--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Lomé, Togo | Wimup" description: "The 10 best things to do in Lomé: the Palais de Lomé gardens, the Nana Benz cloth stalls of the Grand Marché, the Akodésséwa fetish market, the 1902 cathedral and a pirogue across Lake Togo." url: https://wimup.com/city/lome type: City guide updated: 2026-10-21 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Lomé Lomé, Togo · Africa · By Wimup Editorial, 10 min read Lomé is a capital on a border: its western districts run to the Ghana frontier at Aflao, and its deep-water port is the sea gate for Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Germany made it the colony's capital in 1897, and the cathedral and governor's palace from that era still stand. ## Quick answer The best things to do in Lomé are the Palais de Lomé and its seafront park, the Grand Marché where the Nana Benz built the wax-cloth trade, the Akodésséwa fetish market, the 1902 Sacred Heart Cathedral and the Independence Monument, then a pirogue across Lake Togo to Togoville. Allow two or three days. November to February is the dry season. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** Nov–Feb - **Ideal length:** 2–3 days - **Budget per day:** $60–140 - **Language:** French, with Ewe and Mina - **Getting around:** Zémidjans, Gozem rides and unmetered taxis - **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://tourisme.gouv.tg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Lomé ### 1. Walk the gardens of the Palais de Lomé Landmark · Seafront, central Lomé The German governor's palace, finished in 1905 and empty for two decades, reopened in 2019 as an arts centre in a 26-acre seafront park. Come for the current exhibition, then walk the sculpture garden out to the ocean side. - **Time:** 2 hours - **Cost:** Check on arrival - **Best at:** Late afternoon - **Tip:** Check the programme before you go: the exhibitions change and some events need a ticket. ### 2. Bargain for wax cloth at the Grand Marché Market · Assigamé, central Lomé The covered market in the old centre where the Nana Benz, the women wholesalers of printed wax cloth, made their fortunes. The cloth floors are the reason to come; the streets around it sell everything else. - **Time:** 2 hours - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Weekday morning - **Tip:** Go early, before the heat and the crowds, and carry small CFA notes. ### 3. Meet the vendors at the Akodésséwa fetish market Market · Akodésséwa, east Lomé Stalls of skulls, dried animals, herbs and charms used in vodun practice. A guide walks you through what each item is for and may offer a consultation with a priest. - **Time:** 1 hour - **Cost:** Entry and photo fees - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Agree the entry, guide and camera fees before you start; they are charged separately. ### 4. Cross Lake Togo by pirogue to Togoville Day trip · Agbodrafo, 31 km east Pirogues pole from Agbodrafo across the lagoon to Togoville, the town that gave the country its name, where Gustav Nachtigal signed the 1884 protectorate treaty. The crossing takes about twenty minutes. - **Time:** Half a day - **Cost:** Pirogue fare - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Agree the return fare with the boatman at Agbodrafo before you push off. ### 5. Visit the Sacred Heart Cathedral Landmark · Near the Grand Marché, central Lomé German missionaries built this twin-spired Gothic church in about eighteen months, and it was consecrated in September 1902. It stands a block from the Grand Marché, so pair the two. - **Time:** 30 min - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Sunday morning - **Tip:** Dress for church and stay at the back during a service. ### 6. See the Independence Monument Landmark · Place de l'Indépendance The white monument to independence on 27 April 1960: a woman with a cooking pot before a figure breaking his chains. It stands on a large roundabout in the centre. - **Time:** 20 min - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Early morning - **Tip:** Photograph from the edge of the square; it is busy with traffic most of the day. ### 7. Read the collections of the Musée national Museum · Palais des Congrès A compact museum of Togolese jewellery, instruments, pottery and weapons, set in the Palais des Congrès complex. It gives the fetish market and the north their context in an hour. - **Time:** 1 hour - **Cost:** Check on arrival - **Best at:** Weekday morning - **Tip:** Ask for a guide at the desk; the labels are brief and in French. ### 8. Watch carvers at the Village artisanal Shopping · Central Lomé Workshops where carvers, weavers, batik makers and leatherworkers