Two seasons, but not the same depending on where you go
Senegal has a dry season and a rainy season (hivernage). What's rarely said is that the rainy season lasts about twice as long in the south as in the north: it starts a month and a half to two months earlier in Casamance than in Saint-Louis, and ends a month to a month and a half later.
| Region | Rainy season | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Saint-Louis and the north | late July to late September | about 2 months |
| Dakar and Cap-Vert | late June to late October | about 3.5 months |
| Petite Côte and Sine Saloum | June to October | about 4.5 months |
| Kédougou and eastern Senegal | late May to early October | about 5 months |
| Casamance | mid-May to early November | about 5.5 months |
In practice: in June, it's already raining in Casamance and Kédougou while almost nothing falls in Saint-Louis. In October, it's the other way around — Casamance still gets rain when the north has been dry for weeks.
A note on method, because it's the honest thing to do: these boundaries vary from one source to another depending on the rainfall threshold used. We give months, not exact dates, and we suggest you do the same in your planning.
It rains five times more in the south than in the north
| Region | Annual rainfall |
|---|---|
| Saint-Louis | 150 to 270 mm |
| Dakar | 260 to 400 mm |
| Petite Côte (Saly, Mbour) | 360 to 540 mm |
| Sine Saloum | 590 to 800 mm |
| Kédougou | 1,050 to 1,240 mm |
| Casamance (Ziguinchor) | 1,200 to 1,400 mm |
We publish ranges rather than single figures, and it needs to be said clearly: climate sources differ widely on rainfall totals, sometimes by a factor of two for the same town, because they don't use the same weather stations or the same reference periods. The gradient, however, is solid, and that's what matters: from north to south, it rains about five times more.
One fact worth remembering: August is the wettest month everywhere, without exception from north to south. In Saint-Louis it stays modest; in Ziguinchor, more rain can fall in a single month than in a whole year in Saint-Louis.
Temperatures, and two surprises
Dakar is by far the most temperate city in the country. The difference between the coolest and the hottest month is only six degrees in average highs — from 25 °C in April to 31 °C in October. The Cap-Vert peninsula and the westerly winds spare it any extremes: it never reaches 40 °C.
First surprise: in both Dakar and Saint-Louis, the hottest month is October, not July or August. The temperature peak comes after the rainy season, not during it.
Second surprise: in Ziguinchor, the heat peaks in March–April, before the rains, with average highs around 38 °C. And the difference between day and night reaches nineteen degrees there in the dry season: you're cold in the morning and very hot in the afternoon, on the same day.
As for Kédougou, it's the hottest place in the country: average highs of around 40 to 41 °C in April, with reported peaks well above that. If your trip involves walking, that's not the month.
The sea: the real issue, and nobody talks about it
This is the part of the page that will make you change your dates.
| Month | Dakar | Saly | Cap Skirring |
|---|---|---|---|
| February – March | 19 to 21 °C | 19 °C | 22 °C |
| May | 22 to 23 °C | 22 °C | 24 °C |
| July | 27 °C | 27.5 °C | 28 °C |
| September – October | 28.5 °C | 29 °C | 29 °C |
| December | 24 to 25 °C | 23 °C | 25 °C |
Three takeaways, all checked against at least three independent sources.
The February–March dip is real. Nineteen degrees is not tropical swimming: it's the sea off Brittany in August. Many travelers find this out on arrival, in the middle of the "best season".
The peak is in September–October, not in summer. The sea is at its warmest during and just after the rainy season.
And above all: in February–March, Cap Skirring is two to three degrees warmer than Dakar and Saly. It's rarely mentioned and it's decisive — if you're coming in the depths of the European winter to swim, Casamance is the right choice, not the Petite Côte.
The explanation has a name: upwelling. From December to May, peaking in February–March, the trade winds push surface water offshore and draw cold, deep water up along the entire Senegalese coast. This same phenomenon is behind the country's exceptionally rich fishing grounds — in other words, the quality of the fish on your plate. The Casamance coast, further south, partly escapes it.
The harmattan, what the statistics don't show
From November–December to February–March, peaking in midwinter, a hot, dry wind from the Sahara blows across the country: the harmattan.
It doesn't show up in rainfall or temperature charts, and yet it changes the experience. It carries Saharan dust that veils the sky in a dry haze: the light turns whitish, visibility drops. If you're coming to take photos, this really matters — the big blue sky of the brochures isn't guaranteed in January. The air also becomes very dry, and the nights are the coolest of the year.
