When to go · Dakar
Dakar in December
Great month. Dry; cooler nights; year-end crowds.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Temperature
- 28°C (82°F)82°F (28°C) / 20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 0
- Crowds
- High
- Senegal overall
- Prices
- High
- Senegal overall
Verdict
Dry; cooler nights; year-end crowds.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than December?
No other month rates higher than December for Dakar in this guide.
Weather in December
- DakarHighs around 28 °C (82 °F), lows around 20 °C (68 °F), rain on about 0 daysHighs around 82 °F (28 °C), lows around 68 °F (20 °C), rain on about 0 days
- Dakar and the Atlantic coast, Senegal · Dakar, Saint-Louis, Petite Côtebest weather
Trade winds keep the coast 5–8 °C (9–14 °F) cooler than inland; January–March evenings can feel cool, and the sea is cold until May.Trade winds keep the coast 9–14 °F (5–8 °C) cooler than inland; January–March evenings can feel cool, and the sea is cold until May.
Cool dry season season
The most comfortable weather, with sea breezes and cool evenings.
Watch: Harmattan dust and haze on some days; hotels fill.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Christmas and year-end
25 December · Churches and the Almadies
Public holiday; bars and restaurants fill.
Year-end and cool-season peak
Dec
Hotels, flights and Almadies restaurants fill; book ahead.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Senegal overall
- High
- Prices · Senegal overall
- High
Senegal overall: Peak: pleasant heat, Christmas on the Petite Côte; book Saint-Louis and delta lodges early.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Dakar, side by side.
Verdict
Dec: Great
Jan: Great
Daytime high
Dec: 28 °C (82 °F)82 °F (28 °C)
Jan: 26 °C (79 °F)79 °F (26 °C)
Night low
Dec: 20 °C (68 °F)68 °F (20 °C)
Jan: 18 °C (64 °F)64 °F (18 °C)
Rain days
Dec: 0
Jan: 0
Crowds
Dec: High
Jan: High
Prices
Dec: High
Jan: High
Festivals listed
Dec: 2
Jan: 0
December: Dry; cooler nights; year-end crowds.
January: Dry and warm; good month.
Dakar: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
Nothing unusual for the weather this month.