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◆ Country guide · West Africa

Togo, from the Gulf of Guinea to the Koutammakou

Togo has 56 kilometres of Atlantic coast and runs more than 500 kilometres north from it to Burkina Faso. Lomé sits on the Ghana border, the forested hills around Kpalimé grow coffee and cocoa under Mont Agou, the highest point at 986 metres, and in the far north the Batammariba still build the earth tower houses of the Koutammakou, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape since 2004. The far north is also where the advisories bite: the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland and the United States all advise against the Burkina Faso border area, and the United States against everything north of Kandé.

8.1M

People

Region

Best months

Nov · Dec · Jan

Ideal length

7–10 days

Budget / day

$50–120

Language

French is official

Getting around

A hired car with a driver beyond Lomé

When to visit Togo

Two rainy seasons on the coast and one in the north. The dry months at the end of the year are the ones to book.

Full month guide →

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

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Nov

Dec

Best: November to January, dry and green after the rains, before the heat builds Good: February, still dry but hotter, with harmattan haze in the north Hard going: March to October, the heat and then the rains, wettest on the coast in June and in the north from July to September

Quick answer · where to go in Togo

Give Lomé two nights: the Grand Marché, the Akodésséwa fetish market and the Palais de Lomé. Spend a day on Lake Togo, by pirogue from Agbodrafo to Togoville. Then three or four days in the hills around Kpalimé: Mont Agou, Mont Kloto, the Akloa falls. North on the N1, Kara holds the Evala wrestling in mid-July. The Koutammakou, beyond Kandé, is where the US says do not travel, so read your own advisory first. A week covers Lomé, the lake and Kpalimé.

Jump toMap Fun fact Stereotypes Famous faces Food FAQ

Fun fact

One number worth knowing

Togo is named after a lakeside town. Togodo, now Togoville, sits on Lake Togo, its name probably from the Ewe to, water, and go, shore. There, on 5 July 1884, Gustav Nachtigal signed the treaty that made the coast a German protectorate, and the name carried through to independence on 27 April 1960.

Stereotypes, sorted out

The clichés you have heard, what is actually true, and the local rules that matter once you land.

"Togo is a sliver you cross in an afternoon on the way from Accra to Cotonou."

The realityThe coast is 56 kilometres, and the coast road sees only that. Behind it the country runs more than 500 kilometres north: Lake Togo, the forested Plateaux where Mont Agou reaches 986 metres, the Kabyè country of Sokodé and Kara, and the tower houses of the Koutammakou. The north is a trip in itself.

"Vodun is black magic, and the fetish market is a show for tourists."

The realityVodun is a practised religion. The World Factbook counts 36.9 per cent of Togolese in folk religion, against 42.3 Christian and 14 Muslim. Akodésséwa market sells what practice uses, and the Guin new year at Glidji draws pilgrims each late August or early September. Ask before photographing shrines.

"The whole country is too dangerous to visit."

The realityThe advice draws lines on the map. The UK, Canada and Ireland warn against the Burkina Faso border and the Savanes, under a state of emergency; the US says do not travel north of Kandé. Lomé, the coast, the Plateaux and the Kara road lie outside those zones. There, theft and protests are the risks.

"Lomé is a beach city, so plan on swimming."

The realityLomé's beaches draw the strictest advice. Currents along the Bight of Benin are strong, worst from January to May, drownings happen yearly, and there is no rescue service. Muggings happen on the sand day and night. Stay out of rivers, lakes and waterfall pools too, which carry schistosomiasis.

