The still water of Lac Rose lies against a low green shore under a clear sky.
Travel planning

Senegal Packing List

Senegal is a malaria country and the two countries before it in this series are not. That single fact reorganizes the bag.
  • Country Senegal
  • Guide Packing
  • Reviewed 20 August 2026
  • Length 1 min read

Credit Issiaga0, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Last reviewed 20 August 2026

Most of what you pack for Senegal is what you would pack for anywhere warm. The part that is different, and the part worth getting right weeks before you fly, is the health kit.

Start with the appointment, not the suitcase

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that travelers going to Senegal take prescription medicine to prevent malaria. Depending on the medicine, it has to be started several days before the trip, continued through it, and continued after coming home. That is a conversation with a doctor, and it cannot be had at the airport.

The FCDO lists dengue, Zika virus, yellow fever and Rift Valley fever among the health risks in Senegal. All four are spread by insects, which makes bite avoidance a single measure that works against the lot of them.

The health half of the bag

Medical facilities are reasonable in Dakar and limited elsewhere, so evacuation cover is doing more work here than it does in a country with hospitals throughout.

  • Antimalarial tablets, prescribed and started on the schedule your doctor gives you.
  • Insect repellent, and enough of it for the whole trip.
  • Long sleeves and long trousers in light fabric for dawn and dusk.
  • Your yellow fever certificate, if you need one for entry or for onward travel.
  • Any prescription medicine in its original packaging, with the prescription.
  • Travel insurance documents that cover medical evacuation, not just treatment.

And the ordinary half

  • More cash than you expect to need, because ATMs thin out fast outside Dakar.
  • Clothes you can cover up in. Senegal is a majority Muslim country and modest dress is the norm.
  • A hat and sun protection. There is very little shade in the Sahel.
  • Shoes you can walk on sand and broken ground in, for the Saloum mounds and the megalithic sites.
  • A power adapter, and a torch for the frequent unlit stretches after dark.
This guide is general orientation, not legal, medical or governmental advice. Entry, health and safety requirements change frequently and depend on your nationality, your route and your dates. Always confirm with the relevant authority before you travel.