Your stay — Auberge des Verts
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The Property — Auberge des Verts
The Auberge des Verts feels like a calm, low-rise oasis on the edge of Dakar’s lively Fann district. Cool white walls and green shutters frame a small inner courtyard with bougainvillea and a trickling fountain, a haven from the city’s heat and honking horns. The lobby is a simple, tiled space with a wooden reception desk and a couple of cane chairs; the vibe is modest, clean and straightforward. It suits independent travellers on a budget who want a functional base near the university and the IFAN Museum, not a resort.
Chronicles of Dakar
Dakar grew from a 19th-century French colonial fort and naval station on the Cap-Vert peninsula, its grid-like Plateau district still bearing civic buildings from that era. After independence in 1960, the city mushroomed with modernist blocks and sprawling informal quarters, making it a West African hub of trade, music and politics. Today, Dakar blends French-boulevard grandeur with vibrant street markets and the soaring African Renaissance Monument. The city’s contemporary identity pulses through its booming hip-hop scene, the Biennale art festival and a café culture that spills onto sandy sidewalks.
Best Time to Visit
Full Dakar guide →Best months
November and December: clear, dry skies and temperatures around 25–30°C, post-rains so everything is lush, plus manageable visitor numbers.
Peak / festival surge
December to February is peak season: ideal weather, but Dakar fills with European winter sun-seekers and diaspora returnees for the festive period. Hotel prices rise 30–50% over January averages. The main event is the Dakar Biennale (even years) and the heavy January tourist surge.
Budget shoulder season
March and April: still dry and warm, but crowds thin and hotels drop rates by 15–20% compared to peak. May is also good, with beginning rains but low occupancy.
Weather & packing
Dakar’s humidity spikes in July, mixing 28–32°C heat with sudden downpours from the advancing monsoon. Pack a light rain jacket or umbrella, and always carry a sarong or scarf to use as a quick-dry towel or shade wrap.
Live City Briefing — Dakar
- The new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, launched in early 2025, now runs from the Gare de Dakar to Guédiawaye, easing traffic on the northern corridor. Visitors can ride for 200 CFA.
- The IFAN Museum in the Plateau, near the hotel, reopened its ethnographic galleries after a two-year renovation in late 2025, featuring updated exhibits on Senegalese masks and textiles.
- Seasonal note: July is the start of the rains, so expect sporadic flooding on roads in Medina and Grand Yoff; plan extra 20–30 minutes for any taxi journey.
Your Perfect Room
✨ AI-generated · Jul 2026Before you check in to Auberge des Verts, here's what to know about choosing the right room.
Best rooms to request
Request a room on the 3rd or 4th floor, facing the inner courtyard. These floors sit high enough to reduce street-level noise from Dakar's traffic, and the courtyard side avoids the main road. The 3-star rating suggests simpler construction, so upper floors also get better airflow.
Rooms to avoid
Avoid ground-floor rooms, especially those facing the street. The Auberge des Verts is on a busy Dakar road, so ground-floor rooms get direct exhaust fumes and loud night traffic. Also skip rooms near the stairwell or lift shaft—noise echoes up from the lobby and breakfast area.
Best views
The best view is from upper-floor rooms facing the inner courtyard—a small garden or terrace typical of Dakar hotels. Street-facing rooms show busy traffic and local life, but with more noise. No sea or major landmark visible here.
Quietest floors
Floors 3 and 4 are the quietest—furthest from street-level noise and above the lift hum. The 4th floor is top, so no footsteps from above.
🔊 Noise notes
Dakar's Rue [general] is busy with motorbikes, taxis and hawkers until late. The hotel's main entrance opens directly onto the street, so lobby noise bleeds into ground-floor rooms. Weekend evenings are louder. The lift and stairwell are central—likely poorly soundproofed in a 3-star building.
Insider tips
1. Check in after 2pm to secure a courtyard-facing room—morning arrivals often get stuck with street rooms. 2. Bring earplugs if you're a light sleeper; even 'quiet' rooms can get foot traffic in the corridors.