A sliver between Ghana and BeninOnly a transit stop on the coast roadVoodoo and nothing elseA beach holidayToo dangerous everywhereAdebayor's country, and that is all

Local rules that actually matter

Carry a copy of your passport photo page at all times. Police and gendarmes can ask for identification anywhere, and road checkpoints are frequent.
Never photograph soldiers, police, government buildings or the airport. They are not always clearly marked, so when in doubt, keep the camera down.
At night checkpoints, dim the headlights, switch the interior light on and have your documents ready. Do not pay a bribe; the US advises asking to follow the officer to the nearest police station instead.
Togo runs on cash. Card machines are unreliable even where cards are taken, and only some ATMs in Lomé accept international cards, so carry CFA francs for anywhere beyond the capital.
Keep well away from demonstrations. Even peaceful ones can turn violent, and the authorities have cut internet and phone networks to stop them.
Same-sex relations are illegal in Togo, and penalties include prison and fines.
Ask before you photograph people, shrines or ceremonies, at Akodésséwa and in the villages alike.

Famous Togolese faces

The names behind Togolese independence, politics, music, writing, art and sport. Pick a field.

Sylvanus Olympio

First president, who led Togo to independence in 1960. Killed in the 1963 coup in Lomé.

Emmanuel Adebayor

Togo's record scorer with 32 goals, whose qualifiers sent Togo to the 2006 World Cup.

Bella Bellow

Tsévié singer of one album, Rockia (1969). She died in a road accident in 1973, at 28.

Tété-Michel Kpomassie

Went to Greenland in 1965 after a boyhood book, and wrote An African in Greenland.

Gnassingbé Eyadéma

Army officer in the 1963 coup who took power in 1967 and ruled until his death in 2005.

Faure Gnassingbé

Eyadéma's son, in power since 2005. Since 3 May 2025 he holds a post with no term limit.

Victoire Tomegah Dogbé

Named Prime Minister on 28 September 2020, the first woman to hold the office in Togo.

King Mensah

The golden voice of Togo, born in 1971, mixing Ewe and Kabyè rhythms with funk and reggae.

Sami Tchak

Novelist born in 1960, made by Hermina (2003). Grand Prix littéraire d'Afrique noire 2004.

Kossi Efoui

Playwright and novelist from Anfoin, winner of the Grand Prix littéraire d'Afrique noire.

Benjamin Boukpeti

K1 canoe slalom bronze at Beijing 2008, Togo's only Olympic medal.

Paul Ahyi

Painter, sculptor and architect credited with designing the flag. Died in 2010.

Must-try Togolese food

Maize pastes under green sauces, grilled chicken, and sorghum beer from the north. Pick a category.

Akoumé

Fermented maize cooked to a smooth white paste, eaten under adémè, gboma or okra sauce.

Djenkoumé

Roasted maize dough with tomato, garlic, ginger and palm oil, worked into a red paste.

Fufu

Yam, cassava or plantain pounded into a smooth, elastic ball and eaten with soup.

Adémè

Jute leaves cooked into a tangy green sauce with smoked fish. The partner for akoumé.

Gboma dessi

Spinach stewed slowly with beef, tomato, onion, garlic, ginger and chilli.

Fetri detsi

Okra soup with red palm oil and smoked fish or meat, slippery by design.

Koklo mémé

Chicken coated in a hot pepper sauce and grilled over a flame.

Ayimolou

Rice and beans cooked together and served under a spicy tomato sauce.

Akpan

Fermented maize yoghurt, bagged with condensed milk and iced. Eaten as a sweet.

Tchoukoutou

Opaque beer brewed from sorghum or millet, the drink of the north.

Sodabi

Spirit distilled from palm wine, strong and variable, used in ceremonies and daily life.

Know before you go

The essentials for planning a Togo trip, starting with the visa and the advisories.

Visa

E-visa only, no visa on arrival

E-visa only: apply on voyage.gouv.tg at least six days before flying. A single-entry tourist visa covers 15 days. File the portal's registration form before arrival and again before departure.

Travel advisory

Burkina Faso border: do not travel

UK, Canada, Ireland: no travel within 30 kilometres of the Burkina Faso border, essential travel only in the Savanes. US: Level 2, and Level 4 north of Kandé. The Savanes need written army permission.

