Ouagadougou: a visitor's guide to Burkina Faso's capital

Why Ouagadougou is worth your time

Ouaga, as everyone calls it, is not a postcard city, and that is part of its charm. Life happens in the street: in maquis (open-air restaurants and bars) under neem trees, in tailor shops, on the terraces where people watch the evening traffic. The city has long been the cultural capital of francophone West Africa, hosting FESPACO, the Pan-African Film and Television Festival, every other year, and SIAO, the international arts and crafts fair, in the alternate years. The people are known for their courtesy and calm, and visitors often say that warmth is what they remember most.

The neighbourhoods

**Ouaga 2000**, in the south, is the newer district of ministries, embassies, large hotels and wide roads, and it is where many business visitors stay. **Koulouba** and the area around the **Avenue Kwame Nkrumah** form the old centre, with banks, hotels, restaurants and nightlife. **Zone du Bois** is a leafy residential area with guesthouses and restaurants popular with expatriates. **Gounghin** and **Dapoya** are lively older quarters, and **Tampouy** and **Pissy** in the west are working neighbourhoods with busy markets and maquis.

What to see and do

Start at the **Grand Marché Rood Woko**, the central market, rebuilt after a fire and full of cloth, spices and household goods. The **Musée National** on Boulevard Charles de Gaulle introduces the country's peoples, masks and crafts, and the **Musée de la Musique** shows the instruments behind Burkinabè music. The **Village Artisanal de Ouagadougou** gathers bronze casters, leatherworkers, weavers and woodcarvers under one roof, with fixed and fair prices. Nearby, the bronze foundries of the **Nioko** area show the lost wax method in action.

Film lovers should see the **Place des Cinéastes** monument and, if dates line up, the cinemas packed for FESPACO. The **Moro Naba ceremony**, a short ritual at the palace of the Mossi king held on Friday mornings, is a traditional sight that visitors have long been welcomed to watch quietly. The **Bangr Weoogo urban park** offers shade, walking paths and a small zoo, and the **Laongo sculpture park**, east of the city, displays granite sculptures by African and international artists, though you should check current advice before going outside the city.

Food and nights out

Ouaga's maquis are the heart of its social life. Try **riz gras** (rice cooked in tomato and meat sauce), **poulet bicyclette** (grilled free range chicken), **tô** with okra or baobab leaf sauce and grilled fish from the dams. The local Brakina and So.b.bra beers and the tart bissap juice are everywhere. Live music venues and maquis around Gounghin, Dapoya and the centre come alive on weekends, though many visitors now choose earlier nights and venues their hosts recommend.

Where to stay

Ouaga 2000 and the centre have the large international hotels, with strong security and generators. Zone du Bois and the quieter streets around the centre have smaller guesthouses and mid-range hotels. Choose a place with secure parking, a guard and a generator, and ask your hotel to arrange taxis rather than flagging cars on the street.

Staying safe in Ouagadougou

Ouagadougou has suffered serious attacks in the past, including on hotels and restaurants popular with foreigners in 2016 and 2018, and security forces keep a visible presence. Governments advise caution even in the capital: avoid demonstrations and large gatherings, vary your routines, keep away from government and military buildings, and do not take photographs of them. Petty theft, including bag snatching from mopeds, happens at night, so keep phones out of sight near the roadside. Register with your embassy and follow local news.

Getting in and around

Ouagadougou International Airport sits close to the city centre, a short drive from most hotels. Green shared taxis run fixed routes, but most visitors use hotel cars or drivers known to their hosts. Mopeds are the main transport for locals, but riding one in this traffic is not advised for newcomers. For a calm start, use our free trip planner and browse places to visit.