Travel to Gabon — everything you need to know
When to go to Gabon?
- June – September — Long dry season : Best time to go: less rain, easier access to the forest, and gorillas are easier to spot. In Loango, humpback whales are present from July to September. Temperatures range from 22 to 28°C.
- December – January — Short dry season : A short dry spell that is still fine for visiting. Elephants can be seen on Loango's beach in December.
- October – November — Long rainy season : Heavy rainfall (300–400 mm/month), difficult forest access, and tracks that become impassable. Less favourable.
Weather in Gabon
Check the weather city by city, starting with Libreville.
- Libreville: daytime highs from 28 to 31 °C depending on the season, 228 mm of rain per month on average.
- Lopé: daytime highs from 29 to 32 °C depending on the season, 128 mm of rain per month on average.
What to do in Gabon?
Gabon is the sanctuary of Central Africa's equatorial rainforest: 80% of the country is covered in primary forest, and its 13 national parks shelter lowland gorillas, forest elephants, hippos on Loango's beaches, and mandrills, including the world's largest colonies in Lopé National Park. One of Africa's best-preserved countries, it remains little visited yet astonishingly rich in nature.
Loango National Park — Elephants on the Beach
Loango is one of Africa's most spectacular parks: forest elephants bathing in the Atlantic Ocean, hippos in the surf, humpback whales from July to September, and lowland gorillas in the forest just behind the beach. It is a landscape where primary rainforest meets the sea — something truly unique in the world.
Highlights : Forest elephants on Loango beach (Dec–Jan), Humpback whales (July–September) seen from the beach, Hippos in the waves, Lowland gorillas in the coastal forest.
Lopé National Park — Gorillas and Mandrills
Lopé (UNESCO-listed) is one of the rare places where you can see western lowland gorillas and mandrills in groups of several hundred individuals — the largest mandrill colony in the world. Lopé is also remarkable for its landscapes: upland grasslands surrounded by primary forest and rocky cliffs.
Highlights : Western lowland gorilla tracking (habituated groups), Mandrill colony — up to 1,300 individuals, Lopé's Neolithic rock carvings, Savannas and gallery forests from the lodge.
Travel budget for Gabon
Gabon is one of the most expensive destinations in sub-Saharan Africa. Oil wealth has pushed prices up, and the national parks rely on costly lodges to keep tourism's impact low. A trip to Gabon is an investment in truly unique experiences.
- Backpacker : 80–120 €/j — Guesthouse in Libreville + local restaurants + taxis
- Comfort : 180–280 €/j — 3★ hotel + guided excursions + domestic flights
- Lodge : 300–600 €/j — Full-board national park lodge + safaris
Practical tips for travelling to Gabon
- Flight from Paris : ~7h direct to Libreville (Air France, Corsair) — regular connections
- Visa : e-Visa required — available online before departure (~€85). Valid for 90 days.
- Currency : BEAC CFA franc (XAF). €1 = 655 XAF at a fixed rate. Cards are accepted in major hotels. Cash is needed for the parks.
- Language : French (official) — French is widely spoken.
- Electricity : Type C/E (European) — 220V.
- Health : Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory. Antimalarial medication is essential. Hepatitis A/B and typhoid are recommended.
- Tap water : Not safe to drink — bottled water is essential.
- Mobile network : Good coverage in Libreville. In the parks there is no network, with communication handled by satellite radio.
Compare Gabon with other destinations