Gambia itineraries: 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks

The Gambia is small but slow to cross. The coast is a 30–60 minute run of resorts and towns; the upriver half is a long day's drive each way. That single fact decides your itinerary: with a week you get one upriver stop, with two weeks you can add the south coast or Senegal, and with three weeks you can go slowly and still have beach days.

Days 1–4 sit on the Atlantic coast — Kololi, Kotu or Cape Point — because that is where the hotels, restaurants and easiest day trips are. Use one full day for Banjul (Albert Market, Arch 22, the national museum) and one morning for Abuko's forest walk. Keep the rest for the beach and Tanji bird reserve.

Days 5–6 are the upriver run: coast to Tendaba for birds and Kiang West, then on to Janjanbureh for two nights. Wassu's stone circles and the river itself are the reasons to go this far. Day 7 is the drive back to the coast, with the last night near the airport if you fly early.

Ten days lets you keep the 7-day shape and add Kartong, the quiet south-coast village near the Senegalese border. Three nights there is enough for beach time, a walk to the wetlands and a fishing-village morning. Kartong to the airport is about an hour by road, so it works as the last stop before flying.

Tendaba gets one night on the way upriver rather than being skipped. If you are a birder, shift a night from the coast to Tendaba and take a guide from the Gambia Birding Group.

Two weeks is enough to cross into Senegal and fly home from Dakar, which saves backtracking. The usual shape is 4 nights on the Gambia coast, 2 in Janjanbureh, then north across the border at Farafenni or Karang in daylight, 3 nights in the Sine-Saloum delta, 3 in Dakar and 2 on the Petite Côte.

Border crossings are daytime business; do not plan to arrive after dark. Check visa and vehicle paperwork before you commit, and confirm your airline allows an open-jaw ticket into Banjul and out of Dakar.

Three weeks lets you do the 14-day route without rushing, or stay inside The Gambia and go deeper: more time in Janjanbureh, a night at the River Gambia National Park for the chimp islands, and a second stretch on the coast at the end. Birders often spend a week upriver alone.

If you stay in-country, keep the coast as your bookend — first and last nights — so airport transfers stay simple. Add Senegal only if you have checked entry rules and are happy with a one-way flight home from Dakar.

Book the upriver leg before you arrive. Independent travel upcountry is possible but slow: shared transport exists, yet most visitors hire a car and driver or join a guided trip, which also handles the ferry crossings and rough stretches. Budget a full day each way between the coast and Janjanbureh.

Money is dalasi; carry cash for upcountry fuel, ferries and small hotels, and expect card machines only on the coast. Tipping guides and drivers is normal. Check your visa and entry rules before booking, and check the rainy-season picture if you travel June to October — some upriver roads and camps are affected.