make what they sell. Buy here rather than from beach hawkers and you can see the piece being finished. - **Time:** 1 hour - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Weekday - **Tip:** Prices are open: start at half the first figure and settle in between. ### 9. Drive the coast road to Aného Day trip · Aného, 46 km east The capital of German Togoland from 1885 to 1887, near the Benin border. Its old colonial quarter faces the lagoon, and the Guin sanctuary at Glidji lies four kilometres north. - **Time:** Full day - **Cost:** Taxi fare - **Best at:** Dry season - **Tip:** Stop at Agbodrafo on the way and do Lake Togo the same day. ### 10. Tour the Musée International du Golfe de Guinée Museum · Boulevard du Mono A private collection of West African masks, statues and textiles, a short walk east of the Grand Marché. Pair it with the market the same morning. - **Time:** 1 hour - **Cost:** Check on arrival - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Listed hours are Monday to Saturday; check by phone before a Saturday visit. ## Best markets in Lomé Where Lomé buys its food, fish and cloth. 1. **Marché de Bè** (Food market · Bè): The old Ewe quarter's food market, busier and cheaper than the Grand Marché. 2. **Marché de Hédzranawoé** (Market · Hédzranawoé): A large neighbourhood market in the north-east of the city. 3. **Fishing port** (Fish market · Port area): Pirogues land the catch here in the morning. Go early and keep your camera down. ## Best sights in Lomé Seafront avenues, a tower hotel and the national stadium. 1. **Boulevard du Mono** (Boulevard · Seafront): The seafront avenue that runs east from the centre past the beaches. 2. **Hôtel 2 Février** (Landmark · Centre): The tower that marks the skyline, now run as a Radisson Blu. 3. **Palais des Congrès** (Landmark · Centre): The former ruling party headquarters, home to the national museum. 4. **Stade de Kégué** (Stadium · Kégué): The national stadium, where the Togo team plays its home matches. ## Best beaches in Lomé Swim only where a hotel or lifeguard watches the water; the currents are strong. 1. **Coco Beach** (Beach · East Lomé): The beach bars here are the centre of Lomé's evenings by the sea. 2. **Robinson Plage** (Beach · East of the port): The beach most often named as supervised. Check the flags on the day. 3. **Avepozo** (Beach · East of Lomé): A quieter stretch on the coast road east of the city. ## Best restaurants in Lomé French cooking in Kodjoviakopé and grilled meat by the market. 1. **Le Galion** (French · Kodjoviakopé): French hotel restaurant near the beach, with a set three-course menu. 2. **Bena Grill** (Grill · Market area): Grilled meat in the market area; order the pork chops. 3. **Côté Sud** (French, Togolese · Lomé): A guesthouse restaurant cooking French dishes with an African twist. ## Best nightlife in Lomé Beach bars on the coast road, clubs in Tokoin and Bè. 1. **Privilège** (Nightclub · Hôtel Palm Beach): The club most Loméans name first, mixing Togolese hits and global charts. 2. **Byblos** (Nightclub · Lomé): A smarter club with a long drinks list and electronic to hip hop. 3. **La Villa** (Bar, club · Boulevard du 13 Janvier): Bar and club for a young crowd on Boulevard du 13 Janvier. ## Best neighborhoods in Lomé Where Lomé trades, eats and goes out. 1. **Centre** (Historic · Central Lomé): The grid around the Grand Marché and the cathedral, busiest on weekdays. 2. **Kodjoviakopé** (Border district · West): The western district at the Ghana border, known for Lebanese restaurants. 3. **Bè** (Residential · East): The old Ewe quarter east of the centre, with its market and clubs. 4. **Tokoin** (Residential · North): A large district north of the lagoon, with several of the city's clubs. ## Best day trips in Lomé The hills, the highest peak and the memory of the slave trade. 1. **Kpalimé** (Town · Plateaux): About 120 km north-west: coffee and cocoa hills and the main crafts town. 2. **Mont Agou** (Mountain · Plateaux): Togo's highest point at 986 metres, reached from Kpalimé. 3. **Mont Kloto** (Forest · Plateaux): Forest walks above Kpalimé, past the Château Viale of 1940. 