Good Time to Visit
Weather
The Gambia has a pleasantly subtropical climate, with distinct dry and rainy seasons. The coastal areas are dry from November to the end of May, and rainy from June to October. The temperatures inland become very hot from March to June.
Visitors are advised to bring lightweight or tropical clothing for most of the year with waterproofs for the rainy season.
Festivals
A number of religious festivals are held throughout the year, according to the religious calendars. Between June and July the International Roots Festival attempts to re-engage American and European descendants with their history.
Public Holidays
The following table shows the public holidays celebrated in the Gambia:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day |
| 18 February | Independence Day |
| March/April (variable) | Good Friday |
| March/April (variable) | Easter Monday |
| 1 May | Labour Day |
| 22 July | Revolution Day |
| 15 August | Assumption |
| 25 December | Christmas Day |
| Variable* | Milad al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet) |
| Variable* | Koriteh (End of Ramadan) |
| Variable* | Tobaski (Feast of the Sacrifice) |
* Although Muslim holidays always fall on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date they are celebrated on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year, due to the fact that the Islamic calendar is lunar whilst the Gregorian calendar is solar. Because this lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, Islamic holy days usually shift 11 days earlier each successive solar year. The method used to determine when each Islamic month begins also varies from country to country.