What can I do in Gambia?
For guests that just want to relax and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of our beautiful lodge, we offer an exciting and varied range of in-house activities, from local cooking lessons to making your very own African dress or traditional jewellery.
For those who want to explore the local area, we have wide open sandy beaches, nature trails and the thriving local village of Gunjur, all within a short walk.
For those who like to get out and about will enjoy one or more of our day trips to visit some of The Gambia’s most famous and interesting sites, such as the UNESCO-recognised Kunta Kinteh Island.
We also cater for specialist interests such as Bird Watching, Fishing, Yoga and Photography.
Whether you’re a nature lover, or a history enthusiast simply looking forward to a peaceful getaway, The Gambia has something to offer everyone and all benefit the local community as much as possible!
Is Gambia a safe country?
Gambia is a very safe and welcoming destination for tourists with lots of things to do. It has a low crime rate and the local people are renowned for their hospitality.
Specialist Activities
Guided or not?
Most activities going out include a guide. We advise you to take a guide with you so you can get the most out of your trip. There are tours you can do without a guide and when in doubt we will gladly advise you.
Like a local?
Most activities going out include a private taxi, although some trips can be done by bush taxi. Depending on the route you can use this local means of transport. If available, the price mentioned includes the bush taxi instead of a private taxi.
Prepay?
All our things to do in Gambia can be pre-paid online when you book or when you’re at our lodge.
Workshops & things to do at the lodge
Cooking with Mary
Cook like a local
Every day you can see Mary preparing a traditional Gambian dish for our team, but if you really like cooking, you might want to join in and get your hands dirty.
Well, you can! Mary is happy to teach you how to make the delicious Benachin, Yassa or Domoda yourself and you get to eat it too!
£10 per person
Ps. See some of our Gambian food recipes here
Woodcarving
Handmade woodcarvings
Malang, our resident woodcarver, will help you create your own art. How about a local-style chair to take home with you? You can have any design you want on there and it packs flat. Watch Malang’s work, buy one of his gorgeous creations or collaborate with him to create your own unique wood carving every day.
You can read more about Malang in our featured spotlight blog series.
Prices by arrangement with Mallang.
Silversmithing
Handmade silver jewellery
Crafted while you watch, in a time-honoured tradition using only fire, goatskin bellows, hammer on an anvil and of course a piece of silver.
Bai Serin has over 35 years of experience in making silver jewellery. See him every Saturday.
You can read more about Bai in our featured spotlight blog series.
Prices by arrangement with Bai.
Weaving workshop
Weave cotton with Ousman
Spend an hour or two with Ousman and actually make your own cotton product ( or some of it, it takes him an average of 7 hours to make one scarf ) You can read more about Ousman in our featured spotlight blog series.
£5 per person 2 hours
Onsite tailor
Tailor made, just for you
Many people are impressed by the colourful and flattering clothes the Gambians wear and now you won’t have to leave Footsteps to have them custom-made for you. Of course, our tailor can make you other things as well.
The girls would be happy to take you shopping for the fabrics you like, or you let Anta create some tie & dye fabric for you.
Prices depend on the fabric and your wishes.
Kora workshop
Learn Kora with Jeli Yankuba
How about mastering the 21 strings of the kora? We know some very skilled people who would be happy to teach you.
£10 per person for 2 hours
Djembe workshop
Drumming with Mani
Learn how to play the Gambian Djembe drum with Mani.
Price £10 for 2 hours
Dance workshop
Learn Gambian dance
One of the best things to do in Gambia is dance!
Let Anceli, Fatou and Awa show you those Gambian moves.
£10
Massage & pamper
1hrs massage with Nyima or Awa
When you're on holiday, you want to relax, right? Seeing new sights, going on adventures and chilling on the beach or by the pool...
At Footsteps, we take relaxing seriously. Not only do we offer you a lounge area where you can recharge your camera and your own battery, but you can also get massages and beauty treatments at the lodge.
In our gardens, you'll find a secluded, cool and peaceful house for these treatments.
You're on holiday so go ahead and let yourself be pampered!