- Call the hotel directly 24–48 hours before arrival and ask for a specific room type
- Add a note in your booking comments field
- Ask at check-in — front desk staff can often accommodate if a room is available
Hotel Facilities — Auberge des Verts
Free 10 Mbps speed for all guests; no login required, open network 'ADV-Guest'
One lift serving all three floors; no stairs-only sections
Complimentary digital PressReader access via app code from reception; no physical papers
Check-in from 14:00; early bag drop available from 08:00; late check-out until 18:00 costs 10,000 CFA (subject to availability)
Free in locked security room at reception; no cost
Step-free ramp at main entrance; lift to all floors; no accessible bathrooms on ground floor
No on-site parking; nearest public car park at Place de l'Indépendance, 500 metres, 2,500 CFA per 24h; no EV charging
Fees, Taxes & Deposits
City / tourist tax: 1,500 CFA per person per night
Deposit & card hold: 50% of total stay charged at booking; 30,000 CFA incidental hold on credit card at check-in
Faith & Dietary Nearby
- Church: Salle du Royaume des Témoins de Jéhovah (212 m · ~3 min walk)
- Mosque: Mosquée du Point E (463 m · ~6 min walk)
- Church: Eglise Evangélique de Dakar (779 m · ~10 min walk)
- Mosque: Mosquée Grand-Dakar (854 m · ~11 min walk)
Local Lifestyle & Recreation
SENTRADE — 1.0 km · ~13 min walk
Jardin Zone A — 1.1 km · ~14 min walk
Raw Material Company — 1.0 km · ~13 min walk
5-Minute Radius Essentials
Nearest — 1.5 km · ~18 min walk
Pharmacie Besse — 200 m · ~3 min walk
alimentation générale — 783 m · ~10 min walk
Gare Routière de Colobane — 2.7 km · ~33 min walk
Money & Currency
Get a travel card →West African CFA franc, XOF
Use ATMs for the best rate; avoid exchange bureaux at the airport or tourist areas as they give poor rates.
Cards are accepted in most hotels, upscale restaurants, and larger supermarkets, but cash is essential for markets, taxis, and small shops. Contactless is not widespread.
Restaurants: 10% if service not included (common). Taxis: round up to nearest 500/1000 CFA for a short ride. Hotel staff: 1000–2000 CFA for porters, 500 CFA per day for housekeeping.
Eat, Shop & Travel on a Budget
Cheap car hire →Nescafé with powdered milk from a street-side stall or bakery (café touba) — around 200–300 CFA.
Plate of thieboudienne or poulet yassa from a local canteen (dibiterie) — 1,500–2,500 CFA.
Grilled fish or chicken with rice at a family-run dibiterie — main dish around 2,000–3,500 CFA.
Look for street-food clusters near the Université Cheikh Anta Diop or along the Corniche at dusk: grilled corn, fataya, and brochettes.
Auchan (supermarket) has several branches in Dakar; also Score and Casino for basics.
Sandaga market for second-hand clothes and bargain fabrics; HLM market for cheap ready-to-wear.
Shared minibus (car rapide) — 150–300 CFA per ride. From the airport, take the Dakar Dem Dikk bus (Route 7 or 8) for 350 CFA to central stops.
Eat at lunchtime street stalls rather than restaurants; buy bottled water in bulk from supermarkets; negotiate taxis heavily (or insist on meter) before getting in.
Emergency Contacts
DakarTourist Police: 33 889 46 58. For non-urgent medical help, call the US Embassy: 33 879 40 00. Keep a local SIM or use hotel front desk for dialling.
💡 Save these numbers in your phone. In life-threatening emergencies, call immediately.
Where to Eat
💡 Booking tip: For popular restaurants in Dakar, book at least a week ahead — especially for weekend evenings and during festival season.
Your arrival at Auberge des Verts
🕒 Check-in is from . Arriving earlier? Most hotels store luggage free — just ask at reception.
🧭 First things nearby: cash · Nearest — 1.5 km · ~18 min walk — pharmacy · Pharmacie Besse — 200 m · ~3 min walk
🚐 Pre-book an airport transfer →Getting Around
Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS) → Hôtel Faidherbe, Plateau
💡 Use the official prepaid booth just outside arrivals. Ignore touts. Pay in local CFA, not euros. For return, ask your hotel to call a reliable driver—street hail can double the price.
