Find places in Niger

Must-Haves

• Musée National Boubou Hama (Centre)
  Pavilions on Niger's peoples, dinosaur fossils, the Tree of Ténéré and working artisans in one riverside park.
• Grande Mosquée de Niamey (Centre Est)
  The city's great mosque, with a tall minaret, is a calm landmark best admired respectfully from outside.

Fun for Everyone

• Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Perpétuel Secours (Plateau)
  Niamey's Catholic cathedral is a quiet, airy space and a focus for the city's Christian community.
• Palais des Congrès (Plateau)
  A landmark of 1980s Niamey that hosts conferences, cultural events and national celebrations.

Off the Beaten Path

• Centre Culturel Oumarou Ganda (Centre)
  Named after the pioneering Nigerien filmmaker, it hosts concerts, film and theatre for local audiences.

Must-Haves

• Village Artisanal de Wadata (Wadata)
  Watch Tuareg silversmiths, leatherworkers and weavers at work, then buy straight from their stalls.
• Grand Marché de Niamey (Centre)
  The city's commercial heart, a maze of cloth, spices, hardware and food rebuilt after a fire in 2009.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Petit Marché (Centre)
  Smaller and easier to browse than the Grand Marché, with fruit, vegetables, fabric and snacks.
• Marché Katako (Katako)
  A sprawling everyday market for wood, building goods, second-hand items and real Niamey bustle.

Off the Beaten Path

• Marché de Wadata (Wadata)
  A busy local market near the artisan village, good for produce, spices and grilled snacks.

Must-Haves

• Pont Kennedy (Riverside)
  Walk or drive the first bridge across the Niger for wide views of the river and its pirogues.

Fun for Everyone

• Arène de Lutte Traditionnelle (Centre)
  Traditional wrestling is Niger's national sport, and bouts here draw loud, joyful crowds.
• Stade Général Seyni Kountché (Plateau)
  The national stadium hosts football matches and big national events with a lively atmosphere.

Off the Beaten Path

• Pont Seyni Kountché (Gamkallé)
  The newer bridge downstream gives a different angle on the river and the southern banks.
• Pont de l'Amitié Chine Niger (Saga)
  The third Niamey bridge opens up views of rice fields and riverside farms on the edge of town.

Great for Date Night

• Niger river corniche at Gamkallé (Gamkallé)
  The riverside here is the place for long golden sunsets over the water and the far bank.

Fun for Everyone

• Parc zoologique du Musée National (Centre)
  The small zoo inside the museum grounds is a favourite with Nigerien families and school groups.

Off the Beaten Path

• Rice fields of Saga (Saga)
  Green irrigated rice fields along the river, a peaceful contrast to the dusty city.

Must-Haves

• Restaurant of the Grand Hôtel du Niger (Plateau)
  A terrace above the river that has been a Niamey meeting place for generations.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Grilled brochettes at the Petit Marché (Centre)
  Smoky skewers of beef and mutton with spice, onions and bread, Niamey's favourite street food.
• Kilishi sellers at the Grand Marché (Centre)
  Pick up kilishi, thin dried meat with peanut and chilli spice, a Hausa speciality for the road.
• Fura and nono sellers (Neighbourhood streets)
  Taste fura, millet balls stirred into fresh soured milk, a cooling everyday staple.

Fun for Everyone

• Fish grills by the Kennedy Bridge (Riverside)
  Fresh river fish grilled with spice and served with fries or attiéké by the water.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Tea at the Wadata artisans (Wadata)
  Share three rounds of strong, sweet Tuareg tea with the craftspeople as they work.

Great for Date Night

• Terrace bar at the Grand Hôtel du Niger (Plateau)
  A drink on the terrace above the Niger at sunset is one of the capital's classic evenings.
• Pool bar at the Radisson Blu Niamey (Plateau)
  A calm, secure spot for a cool drink by the pool after a hot day.

Fun for Everyone

• Live music at Centre Culturel Oumarou Ganda (Centre)
  Concerts here showcase Nigerien musicians, from griots to modern bands.

Fun for Everyone

• Salon de l'Artisanat pour la Femme (Niamey)
  SAFEM gathers women artisans from across Africa to show and sell their crafts.
• Independence Day celebrations (Niamey)
  On 3 August the city marks independence with parades, music and family gatherings.
• Republic Day (Niamey)
  Each 18 December Niger celebrates the founding of the republic with events across the country.

Must-Haves

• Sabre National de lutte traditionnelle (Niamey)
  The national wrestling championship is the biggest event in Nigerien sport, when held in the capital.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Tabaski in Niamey (Niamey)
  The great feast fills the city with new clothes, family visits and shared grilled mutton.

Must-Haves

• Radisson Blu Hotel Niamey (Plateau)
  A modern international hotel with strong security, pool and business services.
• Noom Hotel Niamey (Plateau)
  A large contemporary hotel near the conference centre, popular for business stays.

Great for Date Night

• Grand Hôtel du Niger (Plateau)
  A historic hotel on the bluff above the river with gardens and fine sunset views.

Fun for Everyone

• Bravia Hotel Niamey (Centre)
  A business hotel with modern rooms, convenient for the centre.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Hôtel Terminus (Centre)
  A long-standing mid-range hotel with garden bungalows and a pool.

