Best Time to Visit Abidjan

December to February: the dry spell

This is the easiest time to be in Abidjan. January is the best month by our comfort score, with the most sun and the least rain. December and February are still decent, though February gets more showers. It's warm and a bit sticky, but you'll get long dry stretches for walking around Plateau, the business district with its tall towers, or taking a ferry-style water taxi (a "bateau-bus") across the Ebrié Lagoon.

Beach days are best now. Grand-Bassam, a UNESCO-listed old colonial town, is an easy day trip east of the city. Assinie is further along the coast and good for a weekend by the sea. Harmattan, a dry dusty wind from the Sahara, can haze the sky around this time, though it's usually milder here on the coast than inland.

This is also high season, so expect fuller hotels and busier flights around Christmas and New Year. If you want one Abidjan event, look at the Fête de l'Abissa in Grand-Bassam. It's held by the N'zima people, usually around late October or November, and it's a different time of year, so don't pair it with this season.

March to June: the long rains

Be honest with yourself here: this is the wettest stretch. Rain falls on most days from March onward, and June is the wettest month by far. Skies are grey, the air feels heavy, and roads can flood. Traffic around Cocody and the bridges to Marcory slows to a crawl when the heavy downpours hit.

Rain usually comes in bursts, so you can still get out between showers. It suits museum visits, long lunches of grilled fish with attiéké (grated cassava) and cheap hotel rates. Beaches are rough and often not safe for swimming, so skip them.

July to September: a short break

Rain eases in July and August, and August is the driest month outside the dry season. It's the best bet for a trip outside winter, though skies stay cloudy. Nights feel cooler, which is a nice change. September brings the rain back.

This is low season, so you'll find quieter streets and easier hotel deals. It works well for a city break with food markets in Treichville and Adjamé.

October and November: the second rains

October brings heavy rain again, and it falls on every day of the month. November is better but still wet. If your dates are flexible, aim to arrive late in November, when the skies start to open up before the dry season. This is also when Abissa tends to take place in Grand-Bassam.