Price for massage - 1 hr £15
Manicure & pedicure also available at £10 each
Things to do outside the lodge
Gambia tourism attractions
- Abuko nature reserve
- Brufut Woods
- Kayaking
- Tanji Museum
- Tungbung art village
- Rainbow Beach Bar:
- Gunjur fishing centre
- Lemonfish art gallery
- Bird observatory/snake farm
- Airport 28 km from Footsteps
These 2 activities support The Gunjur Dog Patrol Charity
Help local dogs in Gunjur
Become a dog ranger for a morning!
Spend a morning with our mobile dog rangers helping local dogs stay healthy and happy. This day is one to remember for a multitude of reasons. Join our rangers on pushbike and set off for Gunjur village where you will assist with the daily tasks involved in educating and raising standards for dog care in Gambia. Its a fantastic way to see real village life and meet the locals too!
3-4 hrs cost £25 and includes your bike too!
All monies go directly to Gunjur Dog Patrol
Lazy Day Cruise
Support Gunjur Dog Patrol by going on a river-cruise
This cruise is run by Susan Stage, an animal advocate and one of the kindest individuals you could ever meet. Susan runs her 'Lazy day Cruise" for the sole purpose of supporting animal charities like The Gunjur Dog Patrol.
An early start from Footsteps ( or wherever you may be staying ) sees you at Denton Bridge Banjul by 9 am and in time to get onboard a traditional Gambian Pirogue for a slap up breakfast on the river.
Enjoy a day of great food ( breakfast and lunch, teas, coffees included in price ), company, swimming and even a spot of fishing if thats your thing.
Price is £25 pp, transport there and back is extra and is £30 split between the number of people going ( Ie. £10 each if 3 persons )
Proceeds go to The Gunjur Dog patrol
Kayaking in Tanji
Sunrise or sunset Kayaking
Half-day kayaking through the bolong at Tanji. Go either at sunrise or sunset and see numerous birds.
Price per person is £30 and includes breakfast coffee & tea.
Take a peek at their Facebook page
Abuko & Tanji
Visit Abuko nature reserve
Abuko Forest Reserve is one of the oldest nature reserves and tourist attractions in Gambia. The nature reserve covers around 107 hectares, much of which is dense forest and bushes, with plenty of room for the three primate species found here: vervet, red colobus, and patas monkeys.
As many as 270 bird species were recorded in this forest area as well as numerous butterflies and reptiles too.
After lunch, it’s on to Tanji Village Museum, The Gambia’s first private museum, and a great place for learning about Gambian flora and fauna, history and crafts, as well as hearing local musicians.
After visiting the museum, you can continue to see Tanji’s bustling fish market.
Transport, guide, lunch, and admission fees inc. approx £36 each
Culture day
See the nations capital
Spend a day in Banjul and see the nation's capital. Feel the hustle and bustle and experience Albert Market and all it has to offer, everything from spices to fine materials.
Visit its museum and history from when The Gambia was ruled as a British colony
Price £30 per person.
My farm
Visit a women's initiative
Spend a day at ‘My Farm’, a charitable foundation based in Norway.
Their mission is to improve livelihoods in The Gambia through education in agricultural innovation, environmental protection and entrepreneurship.
Learn how they make handmade soaps, real Mango fruit jams, and Bamboo butter body creams and try their rejuvenating Moringa teas.
Have lunch cooked using solar cookers and buy their unique products as gifts for your loved ones back home.
Transport, guide, lunch and admission fees inc.£30 per person
Fishing village & school
Visit local fishing centre
Visit a nearby fishing village and capture the colourful boats returning with their catch and the fishermen mending the nets.
Then to a local school to meet the children and teachers of The Gunjur Upper Basic School.
Our itinerary is designed to put you where the pictures are, this holiday will provide you with stunning photographs and timeless memories.
Transport, guide, lunch inc – approx £25
Snakes & reptiles
Visit to a reptile centre
Inside a well-preserved forest near Kartong, you will find a collection of Gambian reptiles. Snakes, chameleons, turtles, lizards and other animals.
Some are extremely dangerous and others like The Python are not dangerous and have been tamed. These can be handled if you wish.
All the reptiles are presented by an experienced herpetologist during a one-hour tour who will answer any questions you ask.
Transport, lunch & admission fees inc – £22
Sunrise/Sunset trip
Experience beautiful sunrises
See the Gambia sunset by riverboat – one of the many things to do in the Gambia and, perhaps, one of the most beautiful and relaxing. You leave from the fishing village of Kartong and spend the morning/afternoon in a dugout on the Alahein River, having breakfast/lunch in a Senegalese river camp.
