Dakar, Senegal (3 nights). Arrival in the capital and check-in at the hotel on the western corniche. (D)

Dakar. City tour: the 197 steps of the Monument de la Renaissance, Soumbédioune bay, the presidential palace, place de l'Indépendance, the corniche, then the Médina and its Tilène market. In the afternoon, the Museum of Black Civilisations, housed in a contemporary building, covers the history, arts and traditions of African peoples. Welcome dinner in a local restaurant. (B, L, D)

Dakar and Gorée Island. Crossing to Gorée, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The island has no cars, and its eighteenth-century colonial houses show ochre, pink and yellow façades. With your guide: the House of Slaves, Fort Castel and the island's quarters. In the afternoon, back to Dakar and a visit to the Massalikoul Djinane mosque. (B, L, D)

Dakar and Lake Retba. Drive to Lake Retba, better known as the Pink Lake, along the great coast pounded by the Atlantic. Jeep ride on the dunes and on the beach of the Paris-Dakar rally. In the afternoon, a boat trip on the lake, which has regained its pink tint after several years of fading caused by heavy rain. Along the way, gardeners grow vegetables on the shells that line the water. An optional 3 to 15 km hike is offered to walkers. (B, L, D)

Lake Retba, Thiès and Saint-Louis (3 nights). Drive to Thiès to visit the town and its large market, then on to Saint-Louis, 200 km to the north. In the late afternoon, free time in town and in the fishermen's quarter. (B, L, D)

Saint-Louis and Djoudj National Bird Park. The park lies about 70 km north of Saint-Louis. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is the fourth largest bird sanctuary in the world, with 350 recorded species: pelicans, herons, squacco herons, storks, teal, wild geese, flamingos, jacanas. A boat trip leads to the pelican nesting site in the heart of the backwater, and you may come across crocodiles, pythons or patas monkeys. Back in Saint-Louis for a lunch of thiéboudiène, the national dish, whose culinary art has been on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list since 2021. In the afternoon, a guided walking tour of Saint-Louis, the first capital of West Africa and also UNESCO-listed for its architecture. (B, L, D)

Saint-Louis. A day of immersion in the life of a Senegalese family, to understand local customs. Lunch with the family, followed by mint tea. Free evening. (B, L, D)

Saint-Louis, Ngui N'Guelakh and Lompoul. Departure for Ngui N'Guelakh, at the heart of Peulh culture. You meet the village chief and share daily life: markets, workshops, herding and farming. In the afternoon the road follows the Langue de Barbarie, the strip of land where the Senegal River and the Atlantic run side by side, then reaches the Lompoul desert. The day ends with a camel ride at sunset. (B, L, D)

Lompoul, Touba and Palmarin (2 nights). Drive towards the Sine Saloum by way of the holy city of Touba and its great mosque, one of the largest in sub-Saharan Africa and a symbol of the Mouride community's place in Islam. The route crosses the peanut basin, the country's agricultural wealth. In the afternoon, on to Palmarin through savanna, baobab forests and tanns, the salt flats carved by the meanders of the Saloum and a refuge for many birds. Overnight in the heart of the delta. (B, L, D)

Palmarin, Fadiouth and Fadial. Departure for Fadiouth and its shell island: millet granaries on stilts, the mixed cemetery where Muslims and Christians rest side by side, round straw huts and pigs roaming the lanes. The return is on foot across the wooden bridge linking Joal to Fadiouth. Stop at the giant baobab of Fadial, the largest in the country and more than 800 years old. In the afternoon, a visit to the salt pans. (B, L, D)

Palmarin, Kaolack and Toubakouta. Drive to the kingdom of Bandiala, a former Casamance kingdom known for its culture and community organisation. Stop at the large covered market of Kaolack, a witness to the historic prosperity of the peanut trade. The road passes typical villages and vegetation shifting from savanna to forest. In the afternoon, a visit to the village of Toubakouta and a meeting with the women's association that processes local products, who explain the work through to the shea butter, baobab oil and bissap jam sold in their shop. In the evening, Mandinka folk entertainment. (B, L, D)

Toubakouta, Barra, Banjul and Serrekunda, The Gambia (3 nights). In the morning, the road to Banjul, the Gambian capital, with the ferry crossing between Barra and Banjul. Orientation tour of the city and its colonial buildings. In the afternoon, free time by the hotel pool or on the beach. (B, L, D)

Serrekunda and Kachikally, The Gambia. A visit to Banjul, between busy markets and typical quarters. Then on to the sacred crocodile pool of Kachikally, a place steeped in legend. Free afternoon: pool, beach, swimming, windsurfing, kayaking or simply lazing in the sun. (B, L, D)

Serrekunda and Kunta Kinteh Island, The Gambia. In the morning, a pirogue trip from Banjul to Kunta Kinteh Island, also called James Island. The island was a major West African trading post for the slave trade and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2003. Visit of the slave house, a site tied both to the beginnings of that trade and to its abolition. (B, L, D)

Serrekunda and Ziguinchor, Senegal (2 nights). Back to Senegal at Ziguinchor, a cosmopolitan town on the banks of the Casamance River. This former colonial trading post charms with its colourful creole houses and lively markets. In the afternoon, a look at the port, busy with fishermen and traditional pirogues, then a walk through the historic quarters where colonial heritage meets Casamance culture. (B, L, D)

Ziguinchor and Enampore. A visit to the village of Enampore, which shows the life of lower Casamance. Its impluvium houses, an architecture specific to the region, allow the village to live self-sufficiently through days of heavy rain. In the afternoon, back to Ziguinchor for a tour of the town, twinned with Saint-Maur-des-Fossés: its market, its craft village and its quarters. (B, L, D)

Ziguinchor, Elinkine, Karabane Island and Cap Skirring (3 nights). Drive to Miomp, known for its storeyed houses, its kapok trees and its museum of Diola culture. Then Elinkine, where you board a pirogue for a quiet crossing of the Casamance River to Karabane Island, a former colonial trading post and the region's first capital. A walk through its lanes: the Breton church, the old school and the sailors' cemetery. A swim by the sea, perhaps with a few curious dolphins. In the afternoon, arrival at Cap Skirring. (B, L, D)

Cap Skirring and Diembéring. A visit to Diembéring, one of the largest Diola villages in lower Casamance. Its lanes lead to a forest of giant kapok trees with sprawling roots. On the way back, a stop at the Sangawatt museum, where the curator recounts the daily life and rites of the Diola people. Free afternoon at Cap Skirring. (B, L, D)

Cap Skirring. Free day. The main draw of Cap Skirring is its golden sand beaches, stretching as far as the eye can see, and water that stays pleasant all year. (B, D)

Cap Skirring, domestic flight and Saly (2 nights). Free morning, then the domestic flight to Dakar in the afternoon. The rest of the day is free. (B, D)

Saly and Bandia. In the morning, departure for the Bandia reserve and a mini 4x4 safari: giraffes, zebras, antelopes, gazelles, buffalo and other wild animals. Free afternoon. In the evening, farewell dinner. (B, D)

Saly, Dakar and return flight. Transfer to Dakar airport, then the return flight to Montreal. (B)