Private 8-day Senegal tour: Lake Retba, Gorée, Bandia, Fathala, Lompoul and Sine-Saloum

Spend eight days and seven nights discovering Senegal on a private journey beginning and ending at Blaise Diagne International Airport. Lake Retba is your base for six nights in a mid-range partner hotel with pool and dining facilities; a seventh night is spent in a tent at Hôtel Okaï in Lompoul. Explore Dakar and Gorée Island, Bandia's wildlife, a supervised lion walk at Fathala and the waterways of Sine-Saloum.

Day 1 — Airport arrival and Lake Retba hotel
Meet the team at Blaise Diagne International Airport and transfer to a partner hotel near Lake Retba. Settle in and enjoy free time according to your flight arrival. Overnight at Lake Retba.

Day 2 — Lake Retba activities
Enjoy a flexible day at Lake Retba, also called Lac Rose: a quad ride, a traditional boat trip and a choice of horse or camel ride. The order and timings are confirmed locally. The lake's colour changes naturally with the conditions. Overnight at Lake Retba.

Day 3 — Dakar city tour and Gorée Island
Travel in an air-conditioned vehicle and take the return ferry to Gorée. Visit the historic island and the House of Slaves respectfully with a guide. Back in Dakar, pass the Presidential Palace and discover the cathedral, Independence Square, African Renaissance Monument, Mosque of the Divinity and Sandaga market. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Overnight at Lake Retba.

Day 4 — Bandia 4×4 safari and lion experience
Travel to Bandia Reserve in an air-conditioned vehicle. Entrance, a guided 4×4 safari and wildlife observation are included. Access to the lion experience depends on the site's opening and safety rules. Photo stops take place where permitted. Return to Lake Retba for the night.

Day 5 — Fathala Reserve and supervised lion walk
Transfer from the hotel to the confirmed meeting point in Dakar or Mbour, then travel by suitable air-conditioned vehicle to Fathala. Take part in a lion walk supervised by authorised reserve staff, subject to site rules and availability. Lunch and local assistance are included. This is a long driving day. Return to Lake Retba for the night.

Day 6 — Lompoul desert overnight
Travel from Lake Retba to Lompoul, explore the dunes and take a camel ride. Settle into a tent at Hôtel Okaï. Enjoy dinner and a campfire when weather and safety rules allow. Overnight in Lompoul.

Day 7 — Sine-Saloum, Mar Lodj and Lake Retba
Leave Lompoul for the Sine-Saloum Delta. This is a long road journey, with timing subject to traffic. Discover the sacred baobab, travel by boat, visit Mar Lodj, take a horse-drawn carriage ride and pass the bird islands when navigation conditions allow. Kayaking is subject to availability. Return to Lake Retba for the final night. Time at each stop is confirmed before final booking.

Day 8 — Return transfer to AIBD
Breakfast according to your flight time, hotel check-out and transfer to Blaise Diagne International Airport. Departure time from Lake Retba is arranged around your confirmed flight. End of the tour.

Seven nights: nights 1–5 and 7 at a mid-range partner hotel near Lake Retba; night 6 in a tent at Hôtel Okaï in Lompoul. The Lake Retba hotel name and room arrangements are confirmed before final booking.

Breakfasts, lunches and dinners during the stay and all scheduled transfers from arrival at AIBD to departure from AIBD are arranged. Meals on arrival and departure days depend on flight times; menus and restaurant details are confirmed before travel.

Private tour on a flexible date, subject to accommodation, ferry, guide, activity and site availability. The Fathala lion walk follows reserve safety instructions; Bandia's lion experience is subject to site conditions. Kayaking depends on availability; the campfire on weather and safety. Days 5 and 7 involve long road journeys. Pick-up times and time at each stop are confirmed before firm booking. Six nights are at Lake Retba and one in Lompoul. Arrival and departure meals follow flight times. Ask for a tailored quote for children or special room arrangements.