BlaakLane.com offers chauffeur service in Dakar for transfers from Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS), trips between the Plateau, Almadies and Diamniadio, cruise and ferry connections at the port, and hourly business days. Enter your pickup, time and vehicle and the booking engine shows a fixed fare before you confirm. A vetted local affiliate drives each trip, named on your confirmation.
How far is Blaise Diagne Airport from Dakar?
This is the question most first-time visitors ask, and the answer shapes the whole trip. Blaise Diagne International Airport, opened in December 2017 near Diass, is about 45 to 55 km from the Plateau, Dakar's downtown on the tip of the Cap-Vert peninsula. It replaced the old Léopold Sédar Senghor airport at Yoff, which no longer takes commercial passenger flights. The fastest route is the toll motorway (Autoroute à péage) via Diamniadio.
| From Blaise Diagne (DSS) to | Typical distance | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Diamniadio (CICAD, Dakar Arena) | 20-25 km | 20-30 min |
| Plateau (downtown) | 45-55 km | 45-80 min |
| Almadies, Ngor and Yoff | 50-60 km | 50-90 min |
| Saly and the Petite Côte | 35-45 km | 35-50 min |
| Lac Rose (Lake Retba) | 40-50 km | 45-70 min |
The longer times reflect the evening rush on the approach into the city, where the motorway ends and traffic slows through Pikine and Patte d'Oie.
Booking and what the fare covers
Open the reservation engine on this page or at /book/, enter your flight number or address, choose a vehicle and see a single price covering the chauffeur, fuel and included waiting, with gratuity charged at actual cost and added to the booking. There is no meter and no late-night surge. The Toronto dispatch desk, open 24/7, assigns the trip to a vetted Dakar affiliate working to the BlaakLane.com written standard. Conference delegations and multi-car programmes are planned by a coordinator and confirmed in writing.
Where the chauffeur meets you at DSS
The airport has a single passenger terminal. After immigration, baggage and customs, exit to the arrivals forecourt; the chauffeur waits at the designated pickup area for pre-booked vehicles and messages you with car details. Unlicensed drivers approach arriving passengers in the hall, so wait for your named chauffeur's message. A meet and greet with a name board inside arrivals is an add-on; add-ons are only available in selected locations. Pickups are flight-tracked, with 60 minutes of waiting included from the actual landing on international flights, 30 minutes on domestic flights and 15 minutes on other pickups, then 15-minute blocks. See airport transfers.
Diamniadio and the Youth Olympic Games
Diamniadio, the new city between the airport and Dakar, holds the Abdou Diouf International Conference Centre (CICAD), the Dakar Arena and the Stade Abdoulaye Wade, plus ministries relocated from the Plateau. Dakar is host of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, scheduled from 31 October to 13 November 2026 across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly, the first Olympic event held in Africa. Expect traffic controls and heavy demand in those weeks; book early and let a coordinator plan multi-vehicle moves through event transportation. The official schedule is on Olympics.com.
Neighbourhoods and hotels
- Plateau: government buildings, banks, the Presidential Palace, the port and hotels including the Pullman Dakar Teranga.
- Almadies and Ngor: the western tip, with the King Fahd Palace hotel, embassies, restaurants and surf beaches.
- Mermoz, Point E and Fann: residential and office districts with Cheikh Anta Diop University.
- Corniche Ouest: the coastal road with the Radisson Blu Dakar Sea Plaza and the Terrou-Bi resort.
- Yoff: near the former airport, with beachfront hotels.
A day split between ministries in Diamniadio and offices on the Plateau works well with the hourly chauffeur service.
Port of Dakar, Gorée ferry and cruise calls
The Port Autonome de Dakar sits beside the Plateau. Cruise ships on West Africa itineraries call there, and the ferry to Gorée Island, the UNESCO-listed former slave-trading island, leaves from the passenger terminal next to the port. Your chauffeur drops at the ferry terminal and can collect on your return. The port authority's site is Port Autonome de Dakar. For cruise passengers, see cruise lines and ports.
Rail: the TER
The Train Express Régional links Dakar station on the Plateau with Diamniadio, and an extension towards the airport is being built. For travellers with luggage, a car remains the direct option to DSS, but the TER is useful between the centre and Diamniadio at peak hours.
Choosing a vehicle
Standard Sedans cover most single-traveller trips on good city roads. An executive SUV gives more room for luggage and for sandy side streets in Almadies. Standard Black SUVs and Sprinter Vans carry teams to CICAD, and minicoaches or motorcoaches suit conference shuttles. Armoured vehicles come from partners on request after a risk assessment. All vehicles are four model years old or younger; Rolls-Royce, Maybach and Bentley are accepted up to seven. See the fleet and rates.
Intercity routes from Dakar
- Saly and the Petite Côte: about 80 km from the Plateau by motorway, typically 1 to 1.5 hours.
- Touba: about 190 km via the Ila Touba toll motorway, typically 2.5 to 3 hours; roads are extremely busy during the Grand Magal pilgrimage.
- Saint-Louis: about 260 km, typically 3.5 to 4.5 hours.
- Sine Saloum delta (Toubacouta or Palmarin): 3 to 4 hours.
Book these as intercity transfers with a fixed one-way fare.
Driving in Dakar and staying alert
Senegal drives on the right. Dakar's peninsula funnels traffic onto a few arteries, so the VDN, the Corniche and the motorway entrance are slow at peak times. Senegal is generally considered one of the more stable countries in West Africa, and violent crime against visitors is uncommon, but pickpocketing and bag snatching occur in crowded markets and on the Corniche. Keep valuables out of sight, and check the UK foreign travel advice for any local notices. Discreet secure transportation is available for executives who need it.
Events and busy periods
- May or June, in biennale years: Dak'Art, the contemporary African art biennale.
- Varies by the lunar calendar: Tabaski and the Grand Magal of Touba, when intercity roads fill.
- 31 October to 13 November 2026: the Youth Olympic Games.
Entry rules for Senegal in 2026
Citizens of the EU, the UK, the United States, Canada and many other countries can visit Senegal without a visa for stays of up to 90 days. A proposed reciprocal visa policy has been discussed but not applied to short visits so far; check before you travel. Your passport should be valid for at least six months. Child seats are free on request. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10% at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show. Airport background is on Wikipedia. See also Senegal, Abidjan and Accra.
