Things to do in Dakar

13 activities, venues and outings in Dakar, from theatres and live music to parks and tours.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Do
Grand National Theater of Dakar
Grand Théâtre National de Dakar
One of the largest theaters in West Africa, hosting major concerts.
Do
Ile de Ngor
Small popular isle off northwest tip of Dakar with clean (hopefully) beach and bars/eateries. A 5-minute boat ride to get there costs about 500 CFA leaves from the Embarcadere Ile de Ngor on mainland.
Do
Lake Retba
Lac Rose
Also called the "Pink Lake", the high concentration of cyanobacteria indeed gives the lake a pink tone. During the dry season and when the sun is brightest the color is said to be especially vivid. The lake has a high concentration of salt, so while you admire the beauty of the lake, you can also observe the salt harvesters who still gather salt in the traditional way.
Do
Leopold Sedar Senghor French Institute
French cultural institute offering theater, library, French lessons, dance, exhibitions, buffet.
Daily 09:00-20:00
Do
Madeline Islands National Park
Le Parc National des Iles de la Madeleine
Island off Dakar tip with pristine ecosystem (particularly birds, bird nests) Stone Age tool discoveries, and place of ancient worship that is considered the smallest national park in the world. The boat trip can be a little intimidating, being in the open ocean on a canoe, but feels a world away from the hustle of Dakar, which you can take pictures of from the island.
~5000 CFA for boat trip
Do
Magic Land, Dakar
A Senegalese amusement park, kind of run-down, like it is Pennywise's home. But if you get bored there is also the Casino Terrou-Bi and a small beach next door.
Sun-Fri 10:00-22:00, Sat 10:00-24:00
Do
Plage BCEAO
Plage de Yoff
Pretty beach and water, but watch out...sometimes beach is closed to swimming due to rubbish, release of sewage/open defecation, instances of drowning. You can see Yoff Island (Ile de Yoff) off in the distance.
Do
Plage de l'Anse Bernard
Quiet, peaceful beach with smaller wave break so okay for swimming.
Do
Plage de la Pointe des Almadies
Relatively clean, somewhat rocky beach. Food/drink venues. Westernmost point of mainland Africa just to south. There are several hotels under construction as of December 2024 that may eventually close off public access to the beach when completed. In the interim, security guards monitoring the construction sites may try to get you to pay a 'fee' to access it, but that is not legitimate. Playing a little dumb is usually sufficient to make them give up.
Do
Plage de la Voile d' or
Another nice beach and good for swimming. May be able to see Goree Island in the distance.
Do
Plage des mamelles
One of Dakar's most popular, well-liked beaches. Sandy. Sunsets, whew, pretty phenomenal. Watch out for big waves though. Just below Phare des Mamelles. Max's restaurant adjacent.
Do
Plage du Virage
Somewhat rocky beach but cleaner than some; bar nearby. More for surfing than for swimming.
Do Not mapped
Birdwatching
Senegal is a great country for birdwatching, and Dakar is no exception. Les Almadies is a good place to see seabirds, and the Iles de la Madeleine is the only African nesting site of the red-billed tropicbird.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Dakar (CC BY-SA 4.0).