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Benin

Ganvié on stilts, the slave route and the land of voodoo.

Capital
Porto-Novo (Cotonou = economic capital)
Currency
CFA franc (XOF) — fixed parity with Cameroon's CFA
Flight from Lomé
From Lomé (varies)
Time difference
GMT+1 (same time as Cameroon)

Benin is among the destinations a Togolese passport reaches without a visa. Ganvié on stilts, the slave route and the land of voodoo. Here: visa, real budget, best seasons and what to do — departing from Togo.

Formalities

The visa, step by step

Visa-free
Allowed stay
up to 90 days (ECOWAS)
Cost
Free
Processing
Immediate on arrival

How to apply

ECOWAS free movement: a valid Togolese ID card or a valid passport is enough — no visa.

Required documents

  • Valid ECOWAS ID card or passport
  • Return ticket
  • Yellow fever certificate

Good to know

  • •ECOWAS free movement (up to 90 days).
How much it costs

A one-week budget

Backpacker
180 000 FCFA
/ week, excl. flight
Comfort
420 000 FCFA
/ week, excl. flight

Round-trip flight from Douala / Yaoundé

90 000 FCFA–192 000 FCFA

Flights from Lomé (ASKY, Ethiopian, Air Côte d'Ivoire…), depending on the destination.

Indicative round-trip price: it varies widely by season, layover and how early you book.

Where the money goes (backpacker estimate)

🏨96 000 FCFA
🍽️54 000 FCFA
🚕33 000 FCFA
🎟️60 000 FCFA
Hostel
6 000 FCFA–12 000 FCFA
Mid-range
16 800 FCFA–36 000 FCFA
Nice hotel
54 000 FCFA–120 000 FCFA
Tailored

Budget simulator

Comfort level
Estimated total budget
270 000 FCFA
Must-sees

What to do there

1

Ganvié

Lake village on stilts, pirogue visit.

2

Slave Route (Ouidah)

And the Door of No Return.

3

Temple of Pythons

And the sacred Kpassè forest in Ouidah.

4

Vodun Days (10 January)

Major voodoo festival.

5

Royal Palaces of Abomey

Kingdom of Dahomey (UNESCO).

6

Porto-Novo

Afro-Brazilian architecture.

7

Grand-Popo

Beach and the Mono lagoon.

Itinerary

One week, day by day

  1. D1

    Arrival in Cotonou: Dantokpa market and seafront.

  2. D2

    Day trip to Ganvié by pirogue.

  3. D3

    Ouidah: Slave Route, Door of No Return, Pythons.

  4. D4

    Relaxing at Grand-Popo (beach, Mono lagoon).

  5. D5

    Drive to Abomey: Royal Palaces of Dahomey.

  6. D6

    Porto-Novo: historic centre, Afro-Brazilian mosque.

  7. D7

    Craft shopping in Cotonou and departure.

✓

Travel checklist

A printable list (or save as PDF) so you forget nothing.

Travel checklist — Bénin

Before you leave

What to pack

Visa sources: en.wikipedia.org

Indicative data (June 2026), reliability moyenne. Visa rules, prices and timelines change: always confirm with official sources before booking.

They did it

Traveler reviews

LN
Cameroon→Benin

“Benin is beautiful and full of culture, with so much to visit: Ganvié, the Temple of Pythons, Grand-Popo, Cotonou… It's magnificent. Only downside: I wasn't really into their cuisine.”

📌 For accommodation, I recommend the Fidjrossè neighbourhood in Cotonou.

October 2024Solo7 dAs expected (≈ Cameroon)Visa-freeRecommends
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