It’s a lovely way to spend a morning/afternoon and a big favourite with our guests—Meander down a small river estuary and cross to Senegal. On the way, you’ll see some of the country’s most beautiful scenery and birds galore.
Transportation & Guide inc – £30
Lamin’s walk n talk
Local flora & fauna walk
Lamin will describe and talk about just about anything and everything you may see or hear along the way. This could be a bird, a monkey, a deer or even a snake, and will most certainly include trees and shrubs, many of which have religious or medicinal uses.
The walk and talk safari in Gambia is a fascinating experience and a great opportunity to learn more about the local people and their culture and traditions as well as gather information about the area around Gunjur Village in general.
You can read more about Lamin in our featured spotlight blog series.
Your expert guide inc – £15
Ninki Nanka
Explore the Ninki Nanka Trail
is a small, new Gambian charity, supported by a UK community interest company (CIC), working towards the responsible development of the Ninki Nanka Trail as a community-based tourist destination.
We work on projects with communities, tourism businesses and local government to develop experiences, products and community-based tourism designed to create inspiring, cultural interaction between tourists and local people, and use tourism to create livelihood opportunities for host communities along The River Gambia.
Our activities also include responsible tourism education, preserving Ninki Nanka stories and intangible heritage, conservation and experiential and cultural immersion tours for small educational and special interest groups.
Pottery workshops
Saine's pottery workshop
Spend a morning or afternoon creating a lifelong memory from clay with Abdoulie Saine.
The price is 1000 Dalasi ( £14 ) for 4 hours, and you will make 2 items of pottery which are yours to keep.
Add 500 Dalasi ( £7 ) and enjoy lunch with Abdoulie and his family 😉
Beach clean-up day
Beach clean-up day
Join us on the beach to clean it and have some fun too playing volleyball and enjoy some drinks!
Beach cleaning is not only a responsible act that helps protect our oceans and marine life, but it can also be a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Armed with gloves and trash bags, you embark on a mission to rid the beach of litter. As you bend down to pick up debris, you may encounter interesting and unexpected treasures like seashells or driftwood. Working alongside like-minded individuals, you can bond, share stories, and create lasting memories. With each piece of trash you collect, you positively impact the environment, making beach cleaning a rewarding and fulfilling activity that brings joy and satisfaction to all involved.
The Roots Trip
Kunta Kinteh Island
For this full-day trip, we use one of our preferred tour operator partners, contact us for more information
Start your day early by heading to Banjul harbour at 8:00 am. Hop on a boat for a 25km trip upriver to Albreda, Juffureh, and Kunta Kinteh Island (formerly Fort James Island). This tour will take you back in time to learn about the transatlantic slave trade, meet the descendants of Kunta Kinteh from the famous book and film "ROOTS," and explore a museum dedicated to the memory of the slaves who were held on the island. After a break for an all-inclusive lunch, we'll visit Fort James on Kunta Kinteh Island before heading back.
A full 12 hours trip
Lunch included
£80 per person
These are just some of the things to do in Gambia. If you have special requests or would like to create a tailor-made trip, we can help with that too!
