The city that runs West Africa
Almost every trip begins in Abidjan, the economic capital and home to the main international airport. It is a city of lagoons, bridges and glass towers, with the business district of the Plateau, the leafy residential streets and galleries of Cocody, the restaurants of Zone 4 in Marcory and the famous nightlife of Yopougon. Give it at least three days: it is the beating heart of Ivorian music, food and fashion.
History and the first capital
Forty minutes east of the airport sits Grand-Bassam, the colonial capital in the 1890s and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its Quartier France is a faded, photogenic grid of arcaded merchant houses between lagoon and ocean, with the Musée National du Costume, a pottery centre and long beaches lined with maquis. It is an easy day trip or a relaxed overnight stay.
Lagoon and ocean beaches
Further east, Assinie is where Abidjan goes to relax. A long sandbar separates a calm lagoon from the Atlantic, so you can swim in sheltered water on one side and watch big surf on the other. Expect lodges, beach bars and boat trips to sandbanks, busiest at weekends and over the Christmas and Easter holidays.
The political capital
Inland, Yamoussoukro is the official capital and the birthplace of the country’s first president, Félix Houphouët-Boigny. It is known for wide, quiet boulevards, the sacred crocodiles of the presidential lake and the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, one of the largest churches on earth. Most people visit for a day or a single night on the way west or north.
Mountains, waterfalls and masks
In the far west, Man sits among forested hills known as the region of eighteen mountains. Hike up the Dent de Man, cool off at the Cascade, cross a vine bridge and, if you are lucky, see the Dan mask dancers on stilts. It is a long road from Abidjan, so plan at least three nights.
Putting it together
A one-week first trip usually means Abidjan, a day in Grand-Bassam and two nights in Assinie. With ten days or more, add Yamoussoukro and the west, or the wild beaches around San-Pédro and Grand-Béréby. Government travel advice warns against the far north near the Mali and Burkina Faso borders, so keep your route in the south and centre. Browse our places to visit list for ideas and use the free trip planner to shape your days.