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Stilt village of Ganvié

Travel guide · Voodoo, ancient kingdoms and a village on the lake

Travelling to Benin

Ganvié, the stilt village on Lake Nokoué, the royal palaces of Abomey, the Slave Route in Ouidah and the voodoo festival every January. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • Best time: August and from November to March
  • Where to eat: a maquis or a street stall
Photo: Adoscam · CC BY-SA 4.0

Benin in 30 seconds

  • The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Benin are August and from November to March.
  • To eat like a local: a maquis or a street stall. Don’t leave without trying: Pâte, Amiwo, Chargrilled fish.

Benin in November

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Benin. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

More destinations for November

When to travel to Benin

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Benin are August and from November to March.

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb no warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr with warnings
  5. May with warnings
  6. Jun with warnings
  7. Jul with warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep with warnings
  10. Oct with warnings
  11. Nov no warnings
  12. Dec no warnings

More destinations for those dates: where to travel in January · where to travel in February · where to travel in March · where to travel in August

  • from April to July and September, October

    Rain

    In the south there are two rainy seasons, from April to July and in September and October.

    What to do: The best time is November to March, with the voodoo festival in January.

What to see in Benin

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

  • Cotonou

    Cotonou

    The largest city and the country’s engine, with one of the biggest markets in West Africa.

    • Dantokpa Market
    • Zinsou Foundation
    • Amazon Statue
    • Cathedral of Our Lady
    Cotonou guide
  • Ouidah

    Ouidah

    The city of voodoo and of the memory of slavery, by the sea.

    • Slave Route
    • Door of No Return
    • Temple of Pythons
    • Kpassè Sacred Forest
    Ouidah guide
  • Ganvié

    Ganvié

    An entire village on stilts on Lake Nokoué, reached by pirogue.

    • Pirogue trip
    • Floating market
    • Stilt houses
    • Fishing with acadjas
    Ganvié guide
  • Porto-Novo

    Porto-Novo

    The official capital, quiet, with Afro-Brazilian architecture and museums.

    • Grand Mosque
    • Honmè Museum
    • Ethnographic Museum
    • Garden of Plants and Nature
    Porto-Novo guide
  • Abomey

    Abomey

    The old capital of the kingdom of Dahomey, with its earthen royal palaces.

    • Royal palaces
    • History Museum
    • Bas-reliefs
    • Voodoo temples
    Abomey guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

From Cotonou

From Ouidah

From Ganvié

From Porto-Novo

From Abomey

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What to eat in Benin

To eat like a local: a maquis or a street stall, and order pâte with sauce or grilled fish. And don’t leave without trying:

  • Pâte

    A maize dough with tomato, peanut or leaf sauce.

  • Amiwo

    A red maize dough with chicken.

  • Chargrilled fish

    With chilli.

  • Akassa

    Fermented maize dough.

  • Klui-klui

    Fried peanut sticks.

  • Sodabi

    A palm spirit.

The typical dish of Benin, at home

Amiwo
Photo: Adoscam · CC BY-SA 4.0

Amiwo

Benin’s red dough: maize flour cooked in the tomato and spice broth the chicken was stewed in, served in balls with the chicken and hot sauce at celebrations and weddings.

  • Serves 4
  • 1 h 15 min

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken, jointed
  • 250 g fine maize flour
  • 3 tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato purée
  • 2 onions
  • 3 garlic cloves and 1 piece of ginger
  • 1 chilli
  • Oil and salt

How to make it at home

  1. Marinate the chicken with garlic, ginger and salt, and brown it in oil.
  2. Add the onion, blended tomato, tomato purée and chilli, cover with a litre of water and simmer for 30 minutes.
  3. Take out the chicken and strain the broth into another pot.
  4. Pour the maize flour into the boiling broth a little at a time, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until you have a thick dough that comes away from the pan.
  5. Shape into balls with a wet bowl and serve with the chicken and hot sauce.

The trick: Stir hard as you add the flour: if you stop, you’ll get lumps.

Curious facts about Benin

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

  • It’s the birthplace of voodoo, which has a national holiday on 10 January.
  • Ganvié, the “Venice of Africa”, has thousands of inhabitants living on the water.
  • The royal palaces of Abomey are a World Heritage Site.
  • The women warriors of the kingdom of Dahomey inspired the film The Woman King.
  • Ouidah’s Door of No Return is a reminder of the slave trade.
  • The official capital is Porto-Novo, although the government sits in Cotonou.

Traditions of Benin

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

  • 10 January Voodoo festival

    Above all in Ouidah.

  • Egungun

    Masks representing the ancestors.

  • Zangbeto

    The guardians of the night.

  • 1 August Independence Day

    A national holiday.

What not to do in Benin

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

  • Don’t go to the north of the country: official travel advice warns against it.
  • Don’t take photos at voodoo ceremonies without permission.
  • Don’t travel by road at night.
  • Don’t swim in the sea without asking first: there are strong currents.
  • Don’t forget your yellow fever certificate.
  • Don’t drink tap water.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Frequently asked questions about Benin

What people search for most before travelling to Benin.

What’s the best time to travel to Benin?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Benin are August and from November to March.

What to see in Benin in a week?

The essentials of Benin: Cotonou, Ouidah, Ganvié, Porto-Novo and Abomey. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Benin?

Pâte, Amiwo, Chargrilled fish, Akassa, Klui-klui, Sodabi. To eat like a local: a maquis or a street stall.

What is the typical dish of Benin?

Amiwo. Benin’s red dough: maize flour cooked in the tomato and spice broth the chicken was stewed in, served in balls with the chicken and hot sauce at celebrations and weddings.

What should you not do in Benin?

Don’t go to the north of the country: official travel advice warns against it. Don’t take photos at voodoo ceremonies without permission. Don’t travel by road at night.

Is it worth travelling to Benin in November?

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Benin. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

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Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, Adoscam (CC BY-SA 4.0). Cotonou, Élisée.Adad (CC BY-SA 4.0). Ouidah, Borisghost (CC0). Ganvié, Manu25 at French Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Porto-Novo, Élisée.Adad (CC BY-SA 4.0). Abomey, Karalyn Monteil (CC BY-SA 3.0 igo).