Things to Do in Ivory Coast

From the world's largest church to the colonial streets of Grand-Bassam - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.

Travel guide - last updated September 2026

Ivory Coast has rebuilt considerably since a period of civil conflict in the 2000s-2010s, and Abidjan is now often cited as one of West Africa's fastest-growing and most dynamic cities. Yamoussoukro's basilica, deliberately built larger than St. Peter's in Rome, remains the country's single most surprising landmark. Here are 5 places worth building a trip around.

Top attractions

The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.

⛪

Basilica of Our Lady of Peace

The largest church in the world by area, built in Yamoussoukro in the late 1980s and modeled on St. Peter's Basilica, but deliberately constructed larger.

📍 Yamoussoukro

🚉 Yamoussoukro is 240km from Abidjan, three hours by intercity coach on the A3 - the basilica stands alone at the edge of town, a short taxi ride from the bus station.

🏙️

Abidjan

Ivory Coast's economic capital and one of West Africa's most dynamic cities, with the Plateau district's skyline and a strong contemporary art and nightlife scene.

📍 Abidjan

🚉 Abidjan has no metro yet, though one is under construction: gbakas minibuses and woro-woro shared taxis cover the city, and the lagoon boats between Treichville, Plateau and Cocody are the pleasant way across.

🏖️

Grand-Bassam

A UNESCO World Heritage former colonial capital, with faded French colonial buildings along the coast and a beach popular with Abidjan day-trippers.

📍 Grand-Bassam

🚉 The old colonial capital is 40km east of Abidjan, an hour by gbaka from the Gare de Bassam - the UNESCO quarter and the beach are both walkable from the bridge.

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Tai National Park

One of the last significant remnants of West Africa's primary rainforest, a UNESCO World Heritage site home to chimpanzees and pygmy hippos, among the region's most biodiverse protected areas.

📍 Taï National Park, southwestern Ivory Coast

🚉 The rainforest is in the far south-west near Soubre and Tai town, eight hours from Abidjan by road; visits are arranged through the park office with a guide, and there is no public transport to the gates.

🏔️

Man & the Cascades

A mountainous region in western Ivory Coast, with waterfalls and one of the country's few remaining monkey-bridge suspension crossings still used by local villages.

📍 Man, western Ivory Coast

🚉 Man is in the western hills, ten hours from Abidjan by coach; the waterfall, the liana bridges and Mount Tonkoui are reached by shared taxi from the town.

Mark Ivory Coast, get the stamp

🇨🇮IVORY COASTVISITED

🇨🇮IVORY COASTLIVED

🇨🇮IVORY COASTWISHLIST

In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.

Open MyPassportStory

Planning questions

How many days do you need in Ivory Coast?

A week suits Abidjan, Grand-Bassam and Yamoussoukro's basilica well, with an extension to Man or Tai National Park for those with more time.

What's the best time to visit Ivory Coast?

November-March is the dry season and the most comfortable time to visit. The wet season (April-October) brings heavier rain, particularly in the south.

Is Ivory Coast good for a first-time visit?

Abidjan is increasingly well set up for tourism and business travel; it's worth checking current regional safety advice for more remote areas, particularly in the north.

Do I need a visa to visit Ivory Coast?

Most nationalities need an e-visa, applied for online in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: snedai.com.

What are some things to do in Ivory Coast on a tight budget?

Local Ivorian food (attieke, kedjenou) is inexpensive, walking Grand-Bassam's colonial streets costs nothing, and shared taxis (gbaka) are a cheap way to get around Abidjan.

Can I rent a car in Ivory Coast, and what licence do I need?

Yes, and hiring with a driver is common and inexpensive, which most visitors prefer for the long inland routes. A foreign licence is accepted for visits when carried with an International Driving Permit, and the minimum age is generally 23 to 25. The Abidjan-Yamoussoukro motorway is good; roads west and north degrade quickly, and rural driving after dark is best avoided. Police checkpoints are routine, so carry your passport and the vehicle papers. Official visitor information is published by the tourism ministry at tourismeci.org.