Trip to Benin ► Gerewol Ceremony and tribes

Trip to Benin from 15 to 23 September 2026 / From 2,420€

Trip to Benin focused on the beautiful Gerewol Ceremony, where the young men demonstrate their physical capabilities through hypnotic dances that will attract their future wives. Benin's annual Gerewol is performed by the isolated Borgu-Mbororo nomads living around Bariba Mountains. For the last 5 years, Last Places’ team of anthropologists and cultural experts has been able to build a relationship with the Borgu-Mbororo nomadic elders and chiefs that are the ones organizing the Gerewol every year. Thanks to this relationship, we have exclusive access to this annual ceremony in the middle of the forested savannah of Northern Benin.

After the well-known Gerewol Festival of Niger, Chad and even Cameroon, Benin's Gerewol appears as another possibility to attend one of the most spectacular courtship rituals in Africa. The looks and wears of the young Borgu-Mbororo Benin men and women are quite different from those in Chad, Niger, Cameroon, and Nigeria. Along with the Gerewol Ceremony, during this trip to Benin we will meet different ethnic groups such as the Yoruba, the Taneka or the Bariba.

Download the itinerary for this trip to Benin to experience the Gerewol Ceremony

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Discover the highlights of this trip to Benin

We will experience the Gerewol Ceremony on this trip to Benin

During this trip to Benin, we will have the opportunity to experience the Gerewol Ceremony, a massive annual gathering of Borgu-Mbororo nomads from all over northern Benin and even Nigeria. The Borgu-Mbororo people belong to the large Fulani nation, which can be found from Senegal to Sudan. Their economy is based on nomadic or semi-nomadic livestock farming. 'Mbororo' means landless person or nomad, and 'borgu' is the name given to the Fulani of this part of Benin and Nigeria. It is also associated with the Borgu Kingdom, to which they once belonged. Women's hairstyles and facial tattoos are specific to this people and can easily distinguish them from other Fulani groups. During the Gerewol Ceremony, young men meet young women, and there is much dancing and singing. Along with the flirting rituals, there is much more: family and clan gatherings, trade agreements, and feasting. We will dedicate three full days of this trip to Benin to enjoying the spectacular Gerewol Ceremony in the wild forested savanna of the north of the country.

We will meet different traditional tribes of Benin

Taneka tribe

During this trip to Benin, we will explore the Taneka or Yom tribal territory. The Taneka community live in 4 traditional villages on the foothills and on top of the Taneka Hills. We will visit the 4 communities and meet the local people. What makes this tribe very special is that they are ruled by both customary chiefs and Animistic priests that act as local ministers. We will meet the ‘agriculture minister’, the ‘water minister’, ‘religious affairs minister’, all dressed in the traditional leather loincloth. We will experience a small Taneka initiation ritual in one of the villages. The excursion to the oldest village, on top of the hill, will take us 1h walk.

Bariba tribe

During this anthropological trip to Benin, we will visit the kingdom of Nikki, the historic capital of the Bariba tribe. Upon arrival in this small town, we will greet the king and admire the royal horses and the rides of decorated horsemen.

Fulani Borgu-Mbororo tribe

We will visit a settlement of Fulani Borgu-Mbororo nomads, where the Gerewol Ceremony will take place, which we will attend during this trip to Benin. This ethnic group is famous for their facial tattoos and decorative hairstyles.