Tourist Attractions & Monuments Chad

Timetable

As in any hot country, business starts as soon as the sun rises, with shops opening as early as 7am or 7:30am and closing late in the evening. Some close between 12.30 and 3.30 pm. Markets, like the Central Market, display their wares early in the morning and pack up around 5pm.

For administrative offices, it's a continuous day, from 7.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays are special, as this is the day of the High Prayer, so administrations generally close at 11am.

Public holidays are quite numerous, as Christian holidays are added to Muslim ones.

may¹: Labour Day.

august 11: Independence Day (national holiday).

november 28: Proclamation of the Republic.

december¹: Freedom and Democracy Day.

may 5: Ascension Day.

august 15: Assumption Day.

november¹: All Saints' Day.

december 25: Christmas.

Tabaski or Aïd el-Adha (feast of the sheep or sacrifice).

Al Maouloud Annabaoui (birth of the Prophet).

Aïd el-Fitr (feast at the end of Ramadan).

To be booked

If you're planning to visit the National Museum in N'Djamena, we recommend you drop in the day before to make an appointment with a French-speaking guide who will accompany you on an instructive tour of this great museum.

Guided tours

The capital's markets: the Grand Marché or Central Market is bustling with activity. Fruit and vegetable stalls rub shoulders with fabric and cosmetics vendors. There are even open-air banks where you can exchange West African CFA francs for Central African CFA francs, a niche not exploited by traditional banks. More popular and essentially food markets, Chagoua and Dembé are lively and typical of Chadian commercial life.

The Chari River: a walk along the banks of the Chari allows you to spot hippos in the cooler hours of the day, and enjoy a beautiful sunset in the evening. The travel agency Tchad Evasion has a beach here for sunbathing.

The National Museum: tells a lot about Chad's history, with several rooms dedicated to military conquests, Chadian traditions, archaeology and paleontology. Best visited in the morning.

Fayçal Cathedral and Mosque: two of the city's most important places of worship. One was built during the colonial period, the other dates from the post-independence years, and was donated by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.

Gaoui: a potter's village with a typical architecture of earthen huts; here, everything revolves around "earth", so it's easy to get lost in the contemplation of the large terracotta jars. In terms of culture, the museum focuses on the legendary Sao people.

Le rocher aux Éléphants (Hadjer el Hamis): where you can lose yourself in a short hike among the pink stones.

Lake Chad, from which the country takes its name, is an opportunity to see another face of Chad, full of mystery, and to embark on kadeïs, the local pirogues. Before embarking on any excursion on the waters and shores of the lake, it is essential to be informed about the security and geopolitical aspects.