It mostly affects the interior and the northeast; the coastal strip, swept by the maritime trade wind, is better protected.
The calendar that really matters
Two religious gatherings mobilize the whole country and put pressure on roads, transportation and accommodation along their routes. They follow the lunar calendar and move back by about eleven days each year.
| Event | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Korité (Eid al-Fitr) | March 20 | March 10 |
| Tabaski (Eid al-Adha) | May 27 and 28 | May 16 |
| Grand Magal of Touba | August 2 | July 22 |
| Gamou of Tivaouane | August 25 | mid-August |
Two practical notes. First, Senegal regularly celebrates over two days: Tabaski 2026 was celebrated on Wednesday, May 27 by some of the faithful and on Thursday, May 28 by the majority. Plan "around" the date and confirm locally. Second, be wary of automatic calculators: for the 2026 Magal, several were off by a day compared with the officially announced date.
A practical point if you're driving: the N2 national highway runs through Tivaouane, and the Gamou comes with a special traffic plan over several days. Check the date before planning a weekend in Saint-Louis.
For festivals, note the Saint-Louis Jazz festival in mid-May and the Abéné festival in Casamance, from late December to early January — the latter falls both over the Christmas holidays and in the middle of the Casamance dry season, making it the absolute peak for visitors to the region.
Seeing wildlife: two calendars that don't overlap
Djoudj National Park, near Saint-Louis, is closed from July to October. That's the fact to know before anything else. It's open from November to June, and the best time is December to March, when the Palearctic migratory birds are there — it's the world's third-largest bird sanctuary.
Niokolo-Koba National Park is visited in the dry season, ideally from March to May: the vegetation thins out and the animals gather around water holes. The price to pay is 38 to 41 °C. From June to October, it's inaccessible in practice — sources differ on whether there's a formal closure, so check with the national parks authority (Direction des parcs nationaux) before you commit.
You'll have noticed: birds and big game don't peak at the same time. December–March for one, March–May for the other. March is the only month that ticks both boxes — that's the answer if you can only make one trip.
Two words of caution, however. On the manatees of the Saloum: the animal is nocturnal and very shy, no source gives a favorable season, and no one should promise you'll see one. On sea turtles: we found no reliable source giving the nesting season in Senegal, and we'd rather state nothing than make up a month.
So, when should you go? It depends on you
If you're coming as a family — aim for November to February. Coast at 25–30 °C, dry, sunny, no mosquitoes on the scale of the rainy season. Avoid July, August and September, and avoid April–May inland.
If you're coming for the beach — September to November, no question. The sea is at 28–29 °C everywhere, and from mid-October the rains have stopped in the north and center. October–November is the most underrated window in the Senegalese calendar: warm sea, dry skies, still few visitors. If you can only come in February–March, go to Casamance.
If you're on a tight budget — the rainy season, from July to September, is low season, and many properties offer discounts. You'll get rain, humidity and mosquitoes; you'll also get green landscapes and empty places. A good compromise: October–November, or April.
If you're coming for wildlife — December to March for birds, March to May for big game, March if you want both. Avoid June to October: the two main parks are closed or impassable.
If you live in Senegal — the rainy season is your season. It's when rates drop, properties are empty, and the country is at its most beautiful. Resident discounts come on top of low-season rates: it's the best value of the year, and it's also the time when last-minute booking still works.
The year in five lines
December to February — the best air: dry, 25–30 °C, sunny. But a cold sea in the north and center, harmattan haze, lots of visitors and high prices.
March and April — very dry and bright, the sea at its coldest, extreme heat inland. Excellent for safari, poor for swimming.
May and June — the transition. The rains start in the south before the north, the sea warms quickly from 22 to 26 °C.
July to September — rainy season everywhere, peaking in August. Low season, special offers, parks closed, warm sea.
October and November — the window nobody uses. Sea at its warmest, rains over in the north and center, landscapes still green, few visitors. Casamance may still get rain in early November.
Booking at the right time
A word on how it works, since the seasons also shape our terms. With us, you pay 20% of the stay online — our booking fee — and the balance directly to the owner or property on arrival.
Our cancellation terms depend on the season of arrival, not the date you book: the notice period is longer for a high-season arrival. If your dates straddle November 1 or June 1, look closely.
For the rest, our trip budget page breaks down the costs, and getting around Senegal explains what the season changes on the roads and dirt tracks.