The coastal cities
Most trips begin in Cotonou, the economic capital and home to the international airport. It is busy and friendly, with Dantokpa market, the Fondation Zinsou art space, lively nights in Jonquet and the giant Amazon statue by the sea. Thirty or so kilometres east sits Porto-Novo, the official capital, a calmer, greener city of Afro-Brazilian architecture, royal history and excellent small museums.
Heritage and Vodun
Ouidah, west of Cotonou along the coast, is the emotional heart of many trips. The Route des Esclaves leads to the Door of No Return on the beach, and the town is the spiritual centre of Vodun, with the Temple of the Pythons, the Sacred Forest of Kpassè and the Vodun Days festival every January. For many diaspora visitors, Ouidah is the reason for the journey.
Life on the water
Ganvié is a whole town built on stilts in Lake Nokoué, just north of Cotonou. You reach it by pirogue from Abomey-Calavi, gliding past fish traps, floating markets and houses on poles. It is an easy half-day trip and one of the most memorable sights in West Africa.
The royal heartland
Abomey, around two to three hours inland, was the capital of the Dahomey kingdom. Its UNESCO-listed royal palaces, with their famous bas-relief walls, tell the story of twelve kings and the women soldiers who fought for them. Pair it with Bohicon's market and the granite hills of Dassa-Zoumè.
How to combine them
A classic one-week route is two nights in Cotonou with a morning in Ganvié, a day trip to Porto-Novo, two nights in Ouidah or Grand-Popo on the coast, and one or two nights in Abomey. Distances are short, roads in the south are mostly good, and you can travel by shared taxi, bus or a driver booked through your hotel. Use the free trip planner to shape a route around your dates.
A word on the north
Northern Benin holds Pendjari National Park, the Tata Somba houses of the Atacora and wild savannah. Government travel advice currently warns against travel to much of the north because of armed groups, so this guide focuses on the south and centre. Check your government's latest advice before planning anything further north.