Image by kind permission of
Welcome to Janjanbureh
Janjanbureh stands proudly as The Gambia’s leading hub for sustainable, community based tourism and as a UNESCO-recognised heritage island.
The Janjanbureh Tour Guides Association helps visitors explore the island through responsible, people-centred experiences rooted in community knowledge.
Here, the internationally recognised Kankurang Festival, rich traditions, river stories, and historic sites come together to offer a genuine escape from the coast — on an island known across generations as
Janjanbureh, McCarthy Island, and Georgetown.
Welcome to the new Destination Janjanbureh site
You are in the right place. This updated website brings together everything visitors and communities have been building over the years — now refreshed, expanded, and shaped with the
Janjanbureh Tour Guides Association and local partners.
About Us
We share the stories and experiences that bring Janjanbureh to life,
guided by the people who know the island best —
Janjanbureh Tour Guides Association,
known as
Destination Janjanbureh
This new website grows out of the most recent training programme supported by the International Trade Centre (ITC), building on earlier Community-Based Tourism training delivered in 2017.
The programme has focused on strengthening skills in guiding, hospitality, small business, and visitor experience. While the full results of this latest training are still emerging, this website is one of its first visible outcomes.
It is designed to provide potential visitors with all they need to know — both practical information and cultural context — to plan a meaningful, respectful visit to Janjanbureh.
The design, including our new logo, was developed collaboratively with the trainees as part of this shared learning journey.
We are proud to support the community-led
International Kankurang Festival, working alongside local leaders, artists, youth groups, and national partners to help protect and share this UNESCO-recognised cultural heritage
Story of the Month
Growing With Janjanbureh
From the President, JJB Tour Guides Association
Isatou Foon
Community-Based Tourism has shaped my life in ways I never expected. My first training in 2017–2018 opened the door not only to guiding, but to helping our communities share their stories with confidence. Today, through new ITC-supported training, more young people are gaining the business and professional skills they need to build a future in tourism — whether as guides, lodge staff, cultural practitioners, or self-employed service providers.
As President of the Janjanbureh Tour Guides Association,
I see a stronger, more confident generation emerging. Our aim is to grow together, support our communities, and keep Janjanbureh shining as a model for sustainable tourism.
Discover Janjanbureh
Janjanbureh is far more than a one-night stop for hippo watching. It's a relaxed island full of culture, river life, wildlife, and community stories — ideal for travellers who want to go beyond the coast. and supporting Sustainable Travel.Whether you’re a nature lover, heritage seeker, adventurer, overlander, backpacker, or a Gambian exploring up-country for the first time,the island offers experiences that stay with you and directly support local communities.
Coast Break Explorers
Image: Guide Basiru Sambou
Discover a calmer, richer inland experience beyond the 'sun, sea and sand'.
Ethical Travelers
Support community-led tourism that benefits local families directly
Nature and Wildlife Fans
Find birds, river life and quiet natural habitats full of surprises
Overland & Rally Travellers
A welcoming inland base to adventurers on the move
Backpackers & Independents
Slow down, explore freely and experience real island life
Gambian Visitors
See your peaceful, heritage rich side of The Gambia, away from the Kombos
Image: Chris Sylla
Diaspora Returnees
Reconnect with your culture, community and the stories of home
West African Visitors
A growing cross-regional destination with new routes and exchanges
Educational Visits
Students, schools and professionals learn about the history of the island
Community Tours
Community-Based Tourism
is the heart of Janjanbureh and its surroundings where guides, craftsmen and women and village hosts share their living heritage and river life with genuine warmth.
Heritage and Town Tours
Walk through centuries with trained local story-tellers, discovering the history. Kebba Sarjo will meet you here
Village and Community Tours
Travel off the island and meet rural communities and experience everyday life
Be Part of the Unique
Annual Kankurang Festival
January 23rd - 25th 2026
Step into the colour, rhythm, and living heritage of the annual Kankurang Festival — returning for its ninth edition from January 23rd to 25th, 2026.
This year’s theme,
Unmasking Tradition — Celebrating Identity,
highlights the deep cultural meaning of the Kankurang and the traditions that continue to shape Gambian identity today.
The festival is led by a dedicated local community committee in collaboration with the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC), the Gambia Tourism Board (GTB), and the International Trade Centre (ITC).
The Janjanbureh Tour Guides Association is proud to be recognised as a valued partner in this work — actively supporting visitor experience and community involvement while honouring the custodians of the tradition.
The Outline Program
Friday
“Tastes of The Gambia”
Official Opening Ceremony
• Cultural Performances
• Local Food Displays
Saturday
“Festival in Full Colour”
Hands-on Arts & Crafts
• Made in The Gambia Trade Fair
• Festival Parade through the town’s roads
• Main Masquerade Festival
• Night Entertainment
Sunday
“Tastes of The Gambia”
Community Marathon
Kayak Race
Closing Reflections on Unity and Peace
UNESCO Recognition
In 2008, UNESCO proclaimed the Kankurang a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
In 2025, Janjanbureh’s historic Georgetown area was inscribed into the UNESCO Memory Sites of Enslavement network — one of only 28 sites worldwide — acknowledging the island’s role in the history of enslavement and the settlement of liberated people.
Visit Us
A welcome base in the heart of The Gambia
Like many, you may not know the location of The Gambia- it is so tiny to locate on the globe!
Just south of Europe on Africa’s west coast, Janjanbureh sits at the heart of The Gambia along the river. It’s easy to reach and offers far more than a quick stop — most travellers find that two to five days is the perfect amount of time to explore and unwind.
Road transfer, river routes and travel times from the coast - including options arranged by local guides
Hotel, guesthouses, lodges, riverside camps and community run accommodation on and off the island
Cash is essential, no ATMS and life runs at a gentle friendly pace
Ask all your questions here-
Reach Janjanbureh Tour Guides Association
for itinerary planning, bookings or local advice