Best time to visit Benin

2 min summary Best time to visit Map & highlights Things to do Culture Voodoo Festival Voodoo markets Tips Responsible tourism

Best time to go to Benin

Benin experiences a strong north-south divide between its cultures as well as its climate.

Tourists are likely to spend most of their time in southern Benin, which has a tropical, equatorial climate. Rains fall here from April to the end of October, with a brief dry spell in mid-July to August. High humidity means that even the “cooler” months of June to September are still very warm. The desert-like north experiences more extreme temperatures, with November to June searingly hot, and June to October wetter and cooler. The best time to visit Benin is from November to February; not only is it dry, but you’ll be able to attend the annual Vodoun Festival in Ouidah in January.

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Our Benin Vacations

Benin Weather Chart

MIN °C

MAX °C

RAIN (mm)

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

127

MAY

195

JUN

334

JUL

148

AUG

SEP

142

OCT

146

NOV

DEC

Benin month by month

From mid-November or December through January, February and March, Benin is extra dry and dusty thanks to the harmattan wind that blows in from the Sahara. Bring plenty of good moisturiser and lip balm – and sup water to ease a tickly throat, especially if heading north. Contact lens wearers may also find glasses more comfortable. The rains in the wetter south begin in April, with temperatures beginning to cool in May as the rains really kick in. This can be very disruptive to travel as many areas can become inaccessible. The dry window in August can be a good time to visit southern Benin as you’ll benefit from cooler temperatures, blue skies and no harmattan dust! Many trips focus around the Vodoun Festival in Ouidah which takes place on 10th January each year.

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Calling us from outside the US?

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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IN BENIN

Jim O’Brien, from our supplier Native Eye Travel, shares his tips on the best time to go to Benin:
“A good thing to do in December is to go and see the Gelede dances at a place called Cové. It’s not really voodoo but it shares a lot of the same characteristics, with people getting dressed up as representations – not necessarily of gods but perhaps spirits. It’s the state religion; it doesn’t have the same connotations in Benin as Hollywood has given it.”

BENIN FESTIVALS & EVENTS

Did you know about…?

The Vodoun Festival

The Vodoun Festival is the greatest event in the voodoo calendar. Taking place on 10th January every year in Ouidah, it is one of the best ways to get under the skin of this often misunderstood religion. People dress up as voodoo gods, complete with colourful, swirling costumes and masks, drums beat hypnotically, and goats and chickens are sacrificed throughout the festival.

More about Benin

Benin travel guide

When you travel to a country whose state religion is voodoo, you know this is going to be no ordinary vacation.

Benin map & highlights

Click on our interactive Benin map and highlights to learn more about this little-explored nation.

Things to do in Benin

When choosing things to do in Benin, don’t overlook Pendjari National Park – one of the only safari destinations in West Africa.

Culture in Benin

Discovering the culture in Benin is the highlight of any vacation to this West African nation.

Benin Voodoo festival

Rhythmic drumming, extraordinary costumes and performers channeling spirits – the Voodoo festival, Benin, is an otherworldly cultural treat.

Voodoo markets in Western Africa

Many vacations to Togo and Benin explore the vibrant Vodou culture of these nations. While this official religion may not be as “dark” as many Western myths suggest, there is one aspect of it which is very dark indeed.