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Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Place · Marina Parade and ferry

Fort Bullen

A 19th-century fort at Barra, across the river mouth from Banjul, built to help suppress the Atlantic slave trade: a half-day trip that starts and ends with the passenger ferry, not a walk from the Banjul clusters.

go at hour · a morning ferry departureadmission: unknownNot field-verified
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Key facts

Time on site
45–60 min
p95 90 min
Price
GMD 50-100
adult, 2026 estimate
Hours
unknown
see note below
Best time
a morning ferry departure
quietest window
28″ bags
Painful
Marina Parade and ferry: painful
Getting there
Banjul-Barra passenger ferry from the Marina Parade terminal, then a short walk at Barra
  • Reached only by the Banjul-Barra ferry
  • 19th-century anti-slave-trade fort
  • Pairs with Banjul's own Six-Gun Battery
  • Go a morning ferry departure
  • Queue: switch at 60 min

Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.

Rules in force · 10Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Carry an original yellow fever vaccination certificate on…Uneven pavements, crowds and touts
  • Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
  • Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
  • West Africa ↗Carry an original yellow fever vaccination certificate on any West African trip: several countries on the coast road demand it of every arrival, and the rest demand it after you have passed through a neighbour.
  • West Africa ↗Cross land borders and drive between cities in daylight only; plan each crossing as a full travel day with cash for fees and passport copies for checkpoints.
  • The Gambia ↗Check visa and entry rules for your passport on official Gambian government sources before booking.
  • The Gambia ↗Dress modestly away from the beach: shoulders and knees covered in towns and villages.
  • The Gambia ↗Keep about US$20 or €20 in cash for the airport security fee charged on arrival and again on departure; card machines at the desk are unreliable.
  • Atlantic Coast ↗Taxis are yellow and unmetered: agree the fare and the return before you get in.
  • Banjul ↗Uneven pavements, crowds and touts: bags go from the car to the hotel door, never on a walk.
  • Banjul ↗Unofficial guides (bumsters) approach visitors: a polite firm no is enough; agree any price first.
Hours unknown
Map & directions
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Directions
From where I am

Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.

Plan

Open now, what it costs, what to know, how long it takes

Go now?

hours and prices: check on the day
Open
Hours unknown
Crowds

Quietest around 10:00–13:00 · go a morning ferry departure

Quietest Mon–Sun · desk estimate

Tickets
  • Adult: GMD 50-100 (2026 estimate, check)
Time to spend
45–60 min · up to 90 min if you linger
Directions Add to a day →

Know before you go

  • This is a cross-river trip, not a walk: budget the ferry queue, the crossing itself, and the return crossing, all of which can run late.
  • Fort Bullen and the Six-Gun Battery at Banjul were built as a pair to close the river mouth to slave ships after Britain's 1807 abolition act; the fort you can see from the Banjul side is the counterpart.
  • There is no reliable published ticket price or opening hour: pay on site and ask locally when you land.
  • Do not plan a same-day international departure around this trip: if the ferry runs late, the return can slip by hours.

Best time of day

Go a morning ferry departure. Plan 45–60 min inside.

quietlightbusyheavypacked· desk estimate; the ferry itself is more crowded than the fort

Weather here, next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Time on site

minutes

Minimum

30min

Worthwhile

45min

Typical

60min

p95

90min

Fort opening hours are not printed until verified; the real constraint is the ferry timetable, which is reported as irregular.

Tickets & entry

2026 estimate · check the posted board
Where to buy
  • Buy at the entrance on the day.
  • Buy from the official site or the ticket desk; resellers add a fee for the same ticket.
  • Fort entry: On site
  • Ferry, foot passenger, each way: Marina Parade terminal ticket window
  • Two separate payments: the ferry crossing and the fort entry are not bundled.

Official site ↗

Queues
  • This is a cross-river trip, not a walk: budget the ferry queue, the crossing itself, and the return crossing, all of which can run late.
  • Ferry, foot passenger, each way: Queue at the terminal; can be slow before a departure.
TicketPriceWhere to buySkip-the-line reality
Fort entryGMD 50-100 (2026 estimate, check)On siteNo priority lane.
Ferry, foot passenger, each wayGMD 40-100 (2026 estimate, check)Marina Parade terminal ticket windowQueue at the terminal; can be slow before a departure.

