to reach Senegal through a real adventure? If so, I can’t guarantee that the journey won’t get messy… but here you’ll find all the information you need to complete your trip and (if you wish) even take a couple of lions for a walk on your way to Dakar!
First of all. There are two ways to arrive in Dakar from Banjul:
- Take a bus from GTSC Kanifing Bus Stn, it costs about 40 USD and it takes 13 to 14 hours. The travel is smooth, easy…not for us. Use this link to book your bus.
- Enjoy an epic, truly local (and cheap) adventure that consists of taking a ferry, then a shared bus, crossing the border on foot, and finally hopping on another shared car or bus. What else?
As you know, this blog is not for Merenderos, if you’re looking for more info about option 1, don’t ask me. Here I will explain to you only how to do in the experencial way. So let’s go!
From Banjul to Barra
If your journey starts from the Smiling capital of the Gambia, the first step is how to arrive in Banjul dock. I stayed in the coast of Banjul, near to the Poco Loco Bar (Go there for the sunset!) and it was convenient (and fast) for me (10 USD) to use a taxi driver to arrive in the Banjul Ferry Dock.
Once you arrive at the Banjul Ferry Dock, you must purchase the ferry tickets to Barra in person and with cash only. The entrance of the terminal if you don’t have a car or motorbike is here, and from this point you’ll be directed to the ticket office. One way tickets costs around 0.55 USD
Usually there’s also passport control and a Yellow Fever vaccination check here, but they’re not performed on 100% of the people crossing the border. Bring with you your certificate for this trip because it will be checked by police before to enter in Senegal.
There’s not a precise timeline for the ferry, locals told me that the first one leaves at around 7.00 a.m. I took the second one of the day at around 9.30 a.m. and it was literally overcrowded…have a look! 🙂
The ferry takes 40 to 50 minutes to arrive in the other side of the Gambia river, Barra. That’s very experiential; I bet you’ll be the only tourist there!
From Barra To Karang
Once on the Barra side, you’ll need to look for someone who can take you to the Karang border by shared car or taxi. As soon as you get off the ferry, taxi drivers will approach you offering a ride, you’ll find them easily.
The price for the ride is around 200 Dalasis per person (3 USD) and the taxi driver will leave you right in front of the Gambian Border Post. Someone might ask you for 10 or 20 USD, just refuse and wait for them to come back with the correct price.
The journey to arrive at the border takes around 30 minutes, we decided to sit on top of the pickup to join the view!
Once at the border, you have to go to the Gambian Border Post, from where you have to obtain the exit stamp on your passport.
Here, it could take many hours if you wait in line with everyone else. We were tourists, and thanks to our driver we went through all the checks very quickly.
Be careful, I’ve seen a couple of people end up in jail for apparently no reason!
From here I suggest to you to buy a local SIM card with few GB to have connection for the same day at least. I purchased 2GB for 3 USD.
From Karang Border to Fathala Reserve and back.
Is it on your bucket list to take a walk with a couple of lions before you die? Maybe not, but how could you pass the Karang border without trying this crazy experience?
“Fathala is a thrilling wildlife sanctuary offering unforgettable activities most notably the rare opportunity to walk with lions, alongside guided safaris that let you encounter majestic animals up close in their natural habitat“
If you want to arrive to the Fathala Reserve once you complete border procedures, you need to find a driver who’s going to bring you there and wait until the end of the tour (2hours max). It would not cost you more than 15/20 USD.
The Fathala Reserve has strict scheduling for the lion walk, so I recommend to you to book by their website (or whatsapp). Here below prices and schedule:
If you’re coming from St. Louis, start your trip early in the morning; otherwise, you may not arrive in time for the last tour at 2:30 p.m.
From Karang Border to Dakar
If you survived to the lion walking experience, now it is time to go to Dakar.
Be sure that who will bring you to the Fathala Reserve will take care to bring you back in the Karang border (Senegal side).
You need to perform Passport Check in the Senegalese Border post. It doesn’t take long; immigration officers will stamp your passport and check your yellow fever vaccination certificate.
To arrive in Dakar in 5 to 6 hours you have to take a shared mini bus from the Gare routiére de Karang. From this station, you can reach Dakar for 6000 CFA (around 12 USD). People are very friendly and will help you quickly find a shared van to reach your desired destination. Taxis don’t depart from here, only vans (8–10 passengers).
Traveling from Banjul to Dakar is more than a simple transfer, it’s a true adventure that lets you feel the rhythm and warmth of West Africa.
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