Must-Haves

• Grande Mosquée d'Agadez (Old town)
  The mud-brick minaret, bristling with palm beams, is the tallest structure of its kind in the world.
• Palais du Sultan d'Agadez (Old town)
  The sultan's palace beside the Grand Mosque remains the seat of a centuries-old sultanate.
• Historic Centre of Agadez (Old town)
  A UNESCO-listed maze of earthen houses and lanes laid out in the caravan era.

Must-Haves

• Grand Marché d'Agadez (Centre)
  A busy market for spices, dates, cloth and goods from across the Sahara.
• Silversmith workshops of the Inaden (Old town)
  Watch Tuareg silversmiths make the famous Agadez cross and buy direct from the makers.

Off the Beaten Path

• Marché aux chameaux (Edge of town)
  Camel and livestock traders gather here in the mornings in a scene from the caravan age.

Fun for Everyone

• Leatherworkers of Agadez (Old town)
  Hand-stitched bags, cushions and sandals made in family workshops around the old town.

Must-Haves

• Bianou festival (Old town)
  Drums, dances and processions mark the Islamic new year in a celebration unique to Agadez.

Fun for Everyone

• Hôtel de l'Aïr (Old town)
  A former sultan's residence opposite the Grand Mosque, with a roof terrace facing the minaret.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Taguella bread makers (Old town)
  Try taguella, Tuareg flatbread baked under the sand and served with sauce.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Tuareg tea in the old town (Old town)
  Three glasses of tea, bitter, then sweeter, then sweet, are the ritual of welcome here.

Off the Beaten Path

• Dabous giraffe engravings (Aïr)
  Two life-size giraffes carved in rock thousands of years ago; out of reach under current advice.
• Timia waterfall and gardens (Timia)
  An oasis village of orchards and a seasonal waterfall in the Aïr, for calmer times.

Must-Haves

• Ténéré desert (Ténéré)
  An ocean of dunes and salt caravan routes; governments advise against all travel there now.

Must-Haves

• Palais du Sultan de Zinder (Birni)
  The earthen palace of the Damagaram sultans, still home to the sultan and his court.
• Quartier Birni (Birni)
  The old walled town of sculpted banco houses and narrow lanes around the palace.

Off the Beaten Path

• Quartier Zengou (Zengou)
  The old traders' quarter, with some of the finest decorated house facades in the Sahel.
• Fort Cazemajou (Centre)
  The old French fort on a granite outcrop recalls the colonial conquest of 1899.

Fun for Everyone

• Grande Mosquée de Zinder (Birni)
  A fine Sahel mosque beside the palace, best admired respectfully from outside.

Must-Haves

• Grand Marché de Zinder (Centre)
  One of Niger's biggest markets, busiest on Thursday, known for leather and indigo cloth.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Zinder tanners and leatherworkers (Centre)
  The city's leather goods are prized across Niger; buy bags and sandals from the makers.

Off the Beaten Path

• Granite outcrops of Zinder (Zengou)
  Climb the rocks near Zengou at dusk for views over the earthen rooftops.
• Miria gardens (Miria)
  A village south of Zinder known for its market gardens and green oasis feel.

Must-Haves

• Hôtel Amadou Kourandaga (Centre)
  A long-established hotel and a common base for visitors to Zinder.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Tuwo and sauce at the market (Centre)
  Try tuwo, a firm millet or maize paste, with okra or baobab leaf sauce.

Fun for Everyone

• Friday at the Sultan's palace (Birni)
  On Fridays the sultan and his court may appear in colourful robes after prayers.

Must-Haves

• Kouré giraffe zone (Kouré)
  Walk among the last wild herd of West African giraffes as they browse between villages and fields.

Off the Beaten Path

• Tiger bush plateaus (Kouré)
  Striped bands of shrubs and bare ground, called brousse tigrée, make a strange and lovely landscape.

Fun for Everyone

• Birdlife of the Kouré bush (Kouré)
  Hornbills, rollers and bustards share the bush with the giraffes.

Must-Haves

• Giraffe tracking with Kouré guides (Kouré)
  Local guides track the herd each morning and lead visitors on foot for the final approach.

Fun for Everyone

• Picnic under the acacias (Kouré)
  Bring a cool box and enjoy breakfast in the bush before the midday heat.

Off the Beaten Path

• Association pour la Sauvegarde des Girafes du Niger (Kouré)
  The local conservation group behind much of the giraffe protection work; ask about its projects.

Must-Haves

• Grand Marché de Maradi (Centre)
  Niger's trading capital has a huge market linked to northern Nigeria, full of cloth and goods.

Off the Beaten Path

• Maradi cloth and wax print traders (Centre)
  Some of the widest choices of wax print and bazin cloth in Niger.

Must-Haves

• Palais du Sultan de Maradi (Centre)
  The palace of the Katsina sultanate of Maradi, a centre of Hausa tradition.

Fun for Everyone

• Grande Mosquée de Maradi (Centre)
  A large central mosque, best admired from outside with respect for prayer times.

Must-Haves

• Hôtel Jangorzo (Centre)
  A long-running hotel and a usual base for business visitors to Maradi.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Maradi street grills (Centre)
  Evening stalls serve suya-style beef, roast chicken and fried yam.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Kosai and tea at the market (Centre)
  Fried bean cakes with sweet tea, the classic Hausa breakfast.

Off the Beaten Path

• Goulbi N'Maradi valley (Maradi)
  The seasonal river valley is green with farms and gardens after the rains.