When to go · Dakar
Dakar in May
Mixed month. Hot and humid; rains start late in the month.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 29°C84°F / 21°C70°F
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 1
- Crowds
- Low
- Senegal overall
- Prices
- Medium
- Senegal overall
Verdict
Hot and humid; rains start late in the month.
Weather in May
- DakarHighs around 29 °C, lows around 21 °C, rain on about 1 dayHighs around 84 °F, lows around 70 °F, rain on about 1 day
- Dakar and the Atlantic coast, Senegal · Dakar, Saint-Louis, Petite Côtebest weather
Trade winds keep the coast 5–8 °C cooler than inland; January–March evenings can feel cool, and the sea is cold until May.Trade winds keep the coast 9–14 °F cooler than inland; January–March evenings can feel cool, and the sea is cold until May.
Hot dry season season
Dry and warm with little rain; the heat builds toward June.
Watch: Hot afternoons; first rains in late May and June.
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.
Tabaski (Eid al-Adha) check
Islamic calendar, moves yearly · Citywide
Sheep markets, then a quiet, closed city; taxis are scarce.
Dak'Art biennale (even years) check
Varies · Galleries and cultural centres
Exhibitions across the city; hotels fill.
Dak'Art contemporary art biennale
May–June, even years (check)
Exhibitions across the city; hotels fill; check the year's dates and programme.
Popenguine Catholic pilgrimage
Late May or June (Pentecost)
Large crowds on the Petite Côte roads; Dakar traffic thickens.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Senegal overall
- Low
- Prices · Senegal overall
- Medium
Senegal overall: Last dry month; Tabaski may fall here in 2026 (check) — transport jams before it.
What to pack
Nothing unusual for the weather this month.