Yes, Benin is one of the easier West African countries to backpack on your own, because the southern highlights sit close together and shared transport runs all day.
In the south,
Cotonou to
Ouidah takes about an hour by shared taxi for 1,000 to 1,500 XOF (US$2 to 3), and zemidjan rides in town cost 200 to 500 XOF. Simple guesthouses run 10,000 to 20,000 XOF (US$17 to 33) a night. French is the working language, and basic phrases help a lot outside tourist sites. The north takes more planning:
Natitingou is 8 to 10 hours from Cotonou by bus, and
Pendjari requires a hired 4x4 with guide at roughly 60,000 to 90,000 XOF (US$100 to 150) a day.
Ten days is the right length for a first trip to Benin, covering the coast, the royal city of Abomey and a safari in the north.
With 5 days, stay south:
Cotonou,
Ganvie,
Porto-Novo and
Ouidah, all within 90 minutes of each other. With 10 days, add
Abomey (2.5 to 3 hours from Cotonou) and two nights in
Pendjari National Park, keeping in mind that Natitingou is 7 to 9 hours from Abomey by bus and the ride back south takes 11 to 13 hours. With 15 days, you can also trek among the tata somba houses of
Koutammakou, swim at
Tanougou Falls and spend proper beach time in
Grand Popo.
Yes, you can cover almost all of Benin without a car; the one exception is Pendjari National Park, where you need a hired vehicle with a guide.
Shared taxis and minibuses link the southern towns:
Cotonou to
Ouidah is about an hour for 1,000 to 1,500 XOF (US$2 to 3), and Cotonou to
Abomey is 2.5 to 3 hours. Long-distance buses run north from Cotonou to
Parakou and
Natitingou in 8 to 10 hours for roughly 8,000 to 10,000 XOF (US$13 to 17). Zemidjan motorbike taxis handle short hops for 200 to 500 XOF. For
Pendjari, a 4x4 with driver costs about 60,000 to 90,000 XOF (US$100 to 150) a day, so split it with others.
The places in Benin you shouldn’t miss are Ganvie, Ouidah, Abomey and Pendjari National Park, with Porto-Novo close behind.
Ganvie Stilt Village on Lake Nokoué is a 30-minute ride and a short boat trip from Cotonou, best seen during the morning floating market.
Ouidah, an hour west, combines the
Temple of Pythons with the Route des Esclaves to the Door of No Return.
Abomey, 2.5 to 3 hours inland, holds the
Royal Palaces of the Dahomey kings. Up north,
Pendjari National Park has elephants, lions and hippos, best from December to May. If you have 15 days, add the earthen tata somba houses of
Koutammakou near Natitingou.
If you are short on time in Benin, skip the far north beyond Pendjari and the cities that work better as transit stops than as destinations.
W National Park,
Kandi and
Malanville add two or more days of road travel, and W has been effectively closed to tourism in recent years.
Parakou and
Bohicon are useful for bus connections but have little to hold you beyond a night. In
Cotonou, one night is enough; the city’s best day trip,
Ganvie, takes just a morning. With only 5 days, drop the north entirely, since
Natitingou is 8 to 10 hours away, and focus on Ouidah, Porto-Novo and Ganvie.
Yes, our itinerary-planner does exactly that. Set your trip length in days, give your interests and travel style, optionally give start- and end location and/or some mandatory stops you would like to include and the itinerary planner creates your personalized routes for Benin in seconds. Try it out!
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