Côte d'Ivoire itineraries: 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks

Pick the length first, then the route. One week stays on the coast; two weeks buys you either the centre-and-west loop or a second country; three weeks is the first length where the far west and north fit without rushing.

Three nights in Abidjan gives you one full day in Plateau and Treichville and one for Cocody or the lagoon, without spending the whole stay in traffic. Move to Grand-Bassam for two nights: the UNESCO colonial quarter and the beach are a short drive east, and weekdays are quieter than weekends.

Finish with two nights at Assinie, the resort strip between lagoon and ocean about 80 km east of Abidjan. Both legs are short enough to do in a single morning, which is the point of this route — no day is lost to a long transfer. Return to Abidjan the night before your flight, or take an evening transfer if your departure is late.

Option A keeps you in Côte d'Ivoire: Abidjan to Grand-Bassam, then inland to Yamoussoukro for the basilica and one night, then west to Man for three nights of mountains, waterfalls and liana bridges, and back to Abidjan. The Abidjan – Yamoussoukro leg is roughly 3 hours on good road; Yamoussoukro – Man is the long one, so leave early. Flying Man – Abidjan saves a full day if flights are running (check).

Option B crosses into Ghana: Abidjan, Assinie, Grand-Bassam, then Accra and Cape Coast before flying home from Accra. The Abidjan – Accra flight is about an hour; the overland route via Elubo takes most of a day. You need a Ghana visa before you travel, and check the current border formalities (check).

With three weeks you can take the coast west instead of doubling back: Sassandra for two nights of wild beach and fishing port, then Taï National Park for chimpanzees in primary rainforest, then north-east to Man, Yamoussoukro and back to Abidjan. This is the route for travellers who would rather see four regions slowly than six quickly.

Road conditions and drive times on the western legs vary, and some stretches are slow in the rainy season. Treat every transfer time here as an estimate and confirm locally before you commit to a same-day connection (check). If the north is on your list, Korhogo is a separate add-on of two nights, best reached by flying rather than driving (check).

Keep road legs in daylight. Long-distance driving after dark is the single thing most likely to spoil a trip, and it also means you arrive too late to do anything. Build one buffer night in Abidjan before an international flight rather than cutting it fine.

Book the e-visa pre-approval and carry your yellow-fever certificate before you fly; both are checked at arrival. Carry cash in CFA francs for markets, maquis and small hotels, and expect mobile money to be the local norm. Coastal resorts and Abidjan hotels take cards; almost nothing on the road does.

December to March is the driest window for the coast and the safest bet overall. The west and north are best from November to February. If your dates fall in the heavy rain months, shorten the road-heavy legs and add nights in Abidjan and Grand-Bassam instead.