Senegal & family outings: where, and why here
Senegal has no big American-style theme parks, and that is all to the good if you are travelling with children: the outings that work here are human-scale, outdoors and rarely more than an hour’s drive away. Everything plays out in a triangle that Dakar families know by heart. At one corner, the city and its rare large green spaces. To the north-east, the Sangalkam countryside and Lac Rose (Pink Lake). To the south, the Petite Côte, its calm lagoons and the savannah of Bandia.
In the heart of Dakar, the green lung is called Hann Forest and Zoological Park. Created in 1903, it covers some sixty hectares of forest, with an arboretum, a lake, shady paths and play areas. At weekends, families stroll there and festive days for children are regularly held. Our advice is simple: come for the forest. The zoo, on the other hand, has drawn repeated criticism of its facilities: it is not the outing we recommend.
Some thirty kilometres further on, on the road to Lac Rose, the Tortoise Village (Village des Tortues) at Noflaye, in the commune of Sangalkam, is the other great classic. This conservation centre breeds and cares for endangered tortoises, including the African spurred tortoise, the largest land tortoise on the continent, which can approach 100 kilos. Schools organise educational trips there: a child who meets a tortoise heavier than their father does not forget the lesson.
To the south, on the Petite Côte, Bandia offers the big thrill of a mini-safari: a fenced private reserve where you get close to giraffes, rhinos, zebras and ostriches from a vehicle, half an hour from Saly. There are no lions or elephants, which reassures more than one parent. Add the Somone lagoon and its beaches: it is within this triangle that day trips with children can be done without exhaustion.
Formats: what you can book
- Activity combos in Hann Park: bike (30 minutes), electric car or kids’ quad (10 minutes each), to combine two at a time or all three, with extra ten-minute slots if your child wants more. Equipment is provided; the activity fits into a walk in the park.
- Birthday party entertainment at home in Dakar: a team comes to your home with its equipment for 2 or 2½ hours of supervised games, in the morning or afternoon. The price is a flat rate for the group, up to 20 people, not a price per child; travel within Dakar is included, while snacks and the meal are up to you.
- Acrobatics classes in Dakar: an hour of balance, juggling and partner lifts with a teacher, open to children and adults alike, no experience needed, solo or as a pair.
- Newborn, baby and child massage in Guédiawaye: 30 minutes or an hour in a practice room, with gentle oils and age-appropriate techniques, from birth. The parent stays present throughout the session.
- Family days at a private beach: sun lounger, lunch in the shade and beach activities for the children, at Saly, the Somone or Ngaparou. They are presented in the beach & relaxation days section, where each listing details what is included.
To go further, the Bandia safari is booked under wildlife reserves & parks, a boat outing on a calm lagoon under pirogue trips, Gorée under island excursions, and animals to get up close to under animal parks.
Where to go with the family in Senegal
- Dakar: the city of short outings. Hann Park for a green morning, the birthday party at home when it is too hot to go out, acrobatics for children who cannot sit still, and Gorée by ferry for the older ones. In the suburbs, Guédiawaye hosts the baby massage sessions.
- Sangalkam and Lac Rose: the nature day out, less than an hour and a half from the capital depending on traffic. Tortoises in the morning, the lake in the afternoon: you float effortlessly in its very salty water, best avoided with a graze. Access to the lake is free with no entry charge; its pink colour varies with the season and the light.
- The Petite Côte: the ideal base for a stay with children. The Bandia safari, the Somone lagoon and the beaches of Saly and Ngaparou combine into short days, with no long journeys.
When to go out with children
The dry season, from November to May, is the most comfortable for anything outdoors: clear skies, cool evenings, active animals at Bandia. The rainy season (hivernage), July to October, brings sticky heat and sometimes violent downpours; you can still go out, but keep an eye on the weather and have an indoor fallback, such as the birthday party at home.
With little ones, the time of day matters more than the month. Set off early, make the most of the morning outdoors, head home before the peak heat and go out again late in the afternoon.
As for the calendar, remember the rhythm of the Senegalese school year: pupils go back in early October, classes end in late July, and the long summer holidays in August and September coincide with the rainy season. Weekends, public holidays and the days after festivals, such as Korité, Tabaski or the end-of-year holidays, fill the beaches and parks: arrive as soon as they open, or shift by a day if you prefer some peace and quiet.
Good to know & budget
The ideal bag does not take much: plenty of water, hats, sun cream, a snack, a change of clothes for the youngest and, for the beach, shoes for the scorching sand. At the sea, always choose a beach where swimming is permitted and supervised: it is regulated by national decree, and the presence of lifeguards varies with the season. On the water, insist on a life jacket in the right size for each child.
On Que Faire Sénégal, the price shown for the activity is the price of the service. You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee). The balance is paid on site, on the day. If you live in Senegal, you get the resident rate: up to 30% off (the exact rate is shown on each listing). For the Hann Park combos, park entry is payable on site and not included in the price. For the birthday party at home, acrobatics and baby massage, there are no additional official fees. For an independent visit to the Tortoise Village, the entry ticket is paid directly at the centre’s ticket office.
Who is it for?
For babies and toddlers, keep it short and gentle: a massage with the parent present, a bike ride in Hann, a morning on the beach in the shade. Children aged 5 to 11 are this section’s golden age: electric cars and kids’ quads, giant tortoises, the giraffes of Bandia, a birthday party with supervised games. Teenagers will prefer acrobatics, to do with a parent who is game, or a sportier outing among the adventure & outdoors section.
If you live in Senegal, this page is your store of ideas for weekends and the long holidays: nearby outings you can repeat, and a resident rate that lightens the bill when you go out often. If you are passing through, keep to one rule: one big outing a day, no more. Hann one morning, the Tortoise Village and Lac Rose another, Bandia from the Petite Côte: three successful days are worth more than a marathon that ends in tears in the back of the car.
In December 2022, forty-six young African spurred tortoises born in Monaco flew to Dakar, packed in transport crates, as part of a programme to strengthen the species. Their first address in Senegal was the Tortoise Village at Noflaye: six months of quarantine to get used to the climate and the food, under veterinary supervision, before moving on to the Koyli Alpha Reserve, in the north-west of the country. The little tortoises in the nursery are preparing for the same journey.
Frequently asked questions
Which outing should I choose with young children near Dakar?
Hann Park for a morning in the shade, with a bike, electric car or kids’ quad, or the Tortoise Village at Noflaye, combined with Lac Rose. Set off early and head home before the worst of the heat.
Is the Hann zoo worth a visit?
We recommend the forest part of the park: shady paths, the lake, play areas. The zoo has drawn repeated criticism of its facilities; it is not the outing we advise.
Is the price of the birthday party at home per child?
No. It is a flat rate for the group, up to 20 people, for 2 or 2½ hours of entertainment. Travel within Dakar is included; the meal and snacks are not.
When is the best time for family outings during the school year?
Pupils go back to school in early October and finish in late July. Weekends and the long holidays in August and September are the times for outings, but also the busiest: arrive as soon as things open.
How do I book, and what is left to pay on site?
You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee), and the balance is paid on site, on the day. Residents get the resident rate: up to 30% off. At Hann Park, park entry is payable on site and not included in the price; for the other activities in this section, there are no additional official fees.
