Africa’s New Creative Wave A few days in Dakar and Gorée

Why Dakar? Because the Senegalese capital now stands as one of the major hubs of contemporary African creativity. Across every field - cinema, dance, gastronomy, fashion and more - the city is on the move, inventing, surprising. The prestigious Bocuse d’Or Africa competition was held here for the first time, shortly before Dakar Fashion Week celebrated its 20th edition in grand style, crowned by Chanel’s Métiers d’Art show. Dakar has firmly established itself as an essential meeting point for today’s creative worlds. Three days are enough to take the measure of the bold, vibrant energy that flows through the city, championed by artists and creators from all walks of life. Just offshore, Gorée Island offers a chance to pause and breathe. One of the first sites ever listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it transforms a painful past into a peaceful, responsible future, set against a backdrop of blazing bougainvillea.

Your trip

At first glance, Senegal may seem a long way to go for just a few days... But it actually isn't, because the time difference works in your favour (only one or two hours, depending on the season) and you return on an overnight flight. It's an opportunity to take a different approach, to push the city break a bit further, and to enjoy a total change of scene as well as a vivid introduction to today's Africa, alive with cultural and creative energy. To make the most of your time and travel in optimal comfort, we provide seamless logistics and customised services. This begins with the Voyageurs support on the ground: meet-and-greet on arrival at the airport with priority clearance through customs, private transfers in air-conditioned vehicles with drivers, and private local guides who know their city and country inside out. To ease you into the journey, you have access to the airport lounge on departure, and to the lounge in Dakar until your late-evening return flight. Your accommodations have been chosen for their discreet charm and modest size - for guaranteed peace and quiet, and restorative nights. Should an unexpected event or last-minute idea arise, you have the contact details of our concierge on site, available at any time to advise and assist. And of course, extending the escape by one or more days is always an option.

On your itinerary

To help you make the most of your time, and to see the essentials while enjoying experiences that are usually off-limits, we have already planned some special activities. The first immerses you in today’s Dakar, with a relaxed walk behind the scenes of the city in the company of a local. It's a chance to forge a special connection, offering insight into everyday life and a deeper understanding of why Dakar is now so resolutely open to the world. After some well-earned downtime, the evening brings a jazz night - an unexpected interlude in Dakar’s only jazz club, set in the vaulted cellar of your hotel in the charming district of Fann Hock. Enthusiasts, newcomers and curious guests gather here to soak up the rhythms of Senegalese musicians and internationally renowned artists. From Dakar, you then head to Gorée Island, where a private visit is also planned. At the Maison des Esclaves, a powerful site in memory of the slave trade, a doorway opening onto the ocean at the end of a corridor of cells brings home the tragic fate of the millions of men and women deported across the Atlantic. Yet Gorée is also a chance to escape the bustle of Dakar, enjoying the serenity of a timeless village, with ochre houses and blue shutters, palm-filled gardens and cascades of bougainvillea in bloom.