Ouagadougou walking tour & city guide

Africa's capital of cinema, crafts and motorbikes.

6 videos · uploaded 2024–2026

Walking Through Downtown Ouagadougou

Video by Oyin Olaniyan · Mar 2026 · All rights belong to the creator

All rights belong to the creator.

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City guide

Ouagadougou on foot

Ouagadougou, known to everyone as Ouaga, is a flat, sprawling city of red earth, wide avenues and swarms of mopeds. It hosts FESPACO, Africa's biggest film festival, and SIAO, a huge crafts fair, and its streets are full of open-air bars, artisans and music.

The centre and the markets

The heart of the city is the Rood Woko, the Grand Marché, a large modern market rebuilt after a fire, surrounded by streets of traders. Around it are the cathedral, the main mosque and the busy avenues of the centre, with their roundabouts topped by monuments.

The Village Artisanal and the bronze workshops of Niogsin are the places to see craftspeople at work, casting sculptures and jewellery using the lost-wax method.

A classic walk

Start at the Place des Nations Unies, then walk to the Grand Marché and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Continue along the avenue to the Monument des Héros Nationaux, and finish in the evening at a maquis, an open-air bar and grill, with live music.

Good to know

The coolest and most comfortable months are November to February, though the Harmattan wind brings dusty haze. Mopeds are the main way to get around, and green shared taxis cover the city. FESPACO takes place every two years in late February or early March.

Don't miss

Top sights in Ouagadougou

1
Rood Woko (Grand Marché)
The city's huge central market.
2
National Museum of Burkina Faso
Masks, costumes and traditional architecture.
3
Monument des Héros Nationaux
A tall modern monument on a wide avenue.
4
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
A red-brick cathedral in the centre.
5
Village Artisanal
Workshops and stalls for local crafts.
6
Bangr-Weoogo Urban Park
A large green park with trails and animals.

Eat

Food markets & where to eat in Ouagadougou

Maquis
Open-air bars serving grilled chicken and fish.
Grand Marché
Street food around the central market.
Ouaga 2000
Restaurants in the newer southern district.

Taste

Food to try in Ouagadougou

Tô
Millet or sorghum porridge served with sauce.
Riz gras
Rice cooked in a rich tomato and meat sauce.
Poulet bicyclette
Grilled free-range chicken.
Bissap
Chilled hibiscus juice.

Opening hours and prices change often. Please check with each place before you visit.

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