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🇹🇬Things to Do in Togo
From the mud-tower villages of Koutammakou to the markets of Lome - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Togo is a narrow strip of a country between Ghana and Benin, holding a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of distinctive mud tower-houses (takienta) still inhabited by the Batammariba people in their traditional form. It remains genuinely undeveloped for tourism, which keeps its markets and villages feeling authentically local. Here are 4 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Koutammakou
A UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape of distinctive mud tower-houses (takienta) built by the Batammariba people, still inhabited today in their traditional architectural form.
📍 Kara Region, northern Togo
🚉 The Batammariba tower-house region is in the far north near Kande, eight to nine hours from Lome by bush taxi; a local guide from Nadoba arranges the village visits, which are on foot.
Lome Grand Marche
Togo's capital holds one of West Africa's largest markets, known for its 'Nana Benz' - the powerful female textile traders who historically dominated the fabric trade here.
📍 Lomé
🚉 The market is in the middle of Lome, walkable from the seafront - the city runs on zemidjan motorbike taxis, which is how most people cover the last kilometre anywhere.
Lake Togo
A coastal lagoon near Lome popular for water sports and a quieter beach alternative to the busier coastal capital itself.
📍 Near Lomé
🚉 Agbodrafo on the lake is 30km east of Lome, an hour by bush taxi along the coast road, with pirogues crossing to Togoville, the voodoo centre, in about 20 minutes.
Kpalime
A town in Togo's hilly coffee and cocoa-growing region, with waterfalls and butterfly-watching considered among the best in West Africa during certain seasons.
📍 Kpalimé, Plateaux Region
🚉 Kpalime is 120km north-west of Lome, two to three hours by bush taxi, and the waterfalls, the coffee plantations and Mount Agou are reached by zemidjan from the town.
Mark Togo, get the stamp
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 MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Togo?
A week suits Lome, Lake Togo and Kpalime well, with a longer trip needed to properly reach Koutammakou in the country's far north.
What's the best time to visit Togo?
November-March is the dry season and the most comfortable time to visit. The wet season brings heavier rain, particularly April-July.
Is Togo good for a first-time visit?
Yes, particularly the southern coastal region - Lome and Kpalime are relatively easy to navigate, though Koutammakou in the north requires more planning to reach.
Do I need a visa to visit Togo?
Most nationalities can get a visa on arrival or apply for an e-visa online in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: republicoftogo.com.
What are some things to do in Togo on a tight budget?
Lome's Grand Marche costs nothing to browse, local Togolese food is inexpensive, and shared taxis are a cheap way to travel around the country.
Can I rent a car in Togo, and what licence do I need?
Yes, though hiring with a driver is common and inexpensive, and in the towns zemidjan motorbike taxis do most of the work. A foreign licence with an International Driving Permit is accepted for visits, and the minimum age is generally 23. The coastal highway and the road north to Kara are paved; rural roads to Koutammakou are laterite and slow. Check current advice for the northern border regions before travelling that far. Official information is published by the government at republicoftogo.com.