Hôtel Faidherbe, Plateau → Anywhere in Dakar (e.g., Médina, Almadies)
💡 Download Orange Taxi in advance—it shows a fixed price and avoids haggling. Works best on Plateau. At rush hour, be prepared for surge pricing. Not for airport trips because drivers often refuse long hauls.
Hôtel Faidherbe (stop: Avenue du Président Lamine Guèye) → Marché Kermel / Sandaga / Médina
💡 Hop on going west for Marché Kermel, east for Sandaga. Wave it down clearly. Stops are unmarked—tell the driver 'hôtel' as you near your drop. Women: sit in the front section; men usually fill the back.
Airport (stop: Aéroport) → Place de l'Indépendance (10 min walk to hotel)
💡 Cramped and very hot. Only do this with a small backpack. Have exact change—the conductor won't break notes. The bus terminates at Place de l'Indépendance; walk south on Avenue Pasteur for Hôtel Faidherbe.
About Dakar
Wikipedia ↗
Dakar ( UK also: ; French: [dakaʁ]; Wolof: Ndakaaru) is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 million in 2023. Dakar is situated on the Cap-Vert peninsula, the westernmost point of ...
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best rooms at Auberge des Verts?
Request a room on the 3rd or 4th floor, facing the inner courtyard. These floors sit high enough to reduce street-level noise from Dakar's traffic, and the courtyard side avoids the main road. The 3-star rating suggests simpler construction, so upper floors also get better airflow.
Which rooms should I avoid at Auberge des Verts?
Avoid ground-floor rooms, especially those facing the street. The Auberge des Verts is on a busy Dakar road, so ground-floor rooms get direct exhaust fumes and loud night traffic. Also skip rooms near the stairwell or lift shaft—noise echoes up from the lobby and breakfast area.
Is Auberge des Verts noisy?
Dakar's Rue [general] is busy with motorbikes, taxis and hawkers until late. The hotel's main entrance opens directly onto the street, so lobby noise bleeds into ground-floor rooms. Weekend evenings are louder. The lift and stairwell are central—likely poorly soundproofed in a 3-star building.
Which rooms have the best views at Auberge des Verts?
The best view is from upper-floor rooms facing the inner courtyard—a small garden or terrace typical of Dakar hotels. Street-facing rooms show busy traffic and local life, but with more noise. No sea or major landmark visible here.
What are insider tips for staying at Auberge des Verts?
1. Check in after 2pm to secure a courtyard-facing room—morning arrivals often get stuck with street rooms. 2. Bring earplugs if you're a light sleeper; even 'quiet' rooms can get foot traffic in the corridors.
What time is check-in at Auberge des Verts?
Check-in at Auberge des Verts is from null. Check-out is by null.
Does Auberge des Verts have Wi-Fi?
Free 10 Mbps speed for all guests; no login required, open network 'ADV-Guest'
Is there a city or tourist tax at Auberge des Verts?
1,500 CFA per person per night
Where can I eat cheaply near Auberge des Verts?
Plate of thieboudienne or poulet yassa from a local canteen (dibiterie) — 1,500–2,500 CFA.
What is the cheapest way to get around from Auberge des Verts?
Shared minibus (car rapide) — 150–300 CFA per ride. From the airport, take the Dakar Dem Dikk bus (Route 7 or 8) for 350 CFA to central stops.
When is the best time to visit Dakar?
November and December: clear, dry skies and temperatures around 25–30°C, post-rains so everything is lush, plus manageable visitor numbers.
Top Attractions in Dakar
💡 Free entry applies to the main exhibition hall only. Check if temporary shows have separate pricing. Allow 45 minutes to an hour.
💡 Arrive by 10am to see the most activity. Come with cash if you want to buy — fish is cheap but you'll need to cook it yourself. Avoid touching anything unless buying.
💡 The boat costs about 500 CFA round trip. Bring water and snacks — the island has few facilities. Best on weekdays when locals are at work.
💡 Go late afternoon to avoid the heat and catch sunset views over the city and Atlantic. The escalator up the hill costs extra but saves a steep walk.
💡 Entry is 500 CFA. The zoo portion is extra and run-down — skip it and stick to the forest trails. Bring insect repellent.