Overview
Ouahigouya is a large town in North Burkina Faso, near the Mali border. It is the fourth largest city in Burkina, and as the final major city in Burkina on the route to Mali, there is a constant flow of tourists and commercial travelers.
Understand
Ouahigouya was founded in 1757 and is the capital of Yatenga region. As the center of Mossi culture, Mooré is the common language.
The town is dry and dusty, and there is a large barrage on the north side of town.
Get in
By bus 3000 CFA one way between Ouaga and Ouahigouya; 5500 CFA round trip
Ride 10 times (aller-retour counts as 2 trips) and get a free ride to anywhere that STMB buses travel. STAF: 55.02.51, daily 06:30, 13:30, and 17:30 (to and from Ouaga are the same times). SOGEBAF: 55.07.31, daily 06:00, 08:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, and 20:00 (to and from Ouaga are the same times) Although they have many scheduled trips daily, they are consistently very late and undependable. STGF: 06:00 (Ouahigouya – Ouaga) and 14:00 (Ouaga – Ouahigouya) ZST: 07:30 (Ouahigouya – Ouaga) and 13:00 (Ouaga – Ouahigouya)
OHG can be approached from most directions and is also a hub for those traveling north to Mali. Check bus stations for times of departure and the rather large taxi brousse gare next to the SOGEBAF gare. This is the end of the paved road from Ouaga; the roads north to Mali, west to Tougan and Dédougou, and the road east to Djibo are all dirt
Do
Ciné Palace – movies shown daily with prices at 100, 150 and 250 CFA depending on your seat. Futbol Stadium – located near the post office and is the site for the occasional match among local squads. Hotel de L’Amitie pool – 1500 CFA to swim for the day but 1000 CFA for Peace Corps volunteers with ID.
Buy
Market Relatively large but laid-back atmosphere in the middle of town. The faux type factor is low, meaning that merchants’ starting prices are generally more reasonable than in Ouaga and Bobo. There is a large vegetable market with a good selection of seasonal produce. The marché closes on Friday afternoon but the vegetable market is open after hours
Boutiques There are typical boutiques on every block and more substantial ones surrounding the market, but look on the paved road through town for gas station shops and larger stores offering tuna, cookies, jelly, oatmeal, cereal and many more tasty treats.
Gas stations include Shell shop, Mobil and Excel. All are decent options for restocking things you can’t get in village. Excel, though a bit of a trek, offers a greater selection of non-edible items. Chaine d’Avion – a store that is geared towards wealthier clientèle offering various specialty items not generally found in boutiques, however its selection is not noticeably different from the gas station shops. DGE (Deo Gratias Electronics) – small but the best place to go in Ouahigouya for higher-end electronics. ADC Photo – has reasonable prices and decent film development by Burkina standards.
Tailors Sidi Madhi: good for copying stuff, especially pants and men’s dress shirts.He makes great man dresses (not fancy wedding/swear-in bubus...we’re talking lay-around-the-house-too-hot-for-real-clothes man dresses). Prices: 750 CFA for a simple blouse, 1500 CFA for pants, 1500 CFA for a man dress, a little more for tanti-style dresses etc. To get there enter the market on the same side as the STAF gare and veggie market. Past the post/Western Union big entrance there are a couple of small entrances and then another one that is larger and the size of the Western Union one. The small entrance before this bigger one is where you go in and the second stall on the left is Sidi-Madhi’s stall or just go in near there and ask for Sidi Madhi. He has done a lot of stuff for past volunteers.
Eat
Hotel Dunia – must call ahead (55.05.95). For 2500 CFA, Madame cooks Syrian/Lebanese/Burkinabé food that is highly acclaimed by many PCVs. If you’re willing to dish out the cash, you can indulge in various European and Middle Eastern dishes. “Tanti’s Gourmet” – large portions of tasty upscale street food served in an “eat with your hand” laid-back restaurant environment; arguably the strongest piment in Burkina.
Many other standard bar/restaurants, kiosques and cafés (such as Auberge, Ciné Place, Hawaii Café) with decent food at reasonable prices can be found along the main road through town.
There are many “benga ladies” along the main road and around the marché with fewer as you leave the center town; typically they offer benga, rice and sauce, tô, spaghetti and sometimes meat soup; atchiéké is also a popular street food dish which can be found around town without too much effort. Gateaux, galettes, and various forms of fried dough and potato-like produce throughout the marché and surrounding areas. There is a guy near the post office who grills delicious chicken for 1500 CFA a pop.
Drink
Hawaii Café – according to its menu, it offers a few specialty coffee drinks as well as oatmeal. There are also a couple grilled meat vendors right nearby. Auberge – frequented by many wealthy-looking businessmen; offers some tasty but not cheap plates of grilled mouton and poulet. “Military Bar” – closest bar to the Peace Corps house; generally not busy but it is apparently affiliated with the military and some female volunteers have had less than pleasant experiences there. Bar Restaurant Dancing de L’Amitié – next door to the hotel restaurant; seems like a good place to cut loose on a Saturday night.
Sleep
Hotel Liberté. The rooms here have no mosquito nets and no grilling on the windows.
Hotel Coulibri. Fan, pretty clean, mosquito nets, near former PCVL house.
Hotel Auberge. Dirty and a reputed brothel.
Make Ouahigouya your own.
Before committing, pick one main reason for this visit and two nearby experiences that support it. Check the guide’s transport sections against current operator information. A convenient base can save more time than adding another attraction.
- Choose your arrival point and one base. Write down the real transfer time, not just the map distance.
- Build a first-day plan with room to settle in. Cluster the places you want to see rather than crossing the city repeatedly.
- Use actual accommodation and transport quotes in your budget. Add fees to the quote before comparing it.
- Keep one uncommitted block. Weather, energy and a good local recommendation can all change your plan.
Source transparency
This guide adapts licensed text by Wikivoyage contributors. It is not a claim that Lakhou has visited or independently verified every listing. We converted the source to plain text, selected practical sections and removed price sentences and private contact information. The planning framework and any related-business booking recommendations above are Lakhou editorial additions.
Original revision 4065240 · Contributor history · CC BY-SA 4.0. Reused text and adaptations on this page are available under that license. Source revision date: 2020-09-17. This is not a date of field verification.
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