When to go · Benin
Benin in May
Mixed month. Rainy; lagoon villages and Ganvié still work between showers.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Crowds
- Low
- Benin
- Prices
- Low
- Benin
Verdict
Rainy; lagoon villages and Ganvié still work between showers.
Weather in May
- Coast and lagoons · Cotonou, Ouidah, Porto-Novo, Grand-Popo, Ganviérainy
Two rainy seasons; July–August is often a drier, cooler break. Humid all year.
- Plateau · Abomey, Bohicon, Dassa-Zoumérainy
Slightly drier than the coast, with Harmattan haze in January.
- North savanna · Parakou, Natitingou, Atakora, Pendjarirainy
One rainy season; heat peaks March–April. Large parts are under travel advisories — check.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Eid al-Fitr (Ramadan) and Tabaski (Eid al-Adha)
Moves yearly (lunar)
Public holidays; celebrations in Porto-Novo and the north.
Labour Day
1 May
Public holiday.
Ascension and Whit Monday
May–Jun (moves)
Public holidays.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Benin
- Low
- Prices · Benin
- Low
What to pack
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast
Where to go in May
Better another month
Heavy rain and flooded streets.