January in Dakar — the year's strongest window
Best window · 8.8/10January averages 24°C (75°F) — warm enough for beach and boat plans, still short of the heat that pushes sightseeing into early morning.
Rain is a non-issue at 2 mm for the month, with about 21 sunny days and 11.2 hours of daylight to work with.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Dakar at 8.8/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here.
Pack light clothing, swimwear and real sun protection.
February in Dakar — the year's strongest window
Best window · 9.5/10February averages 22°C (71°F) — warm enough for beach and boat plans, still short of the heat that pushes sightseeing into early morning.
Rain is a non-issue at 1 mm for the month, with about 24 sunny days and 11.5 hours of daylight to work with.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Dakar at 9.5/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack light clothing, swimwear and real sun protection.
March in Dakar — the year's strongest window
Best window · 9.2/10March averages 20°C (68°F) — warm enough for beach and boat plans, still short of the heat that pushes sightseeing into early morning.
Rain is a non-issue at 1 mm for the month, with about 31 sunny days and 11.9 hours of daylight to work with.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Dakar at 9.2/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack light clothing, swimwear and real sun protection.
April in Dakar — the year's strongest window
Best window · 9.2/10April averages 21°C (70°F) — warm enough for beach and boat plans, still short of the heat that pushes sightseeing into early morning.
Rain is a non-issue at 0 mm for the month, with about 30 sunny days and 12.3 hours of daylight to work with.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Dakar at 9.2/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack light clothing, swimwear and real sun protection.
May in Dakar — the year's strongest window
Best window · 8.6/10May averages 23°C (74°F) — warm enough for beach and boat plans, still short of the heat that pushes sightseeing into early morning.
Rain is a non-issue at 7 mm for the month, with about 31 sunny days and 12.7 hours of daylight to work with.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Dakar at 8.6/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack light clothing, swimwear and real sun protection.
June in Dakar — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 6.9/10June averages 26°C (78°F) — warm enough for beach and boat plans, still short of the heat that pushes sightseeing into early morning.
Rainfall runs 65 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 29 sunny days and 12.9 hours of daylight.
It scores 6.9/10 here, 8th of 12 months, against 9.5/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack light clothing, swimwear and real sun protection, a packable rain layer.
If your dates are flexible, February is materially better in Dakar — 2.6 points higher on the same scale.
July in Dakar — the hardest end of the year
Hardest · 4.9/10July averages 27°C (81°F) with humidity around 84%, so the practical pattern is early mornings, a long midday break, and evenings back outside.
At 129 mm this is a genuinely wet month: about 25 sunny days in total, and outdoor plans need an indoor fallback.
It scores 4.9/10 here, 10th of 12 months, against 9.5/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack the lightest breathable clothing you own, a hat, and more water than feels necessary, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, February is materially better in Dakar — 4.6 points higher on the same scale.
August in Dakar — the hardest end of the year
Hardest · 3.8/10August averages 28°C (82°F) with humidity around 84%, so the practical pattern is early mornings, a long midday break, and evenings back outside.
219 mm of rain puts this in monsoon territory — about 23 sunny days across the whole month, and multi-day washouts are normal.
It scores 3.8/10 here, 11th of 12 months, against 9.5/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack the lightest breathable clothing you own, a hat, and more water than feels necessary, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, February is materially better in Dakar — 5.7 points higher on the same scale.
September in Dakar — the hardest end of the year
Hardest · 3.7/10September averages 28°C (83°F) with humidity around 83%, so the practical pattern is early mornings, a long midday break, and evenings back outside.
218 mm of rain puts this in monsoon territory — about 22 sunny days across the whole month, and multi-day washouts are normal.
It scores 3.7/10 here, 12th of 12 months, against 9.5/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack the lightest breathable clothing you own, a hat, and more water than feels necessary, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, February is materially better in Dakar — 5.8 points higher on the same scale.
October in Dakar — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 5.6/10October averages 29°C (83°F) with humidity around 81%, so the practical pattern is early mornings, a long midday break, and evenings back outside.
Rainfall runs 68 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 24 sunny days and 11.7 hours of daylight.
It scores 5.6/10 here, 9th of 12 months, against 9.5/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack the lightest breathable clothing you own, a hat, and more water than feels necessary, a packable rain layer.
If your dates are flexible, February is materially better in Dakar — 3.9 points higher on the same scale.
November in Dakar — reliably good (7th best month)
Good · 7.2/10November averages 27°C (81°F) with humidity around 73%, so the practical pattern is early mornings, a long midday break, and evenings back outside.
Rain is a non-issue at 1 mm for the month, with about 23 sunny days and 11.3 hours of daylight to work with.
It scores 7.2/10 here, 7th of 12 months, against 9.5/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack the lightest breathable clothing you own, a hat, and more water than feels necessary.
If your dates are flexible, February is materially better in Dakar — 2.3 points higher on the same scale.
December in Dakar — reliably good (6th best month)
Good · 8.2/10December averages 25°C (77°F) — warm enough for beach and boat plans, still short of the heat that pushes sightseeing into early morning.
Rain is a non-issue at 2 mm for the month, with about 20 sunny days and 11.1 hours of daylight to work with.
It scores 8.2/10 here, 6th of 12 months, against 9.5/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect peak pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack light clothing, swimwear and real sun protection.
