Day 1
N'Djamena
Arrival in N'Djamena
Welcome, check-in and briefing. Update on the gathering’s location, confirmed a few days earlier.
HotelDîner
Cultural · 10 days
The Gerewol of the Wodaabe
Ten days in September–October to attend the great Wodaabe gathering, dates confirmed by the rains.
- Duration
- 10 days
- Group size
- 4–8 travellers
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Distance
- ≈ 930 km
From€3,690per person
Enquire about this journeyThe Gerewol cannot be scheduled like a festival: it depends on the rains, therefore on the pastures, therefore on when the scattered Wodaabe clans can regroup. We confirm place and dates a few weeks before departure through our contacts on the ground.
This is a small-group trip run with a great deal of care: we attend, we do not intrude. Days are spent at the Wodaabe camp, watching the preparation, the face painting, then the dance — the yaake — which can go on for hours under a crushing sun.
Highlights
- The yaake, the male courtship dance
- Three days at the camp, at the gathering’s own pace
- Meeting Bororo herders and their cattle
- Limited to eight participants
Our journeys
Upcoming departures
Provisional calendar — dates and availability are to be confirmed with the agency.
18 September 202727 September 2027
Dates confirmées quelques semaines avant, selon les pluies
8 places left€3,690
Enquire about this journey
The route
N'Djamena → N'Djamena
10 days
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 2
300 km
Into the herders’ Sahel
North-east through the Chari-Baguirmi then the Batha. The landscape is green: we are just after the rains, the season of pasture.
CampPetit-déjeuner, déjeuner, dînerDay 3
Approaching the gathering
Final leg on track to the edge of the Wodaabe camp. Contact with the clan elders, introduction of the group, rules of conduct and photography.
CampPetit-déjeuner, déjeuner, dînerDay 4
Campement wodaabe
First day of Gerewol
The day begins with preparation: red and yellow ochre on the face, blackened lips, a white line down the nose, ostrich feathers. The dance starts in the late afternoon and carries on into the night.
CampPetit-déjeuner, déjeuner, dînerDay 5
Campement wodaabe
The yaake
A full day at the gathering. The dancers in line hold the codified figures — rolled eyes, bared teeth — as long as they can. Young women walk the line and point out their choice.
CampPetit-déjeuner, déjeuner, dînerDay 6
Campement wodaabe
Camp life
Beyond the parade, the gathering is a reunion: cattle exchanges, marriages, settlements and storytelling. A quieter day of observation and meetings with families.
CampPetit-déjeuner, déjeuner, dînerDay 7
350 km
On to Lake Chad
West towards the lake. Across the Kanem, a region of fixed dunes and deep wells.
CampPetit-déjeuner, déjeuner, dînerDay 8
Bol
The Bol archipelago
Pirogue navigation between the lake islands. Kouri cattle swim from island to island. Spirulina harvested from the pools and dried into dihé cakes.
CampPetit-déjeuner, déjeuner, dînerDay 9
N'Djamena
280 km
Back to N'Djamena
Return via Massakori. Arrival at the end of the day, hotel check-in.
HotelPetit-déjeuner, déjeuner, dînerDay 10
N'Djamena
Departure
Free morning, craft market, then airport transfer.
Petit-déjeuner
What's included
- Transport in equipped Toyota Land Cruiser 4×4 with driver-mechanic
- Chadian French-speaking guide (English on request)
- Cook and camp crew
- Full board throughout the itinerary
- Camping equipment: tent, mattress, table and chairs
- Unlimited mineral water
- Travel permits and site entrance fees
- Satellite phone support and first-aid kit
What's not included
- International flights to N'Djamena
- Chadian visa and processing fees
- Travel, repatriation and cancellation insurance (mandatory)
- Alcoholic drinks
- Tips for the team
- Personal expenses
Sites & heritage
