Kankan Region · Guinea
Kankan travel guide
Kankan is a city in Kankan Region, Guinea, home to about 191,000 people.
- Currency
- GNFGuinean franc
- Time zone
- Africa/Conakry
- Language
- French, languages of Guinea
About
About Kankan
Often called the second city of Guinea, after Conakry, however some believe in fact the second city is Labe while others give that title to N'zerekore! Either way, Kankan can't be missed since it is strategically located on relatively decent road from Conakry to Bamako, Mali. The town also boasts the 2nd largest public university in the country(Universite de KanKan) which is even equipped with an American Reading Room! Kankan still has no electricity or running water so don't be surprised if you find the city in total darkness.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Kankan
See
- Great Mosque of Kankan
Do
Kankan is famous for the Mamaya dance which many people come to celebrate as part of the post Ramadan Tabaski celebration. The Milo River is also a nice place to visit. Additionally, it would be interesting to pay a visit to the Universite de Kankan. Generally, however, isn't a whole lot to see or do in Kankan. Many people stop through Kankan in transit between Bamakao and Conakry and beyond. The heat from March-May is relentless making visiting during these months not recommended.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Kankan
Kankan has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 37 °C; September is the wettest, with about 332 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Kankan
Getting in
Under normal road conditions, it is around an 11-12 hour journey to Conakry and roughly 5 hours to Bamako. The train to Conakry has not run since 1993.
Getting around
Another worthwhile option is to hire a moto-taxi (taxi-motor) driver to give you a tour of centre-ville (downtown) and a few outlying areas. Your driver (sans helmet) can take you through the many dirt roads to get a glimpse of the traditional style huts, the market and so on.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Kankan
Drink
If you like to dance, you may be able to find a club with popular Guinean (also Ivorian, Malian and Senegalese) music since there are a number of bars around.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Kankan: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Kankan?
Kankan has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 37 °C; September is the wettest, with about 332 mm of rain.
What currency is used in Kankan?
Guinean franc (GNF).
Nearby
Destinations near Kankan
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.