The checklist as a PDF
Entry, health, money, transport and safety, laid out for print, with their sources and verification date.
The Viafro verdict
For whom, and for which trip.
An editorial bearing, with no percentage and no rating: our criteria are written down, and every “good to know” links to its source.
- For which trip
- Banjul · Abuko · Serrekunda · Parcs Naturels
- Best season
- December to June, from Banjul’s normals
- Length
- Allow at least 8 days for these 4 essentials, one stop every two or three days. (Viafro’s rule of thumb)
Best time to visit
Twelve months, in colour.
Hover or tap a month: its reading and its source appear. Bars measure rain, the figure is the capital’s mean maximum.
Possible
November
Banjul: mean maximum 34 °C, 1 mm of rain · hot.
- Mean maximum
- 34 °C
- Rain
- 1 mm
- Station
- Banjul
Source: Wikipedia (climate normals)
Before you go
The essentials, tab by tab.
Entry, health, safety, money and facts: dated official extracts, never paraphrased.
Visa, passport, customs
GOV.UK advice, written for British passport holders. French travellers: see France Diplomatie (https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/information-par-pays/gambie/conseils-aux-voyageurs-entree-sejour).
- To enter The Gambia, your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay. Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
- You do not need a visa to visit The Gambia. You’ll get a stamp in your passport that allows you to stay for 28 days when you arrive. You can get 2 extensions of 28 days from the Immigration Office in Banjul or the tourist police stations in the Tourism Development Area.
- To enter The Gambia, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk. You may need a yellow fever certificate for onward travel to some other countries, due to the risk of yellow fever in The Gambia.
Vaccines, malaria, water
This is not medical advice: talk to your doctor or an international vaccination centre before you travel.
- At least 8 weeks before your trip: UNAIDS estimated that around 24,000 adults aged 15 or over in Gambia are living with HIV. The prevalence percentage was estimated at around 1.4% of the adult population compared to the prevalence percentage in adults in the UK of around 0.2%.
- Medical facilities in The Gambia are very limited and the cost of medical evacuation can be very high. Private clinics will only treat fee-paying patients.
Per the ministries
Viafro gives no safety rating: here are the zones and advice published by the French ministry (in French) and the official extracts, with their dates.
No particular vigilance zone is listed on the official page (in French) (updated on 15 Sept 2026) · see the page.
- Be cautious of young men locally known as ‘bumsters’ who approach tourists, particularly on beaches, offering help or to act as local guides. They may offer to take you on tours into Senegal. It is unlikely they will follow the correct immigration procedures.
- There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
What the country’s law provides
Photography, alcohol, drugs, relationships: the rules published by the ministries, quoted as they stand, without comment.
- The Gambia is an Islamic country. Respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions. Make sure your actions do not cause offence, especially during the holy month of Ramadan or if you intend to visit religious areas.
Currency
dalasi / dalasiViafro publishes no price or budget range without a source: amounts will come from our own expenses recorded on the ground, dated and itemised.
- There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of The Gambia. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
Express card
Structured data from Wikidata and the CIA World Factbook, re-checked at every site update.
- Population · 2025
- 2,822,093
- Time zone
- −1 h from Paris
- Plugs and voltage
- Type G plugs · 230 V
- Driving side
- Driving on the right
- Calling code
- +220
- Languages
- English
- Area
- 11,300 km²
- Main religions
- Muslim 96.4%, Christian 3.5%, other or none 0.1%
Getting there and around
Airports, roads and transport.
- BJLBanjul International AirportBanjul official site
Direct flights from Paris are to be checked on the airport’s or airline’s website.
On the road
- If you are planning to drive in The Gambia, see information on driving abroad. You can use a UK photocard driving licence to drive in The Gambia for up to 3 months. If you still have a paper driving licence, you may need to update it to a photocard licence.
Destinations
The essentials.
Banjul
Banjul (UK:, US: ), officially the City of Banjul, is the capital city of the Gambia.
Abuko
Abuko is a town in the West Coast Division of the Gambia, five miles southwest of the capital Banjul.
Serrekunda
Serekunda (or Serrekunda; Wolof pronunciation: [sɛːɾɛkuⁿd̺ɐ]) is a major city and the largest metropolitan area in The Gambia.
