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Arrival in Niamey.
If travelling through Algiers, your arrival time is expected at 00:20.
Airport reception and transfer to hotel, Teneré Hotel or similar, for overnight stay.
Breakfast at 8:30 and we will depart for Kouré.
Kouré is best known for West African giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta), an endemic subspecies of West Africa. The population of giraffes in Niger reached a low of 50 animals 1984, subspecies of West Africa. The population of giraffes in Niger reached a low of 50 animals 1984, but according to the Association to Safeguard Giraffes in Niger (ASGN) there are now 170 of them
We will be seeing of the last of theses Barilla giraffes, visit some unique places where we can see giraffes.
After several hours, we will return to the hotel. Niamey and Kure are 70 kilometers apart.
Arrival at the hotel.
Overnight stay included breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Breakfast at 08:00.
Today we visit the city of Niamey, the large market, and a visit to the craft centre.
Niamey is the capital city of Niger, located on the banks of the Niger River. It is home to several museums, including the National Museum of Niger, which houses a collection of traditional crafts, musical instruments, and archaeological artifacts.
In the afternoon, we will visit a fishing village by boat.
After the visit, we return to the hotel.
Overnight stay included breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
After an early breakfast, at 07:00, transfer to the airport to take a domestic flight to Agadez
Flight time of about 02 hours.
Arrival in Agadez at about 14:30.
Transfer to your L’Auberge d’Azel hotel
At the crossroads of ancient trans-Saharan caravan routes, three minutes from the airport, imbued with the tradition of hospitality of the town of Agadez. L’Auberge d’Azel welcomes you into the coolness of its walls of ochre clay; its pleasant open-air dining room and air-conditioned salon.
Historic Centre of Agadez – a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to several ancient landmarks, including the Agadez Mosque, the Sultan’s Palace, and the Agadez Grand Mosque.
Known as the gateway to the desert, Agadez, on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, developed in the 15th and 16th centuries when the Sultanate of Aïr was established and Touareg tribes were sedentarized in the city, respecting the boundaries of old encampments, which gave rise to a street pattern still in place today.
The historic centre of the city, an important crossroads of the caravan trade, is divided into 11 quarters with irregular shapes. They contain numerous earthen dwellings and a well-preserved group of palatial and religious buildings including a 27m high minaret made entirely of mud brick, the highest such structure in the world. The site is marked by ancestral, cultural; commercial and handicraft traditions still practiced today and presents exceptional and sophisticated examples of earthen architecture.
During the afternoon we will visit the market, a gathering point for Tuareg livestock and a bartering area.
Return to hotel and overnight.
Breakfast and transfer. In the morning, we travel to the Agadez region (Ingal).
Depending on the group and the timing, we can observe the training at Wodaabe. This pastoral area will allow for encounters with nomadic transhumance nomads and their herds.
Wodaabe are nomads, migrating through much of the Sahel from northern Cameroon to Chad, Niger, and northeast Nigeria.
The last nomads in the area, the Wodaabe number between 160,000 and 200,000. Other around them – the Hausa, Fulani, and Tuaeg – regard the Wodaabe as wild people. The Wodaabe refer to the Fulani with equal disdain as Wodaabe who lost their way.
Picnic en-route before continuing to the nomadic herder camp.
Bivouac set up under the tent.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Breakfast. Festival celebration.
Relaxation and participation in the ceremony with dances, songs, and visits to the camps.
We will attend the different, various, dances and songs, day and night. This is the grand gathering of nomadic peoples. An ancient tradition.
Highlights include makeup shows, seduction, love, and other camel-themed activities
Full board cooking by our cook.
Meals breakfast lunch dinner
Overnight in the Bivouac.
Very early breakfast at 7:00.
Follow the festival program.
Today, the festival is more interesting. We can chat with the Borroros to learn more about their culture. This is our last day with them.
We will attend various dances and songs day and night.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
Overnight.
Very early breakfast at 06:00.
Departure from Ingal to Agadez.
On arrival in Niamey, transfer to the L’Auberge d’Azel hotel in the afternoon.
Free time at the hotel until 22:30, transfer to the airport for the return flight.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
The tour ends at the airport for check-in and security formalities and to board the flight home.
If flying home via Algiers, the departure is 01:20.