Inside, in order

30 min without detours

  1. The fort walls and gun emplacements

    20 min

    Coastal artillery position built to cover the river channel.

  2. Views back across the river mouth to Banjul

    10 min

    The companion Six-Gun Battery is visible on the Banjul side on a clear day.

Plan this visit

saved in this browser only
Time inside
Crowd on arrival
light
Worst while inside
light
Leave by
09:00
Closing buffer
unknown

Good window: go.

  • Closing buffer is measured against a planning close of check. No confirmed closing time; plan around ferry departures instead.
  • Crowd levels are a desk estimate by hour, not live data.

On the ground

Getting in, crowds, and where to go if it does not work

Getting in

Stop
Banjul-Barra passenger ferry from the Marina Parade terminal, then a short walk at Barra
Exit
—
Ticket
on site · official site
Stairs
Ferry gangway; the fort itself is mostly ground level
Shoes
Shoes on; uneven ground and old masonry.

Crowds and switching

Crowd clock
Quiet most days; the constraint is the ferry, not crowding at the fort.
Sensory load
3/5
Exposure
high
Queue rule
Switch if the queue passes 60 min; come back when under 20.

Bailouts

  1. crowd

    Wait for the next ferry rather than forcing a crowded crossing

  2. heat

    Shade inside the fort walls or a Barra café

Nearest rescue anchor: A — Ferry terminal shade (field-verify)

Step-free check

Step-free route

  1. 1The ferry gangway and Barra's unpaved approach to the fort are not step-free: this trip is difficult for a wheelchair or a stroller.

Combine with

nearest first
  1. 0 minBanjul-Barra ferry terminal — The starting point for the crossing; watch the loading before you board.

Walk the Marina Parade and ferry area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes

Best photo time today

Sun times for today load in your browser.

SpotWhenRule on the spot
The gun emplacements looking out to the river mouthMorningAvoid pointing the camera at any security or military personnel on the ferry or at the fort.

Red lines

  • Do not photograph the ferry's police, soldiers or security checkpoints on either bank.
More on the groundFacilities · Seasons · Who it suits · Skip it if

Facilities on site

WhatStatusWhere / note
ToiletscheckNot confirmed on site; use the ferry terminal facilities before you cross.
FoodlimitedSmall stalls at Barra; nothing confirmed at the fort itself.
ShadelimitedSome cover inside the old walls; otherwise open ground.

Seasons, festivals and night openings

WhenWhat happensEffect on your visitDates
Rainy season (Jun-Oct)Heavier river traffic delays and wet ground at the fortLonger, less predictable crossings; consider skipping this trip in heavy rain.check

“Check” rows move every year; confirm dates on the official calendar before you plan around them.

Who it suits

TravelerFitWhy
History-focused visitorsgoodDirect, physical link to the river's anti-slave-trade patrols and, further upriver, Kunta Kinteh Island.
Visitors on a tight day-trip schedulepoorThe ferry's irregular timetable makes this hard to fit around an airport pickup or a tight afternoon.
Wheelchair userspoorGangway boarding and unpaved ground at Barra.

Skip it if

  • You have a flight or another hard deadline later the same day.
  • The ferry queue already looks long when you arrive: come back another morning rather than forcing it.

Deep dive

Questions, what is nearby, photos and sources

Questions and answers

answered by Voykit editors · dated
Is the ferry reliable?

Reports describe it as irregular; build in slack and do not schedule anything time-sensitive right after this trip.

Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk

How do I get to Fort Bullen?

Take the passenger ferry from the Marina Parade terminal in Banjul to Barra, then walk a short distance to the fort. There is no bridge or road route from Banjul island itself.

How long does the round trip take?

Budget half a day: the ferry timetable is reported as irregular, and both the queue and the crossing can run long.

Is Fort Bullen linked to Kunta Kinteh Island?

Yes in theme: both were part of the river's 19th-century anti-slave-trade patrol system, though they are separate sites and Kunta Kinteh Island needs its own boat trip further upriver.

Answers come from Voykit editors, not from other travellers.

Nearby

Straight-line distance; walk time adds 30% for streets.

Sources