Parcs Naturels
Ikiwaner
Must-try food
Six dishes, and where to taste them.
Domoda
Domoda is a Senegalese dish. Like many dishes from Senegal, this one is also influenced by French cuisine. The name ragout comes from the French, a smooth, tomato-based sauce prepared with vinegar and vegetables, to which flour (farine) is added to thicken the
Thiere
Thiere or thiéré is a millet-based couscous and an important staple food in Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania.
Thieboudienne
Ceebu or tiep is a traditional dish from Senegal that is also consumed in Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, The Gambia, and other West and Central African countries. It is the national dish in Senegal. The version of tiep called ceebu jën or chebu jen –
Oyster stew
Oyster stew is a stew made with oysters. It is popular in the United States and in The Gambia.
Tapalapa
Tapalapa is a traditional West African bread originating in Senegal based on the French baguette, though it is slightly smaller, and baked in a large, traditional wood-burning oven made of mud brick. Tapalapa is hard to find in large cities in Senegal, as thes
Yassa
Yassa is a spicy dish prepared with onions, lemon or mustard and marinated poultry, fish, or lamb. Originally from Senegal, it has become popular throughout West Africa. Other names for chicken yassa include yassa au poulet and yassa ganaar. The term "yassa" r
Culture and etiquette
Customs, dress, useful words.
- Hellohello
- Thank youthank you
- Pleaseplease
- Entries checked on Wiktionary.
- Religions: Muslim 96.4%, Christian 3.5%, other or none 0.1%.
- Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars.
Festivals and events
The big dates.
- National holiday
Independence Day, 18 February (1965) ; independence: 18 February 1965 (from the UK).
Fixed dates and moveable events, each with its source; moveable dates change every year and are to be checked on an official calendar.
Did you know?
Three things to remember.
2,822,093 inhabitants in 2025 on 11,300 km², about 250 per km².
Independence on 18 February 1965 (from the UK).
In the 10th century, Muslim merchants established some of The Gambia’s earliest large settlements as trans-Saharan trade hubs.
Gallery
See it before you go.
Real photographs: free images under a verified licence and Viafro images. Never a generated image. Credits in the footer.
Share your trip with #viafro: the best images will join this gallery, with your credit.
Live, work, invest
A few key figures.
Sourced data (World Bank). No investment advice.
GDP per capita (current US$)919World Bank · 2025GDP growth5.9 %World Bank · 2025Inflation (consumer prices)11.6 %World Bank · 2024Unemployment (ILO estimate)6.5 %World Bank · 2025International tourist arrivals246World Bank · 2020
World Bank data (World Development Indicators), consulted on 28 Oct 2026. Tourist arrivals are the latest year published.
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Sources and verification dates · 19 sources, checked on 28 Oct 2026
Travel advice · GOV.UK (FCDO)Entry, visa, safety: the official page, kept up to date by the ministry. Travel health · US CDCVaccines and precautions from a reference medical source. World Heritage · UNESCOThe country’s inscribed sites and tentative list. WikidataCapital and currency, verified structured data.
- Wikidata · Gambia (Q1005)
- World Bank · World Development Indicators
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Gambia · Foreign travel advice · Entry requirements (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Gambia · Foreign travel advice · Health (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Gambia · Foreign travel advice · Safety and security (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- Wiktionary · Checked entries (English)
- Wikipedia · Domoda
- Wikipedia · Thiere
- Wikipedia · Thieboudienne
- Wikipedia · Oyster stew
- Wikipedia · Tapalapa (bread)
- Wikipedia · Yassa (plat)
- Wikipedia · Banjul
- Wikipedia · Abuko
- Wikipedia · Serrekunda
- CIA World Factbook · Gambia (public domain) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- France Diplomatie · Gambie · Travel advice · Security (zones, in French) (page updated on 15 Sept 2026)
- Wikidata · Airports of the country (IATA code, traffic) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia (climate normals) · Banjul · monthly normals (World Meteorological Organization{{cite web) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
Information checked on 28 Oct 2026. Check the official source before you travel. Viafro gives no safety rating and publishes no price without a source.
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