Northern Niger - Northern Niger

Travel WarningWARNING: Northern Niger is unsafe for travel due to the long-running conflict with the nomadic Tuareg people. Terrorist attacks and kidnappings of westerners have occurred.
Government travel advisories
(Information last updated Aug 2020)
CautionCOVID-19 information: Entry to Niger is only permitted for Nigerien nationals, persons with valid residency and foreign nationals with valid visas.
(Information last updated 30 Aug 2020)

Northern Niger covers Niger's Saharan territory.

Cities

Map of Northern Niger
  • 1 Agadez — the largest city in Saharan Niger.
  • 2 Arlit Arlit on Wikipedia — the second largest city in the region.
  • 3 Bilma Bilma on Wikipedia — gateway to the remotest reaches of the Ténéré Desert.
  • 4 Chirfa — gateway to the Djado Plateau.

Other destinations

Understand

Get in

Mano Dayak International Airport (AJY IATA) in Agadez receives flights from the capital, Niamey.

Get around

See

Do

Intricate ornaments and dacing are important in the guérewol.

If visiting in mid-September, just after the rainy season, be sure to participate in the Cure Salee, translated as the Salt Cure because of the nearby salt flats and also known as Festival of the Nomads. It's a yearly gathering by the nomadic Tuareg and Wodaabe peoples that inhabit northern Niger and Mali taking place at the village of In-gall, 115 km west of Agadez. The festival is part market, part social gathering. For the Wodaabe peoples Cure Salee is the most important guérewol, or courtship ritual, of the whole year. The guérewol is a much fascinating, that is for the western traveller, ritual where the men perform dances that can go on for days wearing elaborate make-up for women to courting a potential husband.

Eat

Drink

Stay safe

It is not recommended to travel here.

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This region travel guide to Northern Niger is an outline and may need more content. It has a template , but there is not enough information present. If there are Cities and Other destinations listed, they may not all be at usable status or there may not be a valid regional structure and a "Get in" section describing all of the typical ways to get here. Please plunge forward and help it grow !