7 of the Absolute Best things to do in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Ouagadougou is an amazing city!

There are so many things to do in Ouagadougou, but I decided to compile a list of the things to do in Ouagadougou that I think are worth you time.

Sometimes there are pages that list things to do in Ouagadougou, but lots of things are nearly an hour outside of the city. Does that even count as being in Ouaga anymore? I try to stick to things that are within a reasonable distance.

I loved visiting Ouagadougou, and of course who couldn’t love a place with such a cool name? You’ll find that, despite the scorching heat, this city has a ton of awesome cultural and artistic things to offer.

Burkina Faso deeply values the arts and so any fan of West African culture will find plenty of valuable art and culture related things to do in Ouagadougou.

Ok so here’s my list!

1. Visit the Grand Marché

You can find almost anything in this market. Fans of West African fabric and textiles will be in heaven. Ouagadougou’s Grand Marché also has sections that cater to tourists so you will find cook trinkets and souvenirs in addition to vegetables and housewares.

I got a henna tattoo in the market and it was a fun way to meet and hang out with local women. Just ask any woman in the market who has one on her hands where she got it and she will surely lead you to the group! Women continuously complimented me on my tattoo for the rest of my time in Burkina Faso!

2. Visit the Artisan Markets

You’ll notice right away that Ouagadougou is full of art. Artists sell their works on the street or in hotel lobbies. They sell art in galleries and museums. It made Ouagadougou feel unique among the other cities in the region I had visited.

There is an official Village Artisanal in Ouagadougou where you can buy anything from trinkets to sculptures to musical instruments.

There are also other markets closer to the center of town. One place that I enjoyed was the Jardin de l’Amitié right near the Rond Point des Nations Unies. It’s a chill café where there are several artists who sell their work. There are also some great restaurants next door!

Be prepared to haggle and don’t make the mistake of saying “maybe later” 😉

3. See the Ouagadougou Cathedral

The official name is the Cathédrale de l’Immaculée-Conception de Ouagadougou and it dates to the 1930s. The unique orange cathedral is definitely worth a visit. You can buy plenty of religious souvenirs at the entrance.

Don’t forget to wander to the back and see the grotto!

4. See the Grand Mosquée (Central Mosque)

Burkina Faso is a majority Muslim country. The grand mosque in the center of Ouagadougou is worth a visit to see this very important aspect of Burkinabe culture.

People in Burkina Faso were very open to discussing Islam with me and answering all my questions. I learned so much while visiting!

IMPORTANT: there’s a bit of misinformation floating around on the internet. The famous Sudano-Sahelian mosque in Burkina Faso that you see in a lot of pictures etc is often the Grand Mosquée of Bobo Dioulasso. Bobo is the second largest city in Burkina Faso and nowhere near Ouagadougou!

So don’t wander around Ouaga looking for that mosque…you’ll never find it!

5. Visit the National Museum (Musée Nationale)

This museum is a bit outside of the center along Boulevard Charles de Gaulle, but any green shared taxi can take you there in between 20 and 40 minutes depending on traffic (or if your green shared taxi just randomly runs out of gas in the middle of the street like mine).

The museum is in a rather large compound, but just a seemingly small part of it is actually the museum. You will have a guide who will explain every single object to you.

One part of the museum changes every few months to highlight another part of Burkinabe culture. The other part is for masks and traditional costumes. The masks are amazing and make the visit worth it, even if you feel like you’re going to suffocate in hot hot buildings!

Be sure to enjoy the air conditioning in the entrance building before you go back into the heat!

6. Visit the Musical Instrument Museum (Musée de la Musique)

I’m a musician myself so I loved this museum. I also loved the air conditioning in the museum (you’ll understand after you spend a few days in the Burkinabe heat).

They have a room of portraits of great Burkinabe musicians that I loved. The entrance comes with a tour (in France) where they explain all the families of instruments to you. The tour includes other details like which instruments are only allowed to be played by women, for example.

The museum also has a cool room where you can try to play a selection of traditional instruments yourself!

7. Visit the Park Urbain Bangr-Weoogo

It is in the Zone du Bois and is open daily from sunrise to sunset. This is one of the more relaxed things to do in Ouagadougou, but be sure to bring enough sun protection and water if you are there during the hot season.

I was stupid and went there in the middle of the day when it was scorching hot. I was immediately miserable and wondered why in the world I would do that to myself as I walked among the beautiful forested paths.

But it is a relaxing place. Just don’t get eaten by a crocodile.

The entrance you will want is along the road to Fada-Ngourma. Green shared taxis go that way.

Like always, the best thing to do in Ouagadougou is meet the locals.

The Burkinabe people are wonderfully nice and I had just a wonderful time exploring their country. You will definitely not have a hard time meeting and making friends with people in Ouagadougou.

My most memorable times in Burkina Faso involved long chats on bus rides or over hot tea in the desert. I hope you have an amazing trip to this incredible place!