How do you travel from Banjul to Bissau by land? I completed this journey in 2020 and it’s very simple, even with a stop in Ziguinchor for a Guinea Bissau visa. Consider setting off at first light to ensure you arrive in Bissau during daylight hours. Here’s how to do it and the approximate cost:
Banjul to Bissau – Leg 1 – Take a Taxi to Brikama Garage
Whether you’re in Banjul or Senegambia, you must find a taxi to Brikama garage. If you’re on a tight budget flag down a share taxi heading in that direction. Alternatively, negotiate a price with a charter taxi which will cost around 500 dalasi from Banjul, less from Senegambia.
Banjul to Bissau – Leg 2 – Share Taxi to Senegal Border
You will easily find a share taxi heading towards the Senegal border in Brikama garage. Instead of taking a back seat in the car which was leaving I decided to wait for the next and take the front seat. Whilst I was waiting I ordered an omelet in a baguette and a coffee. However, the journey to the border is around 30 minutes therefore the back seat would not have been too bad. This shared minivan takes you through the border all the way to the Sept Place station on the Senegal side of the border. It costs around 75 dalasi.
Banjul to Bissau – Leg 3 – Sept Place Taxi from Gambia Border to Ziguinchor
The journey time from the Gambia border to Ziguinchor is around 2 hours. I was lucky on this leg of the journey and traveled in one of the coolest sept place vehicles I’ve seen. How much is the sept place taxi from the border to Ziguinchor? Around 1500 francs + a little more for your bags.
Guinea Bissau Visa in Ziguinchor
You could walk to the Guinea Bissau embassy from Ziguinchor Gare Routiere. Here is the exact location of both the embassy and the bus station. However, consider the heat and also the fact you have your bags. A taxi should cost less than 500 francs. Once at the embassy the visa process is very simple. Fill out a form and pay the officer 20,000 francs for your single entry Guinea Bissau visa and it’s ready immediately. If you require a different type of visa such as multiple entry then the cost is a little more. Now you’re ready to head back to the gare routiere and take the next share minivan to Bissau.
Banjul to Bissau – Leg 4 – Shared Minivan to Bissau
On Google maps the journey from Ziguinchor to Bissau takes around 3 hours but this journey time is optimistic. When you consider the borders, customs checks and bad roads it’s more likely to be a 6-8 hour journey. For this reason, do your best to get the front seat to yourself. The cost is around 3500 francs but check they don’t put 2 people in the front seat. If they do, maybe pay for both or sit in the second row. Lastly, you may have to pay a little extra for your luggage. It seems in Senegal they came up with extra luggage fees before even Ryanair did.
Traveling from Guinea Bissau to Senegal
As you head towards Bissau you may see lots of push bikes with bags of grass coming in the opposite direction. It made me think, what is actually in these bags of grass?
Welcome to Guinea Bissau
I set off a little late from Banjul therefore I arrived in Bissau after dark. The bonus for my late start was to witness a beautiful sunset on route. Enjoy the ride and welcome to Guinea Bissau.
Things to do in Guinea Bissau. Things to do in Banjul. How to Travel from Bissau to Conakry by Land.
Leave A Comment