An Unforgettable Cultural and Educational Journey for French Teachers
Experience the ultimate French teacher immersion trip in Senegal—a journey designed to enrich your teaching, deepen your cultural understanding, and inspire your classroom. This 11-day, 10-night educational travel program offers a first-hand chance to experience Senegalese teranga (hospitality) through unforgettable cultural experiences rooted in authenticity and connection across Senegal’s vibrant towns, coastal villages, and historic landmarks. Expect to return energized, inspired, and ready to share Senegal’s magic with your students.
✅ Immerse yourself in Senegal’s diverse cultural landscape—languages, religions, ethnicities, cuisine, and daily life
✅ Prioritize authentic 1-on-1 and small group interactions with students, teachers, artists, artisans, and local families
✅ Engage in hands-on workshops like batik-making and djembé drumming while learning about Senegalese artistic and oral traditions
✅ Visit schools, universities, bookstores, and markets to gain deeper insights into local life and Senegalese communities
✅ Practice your French in real-world settings—everyone is encouraged to speak French 100% of the time, with a little Wolof added for fun
From the coastal calm of Toubab Dialaw to the historical resonance of Gorée Island and the energy of Dakar, this is more than a trip—it’s a transformational opportunity to see the Francophone world through a new lens and return to your classroom with lived experience, new resources, and renewed inspiration.
Pickup/Drop-off at DSS, Dakar’s Blaise Diagne International Airport (Google Map)
10 am
Participants arrive at DSS/Dakar. Vive will provide for bus transfer at designated times to our starting point, a magical location overlooking the ocean, typically with check-in after lunch. We’ll get the program started with a visit a local high school in a neighboring village and spend time with students and the teachers, observing classes and engaging in small-group and 1-1 conversations.
We’ll practice a little Wolof for greetings and enjoy a Senegalese meal together at lunch. There will be time to relax by the beach in lazy chairs and hammocks while you get to know the other participants. A calm batik workshop will give you another chance to connect with the other educators. There’s nothing like a walk on the beach with a beautiful sunset over the ocean to wrap up our first day together. Settle into your rooms for a good night’s sleep.
After breakfast, we’ll prepare you with some Wolof so you can learn about Senegalese products, perspectives, and practices through a specially-designed cultural orientation in the village. Afterwards, you’ll share your experiences together with the group.
We’ll practice a little more Wolof and the art of bargaining. You’ll try your luck with local artisans selling fabrics, jewelry, wood carvings, drums. How about a hands-on lesson of djembé drumming with some local experts? We’ll head out for a walk by the ocean to see the local fisherman’s pirogues before sunset.
Begin the day with a drive south to Joal-Fadiouth and be sure to watch for monkeys on the side of the road. We’ll get a local tour of Léopold Sédar Senghor’s childhood home with the giant baobab in the back garden. Just a few kilometers away, we’ll do a walking and pirogue tour of the seashell island and the Catholic-Muslim cemetery. You’ll pause for a visit of the sacred baobab and learn about the local social structures of the neighborhoods in Fadiouth. You’ll enjoy lunch under thatched roofs along the mangroves of Joal-Fadiouth with time for an “arbre à palabre” conversation before we return to our hotel for dinner after along day.
Depart for local high school in a neighboring village where we will visit and spend time with students and the teachers, observing classes, touring their local organic garden and engaging in small-group and 1-1 conversations. Don’t be surprised if you spend some time sharing music in the courtyard or join a pick-up game of basketball. We’ll continue to Thiès, the 3rd largest city in Senegal. We’ll head to the university for a campus tour by university students pursuing their Master’s degree in tourism. Visit the men’s and women’s dormitories, observe the sacred baobab, and hear about their studies. At the day’s end, return to our Toubab Dialaw hotel.
Start the day with breakfast and an early check-out to head towards a rural NGO children’s orphanage center. We will have the unique opportunity to visit, volunteer, work with the children and share a meal around the bowl. End the day with some Senegalese ataaya, or thé à la menthe. Afterwards, we will head to the Lac Retba to spend the night. We will enjoy dinner by the lake and will share the day’s experiences in our group discussion “l’arbre à palabre”.
After breakfast, explore the natural region around Lac Retba, discussing the intersection of politics and environmental issues impacting the formerly pink lake known for artisanal salt harvesting. Return to the children’s village for most of the day to continue our projects. Later on, head to Dakar for a quick walking tour of the neighborhood around our hotel. Enjoy dinner at a nearby restaurant by the ocean for a quiet evening to end the day.
Plan on an early departure to beat the traffic downtown to the port to take the ferry to Gorée Island, a beautiful pedestrian island just 30 minutes off the coast. Visit the Slave House and other monuments on Gorée. Pause for lunch along the water and then take the afternoon ferry back to Dakar. Afterwards, stroll the aisles of a large bookstore such as Librairie Quatre Vents. Continue to a local centre commercial for anything you might need at the supermarket and discover a local bookshop focusing on African books and games.
Before it gets too hot, we’ll start the day with a climb up the stairs for a great view of Dakar at the Monument de la Renaissance. We’ll continue towards downtown Dakar along the coast to the Marché Artisanal next to the urban fishing village of Soumbédioune. Tour the inside of an impressive nearby mosque and learn about Islam in Senegal. Participate in a beach clean-up on Pointe des Almadies with a local environmental activist; enjoy lunch on the westernmost point of Africa with a simple sandwich lunch. If we’re lucky, we will have the chance to attend an informal concert of some famous Senegalese musicians at a local restaurant.
Start the day at a private school in Dakar. Observe some classes, meet with teachers and their students, and share a little informal lesson about your hometown or special interest. Enjoy lunch at a salon de thé and hear about the work of an NGO for village weavers and see their work in the first fair trade shop of Senegal. We’ll then head to an art and cultural center to meet with local graffiti artists, rappers, and hear about their social movement. Meet up with the tailor at the hotel after dinner at the hotel to see if any alterations are needed. Enjoy dinner and a cultural event at a local landmark.
Head to downtown Dakar to the Plateau neighborhood. Get a feel for this historical and also contemporary neighborhood. Discover the Place de l’Indépendance, the Catholic cathedral, local boutiques, and other historical landmarks on a bus and walking tour of downtown Dakar. See the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly, and more. Enjoy a local family style lunch at a classic restaurant with a chance to savor your favorite local dishes. Depart for the Petite Côte for some late afternoon rest and relaxation.
Enjoy a leisurely morning with breakfast next to the gentle waves of the Atlantic Ocean on the Petite Côte. We will have opportunities today to stroll through this resort town and will visit a few local boutiques, fair trade, and souvenir shops. Slow down and enjoy the local palm trees, sand, and water. Your program continues until 18:00 today though some flights may have an early morning departure.