END
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Group minimum 04
Solo Traveller – on request
02 pax EUR1590 per person
03-04 pax EUR1325 per person
05-10 pax EUR1050 per person
11-15 pax EUR950 per person
Accommodation shared
Single supplement: EUR100
50% payment required on booking
Remaining payments can be done in 2 instalments with the final payment, 2 weeks before departure.
Cancellation fees apply – for further details see:
https://hodophileexperience.com/index.php/about-our-trips/
Will be sent with full itinerary when confirmed
Will be sent with full itinerary when confirmed
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Summers in Niger are extremely hot.
The best time to visit Niger depends on what you want to see and do in this desert republic. According to various sources, the dry season that runs from October to April is generally more favourable for traveling, as there is little or no rainfall and the temperatures are more moderate.
However, within this period, some months may be better than others depending on your preferences. For example, if you want to enjoy pleasant weather with low humidity and cool nights, you may want to visit Niger in January, February or December. If you are interested in seeing ancient caravan cities at the edge of the Sahara, such as Agadez and Zinder, you may want to avoid March and April, as these are the hottest months with temperatures reaching over 40°C.
If you are keen on exploring the Aïr Mountains and the Ténéré Desert, where you can find Neolithic rock art, dinosaur fossils and medieval ruins, you may want to go in November or December, when the sandstorms are less frequent and the visibility is better.
The wet season that runs from May to September is generally less suitable for traveling, as it brings heavy rains that can cause flooding and make some roads impassable. However, some travellers may enjoy witnessing the greenery and wildlife that emerge after the rains in some parts of Niger. The wet season also coincides with some cultural festivals such as Gerewol (a courtship ritual among the Wodaabe people) and Cure Salée (a celebration of salt among nomadic herders), which take place in September.
Loose, long clothes in natural fabrics are recommended. A cover-up for the cooler months is advisable. Warm clothing for nights in the desert. Modest dress is advised, especially for women – upper legs and arms, shoulders and cleavage should be covered.
A headscarf can be useful as extra coverage, and is essential for visiting mosques, cemeteries or other sites that bear religious significance.
In Niger, they use the West African CFA Franc (XOF) and approximately:
1 USD = 610.30 CFA 1 EUR = 655,96 CFA
CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine) Franc (XOF; symbol CFA) = 100 centimes. Notes are in denominations of CFA10,000, 5,000, 2,500, 2,000 and 1,000. Coins are in denominations of CFA500, 250, 200, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1. Niger is part of the French Monetary Area.
Only currency issued by the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (Bank of West African States) is valid; currency issued by the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale (Bank of Central African States) is not. The CFA Franc is tied to the Euro.
Niger has a cash-based society with no ATMs. Diners Club and MasterCard are accepted on a very limited basis.
Travellers’ cheques are accepted by banks, as well as some hotels, restaurants, shops and airline offices. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller’s cheques in Euros.
Mon-Fri 0730-1100 and 1530-1730
Shopping hours Mon-Sat 0800-1800; some open Sun 0900-1700.
Currency restrictions
The import of local and foreign currency is unrestricted. Export of local currency is limited to XOF25,000. The export of foreign currency is unlimited.
Currency exchange – Currency can be exchanged at the airport as well as at main banks and hotels.
Tipping
A tip of 10-15% is normal.
Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory. Recommended vaccinations include diphtheria, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, typhoid, and meningitis.
Medical facilities – The two main hospitals are in Niamey and Zinder. Only the main centres have reasonable medical facilities, but even these are poor. Personal medicines should be brought in as these can be difficult or impossible to obtain in Niger. Full health insurance is essential and should include cover for emergency repatriation.
All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.
Safety
Niger is facing many challenges, such as political instability, poverty, droughts, floods and terrorism. According to various sources, Niger is not a very safe country to travel to. There are risks of violent and non-violent crimes on the streets, such as armed robbery, mugging, pickpocketing and purse-snatching. There are also areas that are advised against all travel or all but essential travel by the UK government, due to the threat of kidnapping and banditry by terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda. Transport and taxis are unreliable and unsafe in Niger, as many vehicles lack basic safety equipment and drivers can be reckless. Therefore, travellers who need to visit Niger should take increased security measures, keep in touch with their embassies, hire a local guide for movement and constantly monitor their surroundings.
× UNESCO World Heritage Site – Agadez
× Gerewol Festival
× Nomadic tribes from various countries
× Niamey
× Niger River
× Wodaabe people
