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Voykit pocket guide · Senegal
Saint-Louis
Saint-Louis-du-Sénégal
Give Saint-Louis 2–3 nights: one full day on the Île de N'Dar on foot, one for Guet N'Dar and the beach, one for Djoudj or the Langue de Barbarie.
Saint-Louis is a UNESCO World Heritage colonial island town at the mouth of the Senegal River, 260 km north of Dakar, split across the mainland (Sor), the 2 km-long Île de N'Dar and the Langue de Barbarie peninsula. There is no working airport or rail link as of 2026, so you arrive by road. The old town is small enough to walk in an afternoon; the fishing quarter, the beaches and the bird parks are what fill a second and third day.
- Country
- Senegal
- Local name
- Saint-Louis-du-Sénégal
- Best months
- Nov–May
- Avoid
- Jun–Oct (heat, humidity, rain)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- XOF
- Money
- Currency is the West African CFA franc (XOF), shared with seven other West African states and pegged to the euro (655.957 XOF = €1).
- Daily spend
- Budget 15,000–25,000 XOF excl. bed · Mid 25,000–45,000 XOF excl. bed · High 45,000 XOF+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, Free and Expresso sell SIMs at the airport and shops; passport registration required.
- Emergency
- Police 17 · Fire 18 · SAMU (ambulance) 1515
- Plugs
- Types C, D, E, K · 230 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin plugs fit almost everywhere; power cuts are rare in Dakar, commoner elsewhere.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% where no service is added.; Driver or guide day: 5,000–10,000 XOF.; Hotel porter: 500–1,000 XOF.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap for visitors. Bottled water (Kirène) everywhere; sachets are local practice.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants; squat toilets and buckets on the road. Carry tissues and hand gel.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or Café Touba from a street vendor | under 100 XOF |
| Pastry at a patisserie on Rue Blanchot | from 400 XOF |
| Plate of yassa poulet or a Senegalese dish | 1,500–2,500 XOF |
| Pizza at a small island restaurant | from 2,500 XOF |
| Beer, mainland bar vs island bar | cheaper on the mainland |
| Taxi inside town | 500 XOF (600 XOF at night) |
| Car rapide minibus ride | about 100 XOF |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DSS · Blaise Diagne International (Dakar)
- The practical gateway: about 260 km by road, 4–6 h.The practical gateway: about 162 mi by road, 4–6 h.
- SLS · Saint-Louis Airport
- No scheduled passenger flights as of 2026.
Typical fares
- Sept-place Dakar → Saint-Louis
- about 5,000 XOF, 4–6 h
- Private taxi Dakar airport → Saint-Louis
- about 60,000 XOF, up to 4 people
- Taxi inside Saint-Louis
- 500 XOF, 600 XOF at night
Get around
The island is walkable end to end in about 20 minutes. Taxis inside town run a fixed rate of about 500 XOF (600 XOF at night or from the gare routière); car rapide minibuses cost about 100 XOF. Calèche (horse cart) rides on the island are aimed at visitors: agree the price first. Scooters rent for about 10,000 XOF/day and bicycles about 5,000 XOF/day from the corner of Rue Blanchot and Quai Roume.
See and do
Known for
- UNESCO World Heritage old town (listed 2000)
- Guet N'Dar fishing quarter and pirogues
- Faidherbe Bridge
- Djoudj bird park and Langue de Barbarie
- Saint-Louis International Jazz Festival
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary | Car or organised tour from Saint-Louis, about 60 km north-eastCar or organised tour from Saint-Louis, about 37 mi north-east | Half to full day |
| Langue de Barbarie National Park | Taxi or pirogue south along the peninsula | 2–4 h |
| Guembeul Fauna Reserve | Car south of town toward the N2 | Half day |
| Podor | Road north-east along the Senegal River | 3–4 h |
Sleep
- Île de N'Dar (the island)
- The old town: guesthouses in colonial buildings, walkable to everything, quiet at night. Best for a first visit.
- Sor (mainland)
- Cheaper, the big market and the gare routière; 10–15 min walk over the bridge to the island.
- Langue de Barbarie / Hydrobase
- Beach-side hotels south along the peninsula; you need a taxi or a long walk to reach the island.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twa-LET |
| I don't want it | Je n'en veux paszhuh non vuh PAH |
| Help | Au secoursoh suh-KOOR |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Long greetings: peace, family, health, work; avoid: Jumping straight to business
- Hands: Right hand for giving, receiving and eating; avoid: Left hand for food or money
- Teranga (hospitality): Accept tea and a little food when offered; avoid: Refusing flatly
- Religious leaders: Speak respectfully of marabouts and brotherhood founders; avoid: Jokes about religion
- Bargaining: Laugh, counter, take your time; avoid: Anger or walking off rudely
- Photos: Ask, and accept a no; avoid: Shooting women and children without consent
Scams and watch-outs
- No working airport or train as of 2026: plan the road transfer from Dakar in daylight.
- The beach at Ndar-Toute doubles as a rubbish dump: don't swim or sunbathe there.
- Plage Hydrobase has plastic and waste in the sand; check conditions before swimming.
- North of Plage de Sal Sal the beach crosses into Mauritania: don't walk too far north, and tell police you are going to the beach if stopped.
- Guet N'Dar is crowded with poor sanitation; keep valuables close and don't photograph people without asking.
- Sept-place and minibus drivers at Dakar's Gare Pompier may overstate free seats: count them before paying.
Saint-Louis is calm by West African city standards; the real issues are road transfers after dark, petty theft in crowded Guet N'Dar, and beaches with waste or a border you can walk across by accident.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Saint-Louis yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- UNESCO World Heritage old town (listed 2000)
- Guet N'Dar fishing quarter and pirogues
- Faidherbe Bridge
- Djoudj bird park and Langue de Barbarie
- Saint-Louis International Jazz Festival
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Saint-Louis International Jazz Festival: www.saintlouisjazz.org
- Wikivoyage: Saint-Louis, revision 5309292 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5309292
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Saint-LouisSaint-Louis-du-Sénégal
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies are in Dakar; check your country's embassy there for consular help in Saint-Louis.
French is the working language; Wolof is widely spoken. Carry small notes for taxis and markets.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/saint-louis). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.