Niger
Where to stay in Niamey
Niamey is a city in Niger, home to about 1,496,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- NIM8 km · Diori Hamani International Airport
- Currency
- XOFWest African CFA franc
- Time zone
- Africa/Niamey
- Language
- Hausa
About
About Niamey
Niamey is the capital and largest city of Niger. It is in the western part of the country, surrounded by the Tillabéri Region.
The comparably fertile area around Niamey has been inhabited for millennia by tribes like the Gurma, also found in Burkina Faso, but the founders of the village would be the Maouri, who settled on an island called Neni Goungou facing the current Niamey in the late nineteenth century, before coming to settle on the left bank of the river. In 1898, the invading French found the village a suitable location for a military base and in 1905 the city, located in a stable region, became the capital of the Territoire Militaire du Niger (Military Territory of Niger).
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Niamey
See
- Musée National Boubou-Hama and Zoo
- Grande Mosquée
- Cathedral de Maorey
- Grande Marché
- Centre Culturel Franco-Nigerien (CCFN)
- Centre Culturel Oumarou Ganda
Do
The CCFN & CCOG (see above) frequently host concerts and with capacities of a few thousand, they can be quite lively. At the Centre Pour la Formation et Promotion Musicales (CFPM) there is a Rap Zone every Wednesday afternoon at 16:30. Often there are people just jamming underneath the trees. They sell instruments, and they give drum, dance, and guitar lessons. At the restaurant Djoumkoume in Chateau Un there is live music almost every night, starting around 20:00 or 21:00. Sometimes there is a CFA 1,000-2,000 entrance fee. To get there, take a taxi to Pharmacie Chateau Un. Then, instead of turning right to go to Idrissa Nems, turn left and you’ll see it on the left.
- The Hippodrome
- Stade de la Lutte Traditionelle
- Swimming Pools
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Niamey
12 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Hôtel du Niger | 1.3 km | |
| Hôtel Gawèye | 1.4 km | |
| Niamey Mall & Residence | 1.1 km | |
| Homeland Hotel | 1.9 km | |
| Hôtel Bravia Niamey | 2.0 km | |
| Hôtel Sahel | 1.6 km | |
| Hôtel Ténéré | 1.1 km | |
| Nikki Hotel | 3.0 km | |
| Noom Hôtel Niamey | 1.3 km | |
| Oasis Hotel | 2.7 km | |
| Radisson Blu Niamey | 1.5 km | |
| Soluxe Hotel Niamey | 1.9 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Niamey
Niamey has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 42 °C; August is the wettest, with about 197 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 Niamey: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Diori Hamani International Airport (NIM), about 8.1 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting around
Street addresses were not devised until the 21st century for most West African cities. Niamey implemented one of the most efficient plans in the region between 2001-2002. The city has been divided into 44 sections (named and based largely on existing neighbourhoods) and each was given a two-letter prefix (for instance, "GM" for "Grande Marché"). Since the vast majority of roads lacked names, numbers were assigned to each road (even if it has a name); streets running roughly parallel to the river were assigned even numbers and cross-streets assigned odd numbers.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
NIM · Diori Hamani International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Niamey
Eat
Be sure to try all the local specialties rather than only sticking to ex-pat restaurants. Niamey food is incredible, unique and not-to-be-missed. You didn't come all this way to eat the same food you get at home.
Drink
Keep in mind that drinking alcohol is generally forbidden in Muslim culture, so take extra care to keep drunken inappropriate behaviour behind closed doors and out of the public eye. Most of the Western-style restaurants above also serve drinks, Cap Banga or Oxygène in particular have amazing river views, especially great around sunset. There are three Burkinabé millet or sorghum beer bars (called dolo or tchouk), all in Yantala Ancien, behind the French Embassy. The easiest place to start is to have a cab drop you off on the paved road that runs along the east wall of the French Embassy. Start walking along the dirt road that runs along the North (back) wall of the Embassy.
Stay safe
See the warning box in the Niger article for information on the security situation.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Niamey: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Niamey?
Niamey has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 42 °C; August is the wettest, with about 197 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Niamey?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Diori Hamani International Airport (NIM), about 8.1 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Niamey?
West African CFA franc (XOF).
Nearby
Destinations near Niamey
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; 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.