Region

Nouakchott and the coast

Use Nouakchott as a one-or-two-night gateway: the museum, the fishermen's beach and the market fit in a day, and the Adrar is the reason for the trip.

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Key facts · Mauritania

Best months: Nov–Feb
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Ouguiya, about 38–42 per US$
Language: Arabic official
Plugs: C · E · 220 V
Time zone: UTC+0 all year

Month by month here

Rules in force · 7Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Carry an original yellow fever vaccination certificate on…

Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
West Africa ↗Carry an original yellow fever vaccination certificate on any West African trip: several countries on the coast road demand it of every arrival, and the rest demand it after you have passed through a neighbour.
West Africa ↗Cross land borders and drive between cities in daylight only; plan each crossing as a full travel day with cash for fees and passport copies for checkpoints.
Mauritania ↗Apply for the e-visa on the official ANRPTS portal and print the approval; visas on arrival ended in January 2025 and the fee is paid in cash at the airport.
Mauritania ↗Travel advice differs by region: check your own government's advice for each area on your route, especially in the east and near the Mali border.
Mauritania ↗Alcohol is prohibited; do not import or carry it.

Nouakchott is the capital and the only city with regular international flights. It is flat, dusty and spread out, with no meter and no ride-hailing. Sleep here for the arrival night, do the museum and the beach with a driver, and leave for the Adrar or Banc d'Arguin with a licensed agency. Check your own government's advice for each region before you book.

Where to sleep

3 places in this region

Sleep base

NouakchottTrip line
Arrival night, cash and agency briefing; museum, mosque exteriors and the fishing beach.
Best Nov–Feb
JFMAMJJASOND
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One or two nights

Atar and the AdrarCity guide
Long road day or seasonal charter flight; 4x4 with a licensed agency.
Best Nov–Feb
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Atar and the Adrar →
Banc d'ArguinGuide: planned
National park with birdlife; 4x4 and guide required.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

5 nights: Nouakchott 1 + Adrar 4 with a licensed agency
8 nights: Nouakchott 1 + Adrar 5 + Banc d'Arguin 2

Nouakchott to Atar is a long road day: do not plan it on your first morning after a night flight.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Plage des Pêcheurs	Nouakchott	25 min	unknown	Go with a driver in the afternoon and be back before dark.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding culture: leave the big bag at the hotel only if you return; otherwise your agency's 4x4 carries it.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go1 partSeasons

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Nouakchott	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	×	×	×	ok	go	go
Atar and the Adrar	go	go	ok	ok	ok	×	×	×	ok	ok	go	go
Mauritania (country-wide)	go	go	ok	ok	×	×	×	×	×	ok	go	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on1 partGo next

Go next

Other regions of the country

Adrar

planned

3–5 nights

Atar, Chinguetti and Ouadane (old ksour, libraries), Terjit oasis, dunes

Banc d'Arguin and Nouadhibou

planned

2–3 nights

Banc d'Arguin National Park birdlife; Nouadhibou and the iron-ore train

Nouakchott and the coast: what we know, and what is coming

2 of 3 places open

On this page

3 places with their role: where to sleep, what to do as a day trip
How to split 5 or 8 nights
1 day trip with door-to-door time
Seasons month by month, from the cities’ own tables
What to do with the big bag between beds

Coming as the guide grows

Climate strip by zone, with the storm and haze months
Get in: airports and stations with door-to-door times
Regional passes and cards, with a buy / skip verdict
Regional food: what, where and when it works
A page for Banc d'Arguin — National park with birdlife; 4x4 and guide required.

Meanwhile

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids3 partsIn numbers · Trips here · Local time

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 1 base
Day trips: 1, 25 min
Nights suggested: 5–8 nights

Trips that stop here

From the Mauritania guide

Adrar loop
7 days · 2 nights here
Nouakchott → Atar and Terjit → Chinguetti → Nouakchott
Adrar with Ouadane
10 days · 2 nights here
Nouakchott → Atar → Chinguetti → Ouadane → Terjit → Nouakchott
Desert and coast
14 days · 2 nights here
Nouakchott → Atar and Terjit → Chinguetti → Ouadane → Banc d'Arguin → Nouadhibou → Nouakchott

All Mauritania trips →

Local time

What time it is there now, compared with the clock on your device.

Nouakchott
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Checking your clock…Africa/Nouakchott

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