Oracle ToursBenin 🇧🇯

What you'll see

Benin is small. What's in it is not.

Four hours of driving covers most of it — the slave coast, a village on stilts, a kingdom's palaces and one of West Africa's last great wildlife parks.

Ouidah & the Door of No ReturnFull day

Ouidah & the Door of No Return

Ouidah · 42 km west of Cotonou

Walk the Route des Esclaves from the old auction square to the arch on the beach where the ships left.

Ganvié, the lake villageHalf day

Ganvié, the lake village

Lake Nokoué · 30 min from Cotonou

Africa's largest stilt village — twenty thousand people living entirely on the water, reached by pirogue.

The Royal Palaces of AbomeyFull day

The Royal Palaces of Abomey

Abomey · 2 hrs north

The seat of the Dahomey kingdom — twelve palaces, bas-reliefs, and the history of the Agojie women warriors.

Vodun heritageFull day

Vodun heritage

Ouidah, Possotomè & around

Benin is the birthplace of Vodun. Visit working shrines and, in January, the national festival itself.

Pendjari National Park3–4 days

Pendjari National Park

Atacora · far north

One of West Africa's last great wildlife parks — elephant, lion, buffalo and hippo in open savannah.

Cotonou & Dantokpa marketHalf day

Cotonou & Dantokpa market

Cotonou

The largest open-air market in West Africa, the artisan centre, and the city's street food.

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