Currency

West African CFA franc (XOF)

Pegged to the euro and shared with Benin and Burkina Faso. Plan on cash: some Lomé ATMs take foreign cards, and card machines elsewhere are unreliable. Change money at banks or official bureaux.

Language

French, with Ewe and Kabiyè

French is official. Ewe and Kabiyè have been national languages since 1975: Ewe and Mina in the south, Kabiyè in the north, among some 37 ethnic groups.

Emergency

Police 117 · Fire 118 · Ambulance 8200

Those are the numbers the UK and Irish foreign ministries list. Medical facilities are poor and emergency care is extremely limited, so carry insurance that covers evacuation.

Health

Yellow fever certificate · malaria

Yellow fever proof is required from age one, and travellers without it are turned away. Take antimalarials, drink bottled water, and stay out of fresh water, which carries schistosomiasis.

Getting around

A hired car and driver

Paved trunk roads run north from Lomé and along the coast to Accra and Cotonou; most others are unpaved and flood in the rains. Do not travel overland after dark. Use Lomé's motorbike taxis with care.

Sea and beaches

Strong undertow

Currents along the Bight of Benin are strong, worst from January to May, drownings happen every year, and there is no sea rescue service. Muggings happen on Lomé's beaches day and night.

Tipping

Discretionary

There is no fixed custom. Agree a taxi fare before you get in, agree a guide's fee before you set out, and round up where the service was good.

Togo travel FAQ

Do you need a visa for Togo?+

Yes, and it is issued only online. Apply through the government's portal at voyage.gouv.tg at least six days before you arrive; there is no visa on arrival, and a single-entry tourist visa covers 15 days. The same portal holds a registration form to fill in before arrival and again before departure. Bring a yellow fever vaccination certificate as well: it is required of everyone over one year old, and travellers without one are turned away.

Is Togo safe to visit?+

The south is where the advice is lightest. The United States holds Togo at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, citing terrorism, crime, unrest and kidnapping, and Canada and Ireland advise a high degree of caution. All four governments, the UK included, warn against the area along the Burkina Faso border, where extremist groups have carried out attacks and kidnappings, and the UK, Canada and Ireland advise against all but essential travel to the rest of the Savanes region, which is under a state of emergency. The US goes further and says not to travel north of Kandé. In Lomé the everyday risks are theft and robbery on the beaches and in the markets, and demonstrations, which can turn violent and have led the authorities to cut internet and phone networks. Avoid crowds, do not drive after dark, and read your own foreign ministry the week you book.

When is the best time to visit Togo?+

November to January. The rains are over, the hills around Kpalimé are green, the roads are open and the heat has not built. February is still dry but hotter, and the harmattan, the dusty wind off the Sahara, blows from December to March and cuts visibility in the north. On the coast the rains peak in June, ease in August and return from mid-September to late October; the centre and the north have one long rainy season, heaviest from July to September, when unpaved roads can become impassable.

Can you visit the Koutammakou?+

It is the hardest call on a Togo trip. The Koutammakou, the land of the Batammariba and their earth tower houses, lies north-east of Kandé in the Kara region, and excursions run from Kandé towards Nadoba, the largest village. UNESCO inscribed it in 2004 and extended the site into Benin in 2023. The UK, Canada and Ireland draw their restricted zones further north, at the Burkina Faso border and the Savanes region, but the United States advises against all travel north of Kandé because extremist groups have attacked nearby areas of Benin. Check your own government's advice, and your insurer's, before you plan it.

How do you combine Togo with Ghana and Benin?+

Overland, along the coast. Lomé's city limits run to the Ghana border at Aflao, one of the busiest crossings in West Africa, and the coast road runs east past Agbodrafo, on Lake Togo, and Aného to Benin. Each country sets its own visa rules, so arrange all three before you set out. Togo's land borders close during elections in Togo, Ghana and Benin, and can close at short notice for other reasons, and the US advises avoiding the Ghana border after dark. Lomé is also the hub of ASKY Airlines, which flies across West and Central Africa.

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