Togo Tours & Vacations
Small Group Tours & Tailor-Made Vacations
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Overview
One of Africa’s smallest countries, Togo is a land of quite staggering diversity, with its palm-fringed beaches and lush, dense rainforests playing host to a wonderfully rich mix of colonial architecture, indigenous traditions, colourful festivals and voodoo ritual. Once part of the old trading routes that played such a large part in the Atlantic slave trade of the 16th-19th centuries, the country later fell under the colonial yoke of the Germans, the French and the British. Covering just ...
One of Africa’s smallest countries, Togo is a land of quite staggering diversity, with its palm-fringed beaches and lush, dense rainforests playing host to a wonderfully rich mix of colonial architecture, indigenous traditions, colourful festivals and voodoo ritual. Once part of the old trading routes that played such a large part in the Atlantic slave trade of the 16th-19th centuries, the country later fell under the colonial yoke of the Germans, the French and the British. Covering just 57,000 square kilometres Togo extends from the Bight of Benin in the south, to the borders of Burkina Faso in the north and lies sandwiched between Ghana and Benin. Home to some 40 different ethnic groups, each with their own distinct language, Togo’s cultural traditions follow a dazzling fusion of Christian, Muslim and animistic practices and beliefs. The grand boulevards and fading colonial grandeur of its once elegant capital, Lome, hide a wealth of treasures; from the facades of its German Gothic cathedral, to the bizarre contents of its famous fetish market. Amongst the highlands of the Atakora Mountains meanwhile you can find the time-honoured traditions of the Kabye and the Tamberma, whose fortified settlements still tell of a time in ages past when conflict and slavers were a part of daily life. Unpolished and unfettered, this is West Africa at its most colourful and charismatic.
Start your journey
Group tours
Travel to Togo with like-minded people on one of our small group tours (usually max size 12), featuring knowledgeable local guides and an expert tour leader.
HIGHLIGHTS OF TOGO
BEST EXPERIENCES
Village life in Togo
Enjoy a chance to watch a fire dancing ceremony, meet fetish priests and see unique adobe architecture in the villages of Togo.
Voodoo festival
Witness the remarkable spectacle of the Ouidah voodoo festival and explore the fetish market of Lome.
Discover more
WHEN TO GO
The rainy season runs from around June to September, making travel in the country more challenging than usual, so it's best to avoid these months. The best time to visit is October through to April though it will be hot whatever time you choose to travel, with high levels of humidity throughout much of the year.
LGBTQIA+ Guidance
When planning to travel as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, there may be additional things you wish to consider doing, such as:
- Speaking to one of our travel experts for information about travelling in your chosen destination and local attitudes towards members of the LGBTQIA+ community
- Checking the Human Dignity Trust map which highlights regions and countries which are potentially dangerous to LGBTQIA+ people, or Equaldex, which tracks the progress of LGBTQIA+ rights around the world.
- Checking the ‘Local laws and customs’ section of your country's official foreign travel advice page
- Looking for any updates for your desired destination on the Human Rights Watch LGBTQIA+ rights page
- Buying a recommended guidebook, as many include an LGBTQIA+ section and advice for LGBTQIA+ travellers
USEFUL INFORMATION
Health and Vaccinations
For travel to Togo you will need to have a Yellow Fever Vaccination prior to travel. There are no other mandatory immunisations for travellers to Togo though you should be up-to-date with Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio and Hepatitis A. Malaria is present in most parts of Togo so we recommend you seek advice from your local GP or travel centre as to the correct immunisations and preventative treatments.
Currency
In Togo the official unit of currency is the West African CFA.
To check out the latest exchange rate for the places that you are visiting you can go to www.oanda.com.
Cultural Sensitivity
On our tours you will frequently interact with local people, each with their own distinct customs and traditions. We therefore ask you to be considerate and to treat them with respect. Your tour-leaders and guides will always be able to advise you accordingly.
Please note that some areas we travel through have strong Muslim influences and people may be offended by revealing clothing. You should dress with respect for local sensibilities on this tour.
Language & Religion
In Togo, the official language is French. Religion in Togo is Christianity alongside Islam; however, a large proportion of Togolese are animists.
Time
Togo is 0 hours ahead of GMT.
A useful website to check the time zone differences is www.worldtimezone.com.
Food and drink
The food in Togo is some of the best in West Africa and there are lots of places to try it, especially in Lomé. As is the same in most West African countries’ meals are usually based on a starch staple accompanied by sauces. Some Togolese specialities include Abobo; snails cooked like a brochette or Egbo Pinon; smoked goat, and Fufu; yam served with vegetables and meat.
Togo has its share of local drinks ranging from local beers, or you can try the palm wine, Tchoukoutou which is a fermented millet-based drink. For those adventurous types, why not try Sodabe, a clear coloured alcohol distilled from palm wine which will knock your socks off!