4. **Wood Home, Agbodrafo** (Memorial · Agbodrafo): A house of memory of the slave trade, by the Lake Togo pirogue landing. ## Festivals & annual events in Lomé (2026) - **Festival des Divinités Noires** (January): Vodun convents, music and ceremonies in Aného and Glidji. - **FIFTO film festival** (Mid-April): The Togo International Film Festival, held in Lomé. - **Independence Day** (27 April): The national holiday for independence from France in 1960. - **Foire internationale du livre** (Late April): Lomé's international book fair, at the CETEF exhibition grounds. - **European Film Festival** (June): A week of European films with a Lomé programme. - **Evala** (Mid-July): Wrestling bouts in the Kara region that mark young men's coming of age. - **Epe-Ekpe** (Late Aug–early Sep): The Guin new year at Glidji, with the reading of the sacred stone. - **Foire internationale de Lomé** (Late Nov–mid Dec): The trade fair at CETEF Togo 2000; the 2026 edition runs 27 Nov to 13 Dec. ## Must-try dishes in Lomé, Togo - **Fufu**: Pounded yam, eaten by hand with a soup or sauce. - **Akoumé**: Firm maize dough, the everyday staple, served with sauce. - **Ablo**: Steamed, slightly sweet maize cakes, an Aného specialty. - **Gboma dessi**: Leafy stew of gboma greens with meat or smoked fish. - **Koklo meme**: Grilled chicken with a chilli sauce. - **Ayimolou**: Rice and beans cooked together, a street breakfast. - **Tchoukoutou**: Home-brewed millet beer, sold in calabashes. - **Sodabi**: Spirit distilled from palm wine. Strong; sip it. ## Lomé transport & airports - **Gnassingbé Eyadéma International Airport** (LFW): On the north-east side of the city, 15 to 30 minutes from the centre. ASKY Airlines is based here. Taxis are unmetered, so agree the fare first. - **Zémidjans and Gozem** (Moto): Motorbike taxis are the fastest way across town. Agree the fare before you climb on, or book a car or moto through the Gozem app. [Website](https://gozem.co/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **To Accra** (Road): The Aflao border post sits at Kodjoviakopé, inside the city. It is open roughly 6am to 6pm; cross by day. Accra is three to four hours on. - **To Cotonou** (Road): About 150 km east along the coast through Aného and the Sanvee Condji border, three hours by bus or shared taxi. ## Lomé at a glance - **Country:** Togo - **Region:** Maritime region, on the Bight of Benin at the Ghana border - **Population:** 2,188,376 in Grand Lomé (2022 census) - **Capital since:** 1897, under German rule - **Port:** Deep-water port serving Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger - **Language:** French is official; Ewe and Mina are widely spoken - **Currency:** West African CFA franc (XOF), pegged to the euro - **Time zone:** Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0), no daylight saving - **Calling code:** +228 - **Airports:** Gnassingbé Eyadéma International (LFW) - **Power:** 220 V, plug types C and E - **Visas:** E-visa at voyage.gouv.tg; yellow fever certificate required ## Interesting facts - The city runs to the Ghana border: the Aflao crossing sits inside Lomé's western districts. - The Lomé Convention, the 1975 trade and aid pact between Europe and 46 ACP states, was signed here. - The Nana Benz were named for the Mercedes-Benz cars their wax-cloth fortunes bought. - The Sacred Heart Cathedral went up in about eighteen months and was consecrated in 1902. - Togoville, across Lake Togo, gave its name to the colony and then to the country. ## Lomé travel FAQ ### How many days do you need in Lomé? Two or three. One for the centre (the Grand Marché, the cathedral, the Independence Monument and the Palais de Lomé), one for Akodésséwa and the museums, and a day east to Lake Togo and Aného. ### When is the best time to visit Lomé? November to February, the dry season, when it is less humid. The main rains run from about April to July, with a shorter wet spell in September and October. It is hot all year. ### Do you need a visa for Togo? Most visitors do. Apply for the e-visa on the government's voyage.gouv.tg portal at least five working days ahead, and carry a yellow fever vaccination card: immigration in Lomé checks it. ### Can you swim at Lomé's beaches? With care. The currents off this coast are strong, so swim only at hotel beaches or where a lifeguard is on duty, such as Robinson Plage, and stay out when the red flag is up. ### How do you get from Lomé to Accra? By road through the Aflao border at the western edge of the city, then three to four hours to Accra by bus or shared taxi. Cross by daylight and change money at a proper bureau rather than with touts at the border. ## Nearby guides - [Cotonou](https://wimup.com/city/cotonou.md): Benin · 10 picks - [Accra](https://wimup.com/city/accra.md): Ghana · 10 picks - [Lagos](https://wimup.com/city/lagos.md): Nigeria · 10 picks - [All of Africa →](https://wimup.com/africa): 64 cities Part of the [Togo guide](https://wimup.com/country/togo.md) · [Africa](https://wimup.com/africa.md) ## Sources - [Lomé tourism board](https://tourisme.gouv.tg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Zémidjans and Gozem (official site)](https://gozem.co/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.