The coast
Almost every trip begins in Lomé, the capital, which sits right on the Atlantic and on the border with Ghana. It is relaxed for a capital, with a palm-lined seafront, the Grand Marché, the famous Akodessewa fetish market, the Independence Monument and plenty of good food and music.
East along the coast road, Aného and Lake Togo bring history and calm water. Aného was the first colonial capital, with faded German and Afro-Brazilian buildings, and Lake Togo is where you take a pirogue to Togoville, the village where the German protectorate treaty was signed in 1884, and a centre of Vodun.
The hills
A short drive north west of Lomé, Kpalimé is the favourite escape for walkers and nature lovers. The town sits beneath Mount Agou, Togo's highest peak, and is surrounded by forest, cocoa and coffee farms, waterfalls and butterfly-rich trails. It is also a great place to buy crafts.
Further north on the main road, Atakpamé is a hilly market town built over several ridges, a useful stopover with waterfalls and forest nearby and a cooler, quieter feel than the coast.
The north
Kara and Koutammakou are for travellers who want to go further. Kara is a planned, orderly city in the Kabiyè heartland, and from there you can visit the Koutammakou valley, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of Batammariba tower houses called takienta. Check current government travel advice before travelling this far, as areas further north near Burkina Faso are advised against.
How to combine them
A one-week trip works well as Lomé, Lake Togo and Aného, then Kpalimé. With ten days to two weeks you can add Atakpamé and continue north to Kara and Koutammakou, or return to Lomé the way you came. Our places to visit list has ideas for every stop, and the free trip planner helps you shape the route.