--- title: "Bissau, Guinea-Bissau" description: "Guinea-Bissau · airport OXB" canonical: "https://sorted.travel/places/bissau" last-updated: "2026-10-11" --- # 🇬🇼 Bissau, Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau · airport OXB ## On the ground - Safety: High degree of caution - Currency: CFA Franc (XOF). 100 USD = 58555 XOF - Phone code: +245 - eSIM: [https://airalo.pxf.io/JrDNEE](https://airalo.pxf.io/JrDNEE) - Wikivoyage: [https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Guinea-Bissau](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Guinea-Bissau) ## Brief - Try local dishes such as **caldo de mancarra**, a peanut-based stew often served with rice, and fresh seafood. Cashews are also a major local product. - Bissau has limited infrastructure and services. Carry sufficient cash, allow extra time for transport, and arrange reliable local transport in advance, especially for travel outside the capital. - Portuguese is the official language; Creole and several local languages are widely spoken. ## Safety and health - **Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for travellers aged 9 months and older and is required for arriving travellers aged 1 year and older.** Carry the international vaccination certificate. ([cdc.gov](https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/guinea-bissau)) - Malaria prevention is highly advisable. Use an appropriate antimalarial medicine recommended by a clinician and protect yourself from mosquitoes, which can also transmit Zika. Use repellent, long clothing and screened or air-conditioned accommodation. ([cdc.gov](https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/guinea-bissau) | [wikivoyage.org](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Guinea-Bissau)) - Avoid swimming, wading or washing in untreated freshwater because of schistosomiasis. Drink bottled or properly filtered water. ([cdc.gov](https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/guinea-bissau) | [wikivoyage.org](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Guinea-Bissau)) - Take precautions against ticks and sand flies, which can transmit African tick-bite fever and leishmaniasis. Avoid contact with stray dogs, cats, monkeys and bats; seek urgent medical care after any bite or scratch because rabies treatment is time-sensitive. ([cdc.gov](https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/guinea-bissau) | [wikivoyage.org](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Guinea-Bissau)) - Guinea-Bissau remains under military-led transition, with political gatherings restricted and tensions elevated. Avoid demonstrations, military sites, the presidential palace and other security-force locations, and monitor local conditions before moving around Bissau. ([geobit.ai](https://www.geobit.ai/brief/country/guinea-bissau) | [buch-dein-visum.de](https://www.buch-dein-visum.de/en/news/allgemein/guinea-bissau-aktuelle-sicherheitshinweise-nach-machtuebernahme-des-militaers-3617c6)) ## Recent News - **8-9 October 2026:** Officials said presidential and legislative elections planned for **6 December** cannot currently be held because candidacy and electoral-preparation deadlines were missed. No replacement date has been announced, adding uncertainty around the transition and increasing the possibility of political demonstrations or disruption in Bissau. ([businessinsider.com](https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/guinea-bissaus-december-elections-face-delay-as-post-coup-government-says-voting/8k30w5t) | [allafrica.com](https://allafrica.com/stories/202610090140.html)) - **2-4 October 2026:** Military authorities blocked former President Umaro Sissoco Embaló from returning to Guinea-Bissau, citing security and public-order concerns. The dispute remains a potential flashpoint, particularly around government buildings, military installations, political gatherings and the airport. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/guineabissau-military-embalo-94b6404265a1d8b17c91d394877cb163) | [yahoo.com](https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/guinea-bissau-military-leaders-bar-101238929.html)) _Updated 2026-10-11._ ## Weather and timing The best time to visit Bissau is November to April, when conditions are mostly dry and suit city sightseeing, island trips and excursions. May and October are transitional months, while June to September is the wettest period, with heavy rain, flooding and disrupted roads and tours. | Month | Fit | Avg °C | Rain mm | Sun hours | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | January | Great | 28 | 0 | 10 | | February | Great | 29 | 0 | 10 | | March | Great | 29 | 1 | 10 | | April | Great | 28 | 3 | 10 | | May | OK | 29 | 8 | 10 | | June | Avoid | 30 | 26 | 9 | | July | Avoid | 28 | 114 | 7 | | August | Avoid | 27 | 169 | 7 | | September | Avoid | 28 | 100 | 8 | | October | OK | 30 | 39 | 9 | | November | Great | 29 | 10 | 10 | | December | Great | 29 | 0 | 10 | ### Month by month - **January (Great):** January is hot and dry, around 18-33°C. It suits city visits and excursions in the Bijagos Archipelago, with little rain to disrupt travel. - **February (Great):** February is hot and dry, around 19-35°C. Clear conditions support sightseeing and island trips, while turtle nesting remains possible in the Bijagos Archipelago. - **March (Great):** March is very hot and largely dry, around 20-35°C. It is suitable for exploring Bissau and the Bijagos Archipelago, with minimal rain. - **April (Great):** April is very hot and dry, around 20-35°C. The mostly rain-free weather favours city sightseeing and organised trips to the islands. - **May (OK):** May is very hot, around 22-35°C, with humid conditions and the wet season approaching. Rain may begin affecting roads and organised excursions. - **June (Avoid):** June is hot and humid, around 23-33°C, as the rainy season begins. Downpours can damage roads, and organised tours generally stop during this period. - **July (Avoid):** July is humid and very wet, around 23-30°C. Heavy rain and flooding can disrupt roads and excursions, while organised tours generally stop. - **August (Avoid):** August is humid and very wet, around 23-30°C. Peak rainfall brings flooding and difficult roads, and organised tours generally stop. - **September (Avoid):** September is humid and very wet, around 23-30°C. Heavy rain and flooding can disrupt roads and excursions, with organised tours generally stopped. - **October (OK):** October is hot and humid, around 23-32°C, with rain still affecting parts of the month. Roads and organised excursions may remain disrupted. - **November (Great):** November is hot, around 21-33°C, as rainfall declines. Conditions are suitable for exploring Bissau and travelling towards the Bijagos Archipelago. - **December (Great):** December is hot and dry, around 18-32°C. The mostly rain-free weather supports city sightseeing, island trips and outdoor excursions. ### 7-day forecast _Forecast by [Foreca](https://www.foreca.com)._ | Day | High °C | Low °C | Precip chance | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 27 Oct 27 Oct | 35 | 26 | 23% | | 28 Oct 28 Oct | 35 | 26 | 22% | | 29 Oct 29 Oct | 34 | 25 | 24% | | 30 Oct 30 Oct | 33 | 24 | 41% | | 31 Oct 31 Oct | 32 | 24 | 43% | | 01 Nov 01 Nov | 32 | 24 | 27% | | 02 Nov 02 Nov | 32 | 25 | 17% | ## Visa Passport-specific visa stance is on the HTML page after you set a passport, or via MCP `check_visa_requirements`. Confirm with a government source before you fly. ## Related destinations - [Gambia](https://sorted.travel/places/banjul) - [Guinea](https://sorted.travel/places/conakry) - [Dakar](https://sorted.travel/places/dakar) - [Sierra Leone](https://sorted.travel/places/freetown) - [Liberia](https://sorted.travel/places/monrovia) - [Nouakchott](https://sorted.travel/places/nouakchott) ## More - HTML: [https://sorted.travel/places/bissau](https://sorted.travel/places/bissau) - MCP: [https://sorted.travel/mcp](https://sorted.travel/mcp) (`get_destination_info`, `get_destination_weather`, `check_visa_requirements`) - Discover: [https://sorted.travel/discover](https://sorted.travel/discover)