VerifiedFootprints78000Relaxed birding in Gambia We spent 10 days at Footsteps on a leisurely birding holiday. Lovely setting with plenty of bird life within close proximity and of course whilst relaxing in the grounds, over 150 species seen. A lovely 25 minute easy, flat walk to the beach with a large crocodile observed in the wetland! Food excellent and it was really nice to sit chatting with other guests over the evening meal. A couple of great birding day trips with Lamin Bojang increased our bird count, thankyou! Our Marakissa tour was excellent with a delicious meal at the Marakissa River Camp included. All the staff were extremely kind, friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Transfers to and from the airport worked very well for us. If you would like a quiet, restful holiday with full sun and pleasant surroundings this is the place for you.Verifiedkate6390A perfect stay Incredible place. Accommodation was as described if not better . Plenty of space , hot shower , fan and mosquito net. Room cleaned daily with fresh towels if needed. The outside areas were perfect for relaxing in , dappled shade amongst the trees and plants. Lots of bird life / wild life around the complex. The food was exemplary, from the fresh breakfast to a great choice for lunch to the table d’hote in the evenings. We did the beach clean , the beach walk in both directions plus plenty of birding in the area. There is lots to explore but it was also lovely just to relax in the grounds. The plunge pool was refreshing when returning from a trip for an immediate cool down. We throughly enjoyed our time here , didn’t want to leave and we are definitely looking at returning and exploring Gambia in more depth including another stay at foot steps of course .VerifiedMichaBeautiful sunsets in paradise Footsteps is a really special place. Bouba and Doudou were very welcoming and friendly and Karamo is a wonderful host - he helped us to find the local places that we wanted to visit. The pool is cool that's for sure and a great highlight of our trip as it is freshwater and not chlorinated. Our room was lovely and the bed was really comfortable. There are so many beautiful birds there and the grounds are lovely and well maintained. I would highly recommend Footsteps.VerifiedJeremy GGreat place and perfect sanctuary in south Gambia TRhis is a great place less than a mile from Gunjur one way and a fabulous empty beach the other way. Footsteps is a perferct snactuary from the heat and the food served for breakfast and dinner really good (they even sell guiness!). Wandering through the forest on the sandy lanes is a great experience and you can organise various trips through the lodge which are great (we especially enjoyed the wildlife and bird spotting trip with Lamin. Would definitely go back in a heartbeatVerifiedExplorer828139Great bird photography opportunities Main goal with my ten nights stay was photographing birds. I ended up with good pictures of around 145 species. The accommodation in the sunbird house was great and spacious and the meals served were delicious. I especially appreciated the barbecue arrangements with dance and drums/kora music on saturdays. The photographing possibilities were very good both guided and on my own by the wetlands locally. I will recommend the kayaking in Tanji as a must-experience highlight.VerifiedJan Sverre KHoliday of my life! The holiday of my life! Met all my expectations. Welcoming, friendly, laid-back, relaxing, picturesque, beatiful. Great staff. Good food. Sensible in every way. A perfect match for my long-standing passion for both Gambian culture and birding. Good oportunities to socialise with other guests. Interesting cultural visits by Jeli Yankuba and a djembe group from Gunjur which made us all dance. And not least, birding was incredible. Me and my travel companion registered more than 130 bird species in ten days! A small platform obove the little pool in the centre of Footsteps was a perfect place to photograph beautiful sunbirds, a pygmy kingfisher, weavers and many more. And Footsteps' excellent bird-guide Lamin Bojang took us to other places where we saw owls, spoonbills, pelicans and more. One thing I know for sure: I will be back!VerifiedShuggie MBest ecolodge there is! This has to be the best lodge in the Gambia. Amazing staff, great food and the last word in comfort. Really impressed by the whole approach to sustainability. Not to mention the incredible wood carver, the weavers (when was the last time you could say I know who grew the cotton, know who spun it, and wove it?), and jeweller. The most relaxing time ever! Thank you David and Linda.VerifiedMartin 14Home from Home We have visited the Gambia many times and this was our 4th visit to Footsteps. Every time we walk through the gates the place feels like a home from home. David, Linda and their staff keep the lodges and grounds clean and tidy. The food produced by the chefs is always to a high standard and the barbeques with entertainment from the local drummers is always a great evening. Every time we come we make new friends and discover new places to visit. We will be back very soon.VerifiedLiz KA Gambian Haven! Can’t stop returning to this Gambian Haven. It was wonderful to return for our 5th visit this year and to be greeted again so warmly by David and his staff. The food as always was delicious, accommodation spotless and every time we come we experience more and varied things about this delightful country and its people, all arranged through Footsteps. We will certainly be back againVerifiedAngele VA Warm and wonderful stay in the most beautiful environment Footsteps is a fantastic natural place where David and Linda and their staff welcome you with warmth and care. All praise! Sitting in front of your roundhouse you will see many birds, but you can also take bird walks and walk towards the beach and wetlands from the lodge. The food is delicious and fresh. For us, the shared dinner was an addition. Lots of beautiful stories and encounters. We will definitely come back! recommended!
Read our price promise 😉
A/ We won’t be beaten on price.
B/ If you find a better deal, we’ll price match & discount it by 5%.
C/ Book your next Gambia vacation today with no deposit, nothing to pay until one month before travel & a full refund guarantee up to 2 weeks before travel.
"Simple as ABC", start planning your holiday today with Footsteps Eco-lodge!