Gambia to Bissau Overland: A Step-By-Step Guide

When I decided to take a detour from my trip to Gambia to visit Bissau, I struggled to find recent, reliable information about how to get from one country to the other—a common challenge when traveling across West Africa by road. The Gambian Transport Company’s website misled me into believing that a direct bus from Serekunda to Bissau existed, only for me to arrive at their ticket counter to learn that no such route was available.

As a result, I had to figure out the journey myself. And trust me, it is a stressful journey, especially if you don’t speak Wolof, French, or Portuguese Creole. However, it’s definitely worth the effort, especially if you plan to visit the Bijagós Islands, as there are no direct flights between the neighboring countries. The good news? I found the trip to be quite safe for a solo female traveler. To help future travelers, I’ve documented the journey step by step, along with the corresponding costs (as of early 2025).

Step 1: Get to Serekunda Bundung Garage

Step 2: Take a Shared Taxi to the Jiboro Border

By arriving early, you can board the first vehicle to the border, which usually departs around 5:45 AM after the drivers finish morning prayers. These shared taxis vary in size from large cars to medium-sized buses—common public transport modes across borders. Since tickets cannot be purchased in advance, you must wait for the shared taxi to fill up before departure, so always allow buffer time.

• Cost: 150 Dalasi per passenger (+100 Dalasi for a cabin suitcase; larger luggage costs extra).
• Ticket: A small paper slip with your seat number.
• Travel Time: ~1 hour to the border.

Step 3: Cross the Border into Senegal (Seleti Border Post)

Upon arrival at Jiboro, the driver will drop you at the Gambian departure counter, where you’ll get stamped out of the country. Once stamped out of Gambia and into Senegal, re-board the same vehicle, which will drive a few minutes further to Seleti Bus Stop. Note: You must wait for all passengers to return before the driver departs. If someone is delayed at immigration, the driver may leave them behind—yikes.

• Exit Fee (Gambia): 100 Dalasi (also payable in CFA)
• Entry Fee (Senegal): 2,000 CFA.
• Border Opening Time: 7:00 AM (if you arrive early, you may have to wait).

Step 4: Take a Shared Taxi from Seleti to Ziguinchor, Senegal

Seleti Bus Stop is essentially a gas station where multiple drivers wait for passengers traveling to Ziguinchor. If you left Serekunda by 5:45 AM, you should reach Ziguinchor Terminus before 10:00 AM.

• Cost: 2,500 CFA (+ 100 dalasi extra for luggage, both payable in CFA or Dalasi).
• Travel Time: ~2.5 hours.

Step 5: Take a Shared Taxi from Ziguinchor to Bissau Paragem Central

Welcome to Ziguinchor Terminus—prepare for chaos! This is the most hectic part of the journey. First, find the ticket counters in the center of the station and purchase a ticket to Bissau. The ticket is simply a small piece of paper with a code about where you’re going written on it, and a note about how much change you are owed if there was no change at the ticket counter.

Then, you have to find a driver going to Bissau. Pro Tip: Pick the driver with the smallest vehicle! Small vehicles, fill up and depart faster than the larger vans (which stop frequently and are not as comfortable).

• Cost: 4,000 CFA (+ 1000 CFA additional luggage fees, paid directly to the driver).

On the way to Bissau, you’ll cross the Senegal-Guinea Bissau border. When your passport is stamped, re-enter the vehicle, which will continue its journey to Paragem Central in Bissau.

• Exit Fee (Senegal): 1,000 CFA.
• Entry Fee (Guinea Bissau): 1,000 CFA.

Step 6: Take a Taxi to Bissau Velho

You’ve made it to Bissau! The shared taxi will stop at Paragem Central, the city’s main bus station. However, this is a bit far from the Old Town (Bissau Velho), where most tourists stay, so you’ll need to get a local taxi. Pro Tip: Bissau’s taxis are all blue and identical in make—all are shared, so don’t hesitate to flag one down even if there are other passengers inside.

• Cost: A taxi to Old Bissau costs under 1000 CFA.

By 3:30 PM, you should arrive in Old Bissau. Treat yourself to ice cream at Hotel Royal Bissau—you deserve it!

Final Tips

The return trip follows the same steps in reverse. Arrive at Paragem Central by 5:30 AM to get back to Gambia as early as possible. Expect a few additional random checkpoints in Guinea Bissau—especially in Safim, where I had to pay an unexplained 1,000 CFA fee (I couldn’t ask why since I don’t speak Portuguese Creole). My advice? Advocate for yourself when possible, but choose your battles, because some of them are not worth it. Make a conscious effort to advocate for your change, though, because many drivers will get away with not returning your money. If the change was less than $2 though, I didn’t bother to argue about it.

A few things to be mindful of:

• Carry small denominations to avoid issues with change.
• Bathrooms stops on the way aren’t a thing. I wouldn’t even want to imagine what the bathroom looks like at the border or bus stops though and purposely didn’t try.
• Visa requirements—I used a West African passport, so I didn’t need one, but non-ECOWAS travelers may need to visit the Guinea Bissau consulate in Ziguinchor before continuing the trip.

Having done the journey both ways, I can say it wasn’t as terrible as I initially feared—especially now that I know what to expect. If you’re willing to squeeze into packed vans, embrace the chaos, savor the beautiful scenery, and enjoy the delicious nuts, fruit, and coffee sold along the way, you might actually have a good time.

Now that you know everything I didn’t when I first attempted this trip, I’m sure it will be a lot easier for you! Safe travels, and visit Guinea Bissau!