The capital
Almost every trip starts in Niamey, the capital on the Niger river. It is a relaxed, low-rise city of wide avenues, sand-blown side streets, busy markets and some of the finest river sunsets in West Africa. The National Museum, the Grand Marché and the riverside are the highlights, and for most visitors, especially those visiting family, Niamey is the trip.
The giraffes
About an hour's drive east of the capital, the bush around Kouré shelters the last wild herd of West African giraffes. The Kouré giraffe zone is the classic day trip from Niamey, and seeing these pale, long-legged animals browsing among farms and villages is unforgettable.
The caravan cities
Agadez, on the southern edge of the Sahara, is famous for its mud-brick Grand Mosque minaret and an old town listed by UNESCO. Zinder, once the capital of the Damagaram sultanate, has a Sultan's palace, the old Birni quarter and the decorated houses of Zengou. Both are hours from Niamey by road, and both sit in areas covered by strong travel warnings.
The desert
The Aïr and Ténéré are among the most spectacular landscapes in the Sahara: dark volcanic mountains, ancient rock art and an ocean of dunes. They are also among the least accessible, and nearly every government advises against travel there. We describe them so you know what Niger holds, not as a plan for now.
Areas to leave out
Government advice warns against all travel to most of Niger, including the borders with Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Libya, Algeria and Chad, the Tillabéri and Diffa regions and the W National Park area. Read your own government's advice first, and use our free trip planner if you want help thinking through a careful route.