Albert Market
Albert Market
4
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Albert Market and nearby attractions
The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
9 within 3 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
263 reviews
Excellent
76
Very good
103
Average
62
Poor
9
Terrible
13
Blythe2004
14 contributions
Apr 2020
Nothing to see except locals buying cheap Chinese rubbish and food. In a very crowded, hot and dirty environemnt. No lcal crafts or anything worth actually seeing. If you go in as a white person, you will be followed by some random Gambian people who will try and control where you go, engage in pointless conversation, ask for money etc. If you ignore them or don't engage, they will start shouting that you are racist and won't speak to black people. Avoid.
Written June 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
severnup
Upton upon Severn, UK270 contributions
Feb 2020
We had a free trip and choose among others The Albert Market.
Its big,busy ,sticks of fish but not to be missed,its Gambia the tourists dont see ,you could get lost there ,every one seems to be selling fish,vegetables and spices,oh dont go to the tourist part to get ripped of .
if you get the chance go but take a quide
Its big,busy ,sticks of fish but not to be missed,its Gambia the tourists dont see ,you could get lost there ,every one seems to be selling fish,vegetables and spices,oh dont go to the tourist part to get ripped of .
if you get the chance go but take a quide
Written February 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
timidimp
Cheshire68 contributions
Why go to a Gambian market and not buy something? Why not buy something and avoid the hassle of carrying it home? Why not buy something that will make an excellent gift and save a life in the process?
I'm suggesting that you visit Banjul market - go by bush taxi (part of the experience) and when you arrive walk along Old Perseverance Street in Albert Market till you come to the shop of Manneh Suwareh, dealer in 'bednets' - mosquito nets, in other words. The nets are well made locally, come in various shades and styles and make superb, life-saving gifts to your favourite hotel staff, village schools, hospitals or casual strangers. Mosquitoes kill people. We take anti-malarials and tend not to visit during the rainy season. Gambian village houses are built to let hot air out, Sadly, this enables mozzies to fly in. Buy a net, give a gift, save a life. Cost? About 200D - the price of a few drinks, and a fraction of the cost you would pay back home.
Manneh is a lovely man; he won't rob you - and you'll probably get a conducted tour of the market thrown in.
I'm suggesting that you visit Banjul market - go by bush taxi (part of the experience) and when you arrive walk along Old Perseverance Street in Albert Market till you come to the shop of Manneh Suwareh, dealer in 'bednets' - mosquito nets, in other words. The nets are well made locally, come in various shades and styles and make superb, life-saving gifts to your favourite hotel staff, village schools, hospitals or casual strangers. Mosquitoes kill people. We take anti-malarials and tend not to visit during the rainy season. Gambian village houses are built to let hot air out, Sadly, this enables mozzies to fly in. Buy a net, give a gift, save a life. Cost? About 200D - the price of a few drinks, and a fraction of the cost you would pay back home.
Manneh is a lovely man; he won't rob you - and you'll probably get a conducted tour of the market thrown in.
Written July 1, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
yusuphafatajo
Bakau, Gambia53 contributions
Jan 2019 • Friends
The famous Albert market of Banjul is one of the oldest in the country. This market was build by the British for trade to take place where locals can engage in all sorts of legal trade. It is a good spot if you want to enjoy real Gambian market life, with puzzling smiles and chants from sellers and buyers. It is one of the most visited place by tourist in the capital city of Banjul
Written January 29, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
steve h
Bristol, UK48 contributions
Sep 2014 • Business
I probably chose one of the worst times to visit the market this year as it was rainy season, so the heat was pretty unbearable. Not the first time I have been to the market, and it surprises me every time I go. A very busy place, lots of items on offer from jewellery to cloth, watches to clothes and shoes. Please be cautious though it is very easy to get lost and with the heat dehydrated as well. The place is sprawling and if you don't take a trusted guide you will probably not enjoy it so much. It is quite an experience to visit such a busy place, but please be careful, the streets are a bit rough and you can lose yourself quite easily. I would advise not taking young children there as them getting lost could be a real problem. Take water and if you can find a trusted guide from one of the more well know hotels then take them also. You will find that once guided properly around you can enjoy some of the wonderful wares on offer, and also the prices, (if you haggle a bit then the prices can be really good). The atmosphere is pretty amazing, its just so busy and to be fair most people are friendly. Overall an experience that sometimes I enjoy, but when it is this hot not so much.
Just remember: Take water
Take a guide
Don't take young children
Use your common sense when dealing with people
Just remember: Take water
Take a guide
Don't take young children
Use your common sense when dealing with people
Written November 12, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
saeckingen
Neuss45 contributions
Albert Market is in Banjul on Liberation Avenue - a must for every visitor to Gambia. Very busy, very crowded and typycal African. Most parts of the market are just for the local needs and not covering the typical touristic stuff.
I really enjoyed the atmophere, smell and sounds. However if you are not used to african Markets at least the fish and meat section may be a very different experience.
One of the few must does in Banjul!
I really enjoyed the atmophere, smell and sounds. However if you are not used to african Markets at least the fish and meat section may be a very different experience.
One of the few must does in Banjul!
Written December 20, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rosetta C
Gambia216 contributions
Nov 2012 • Solo
Banjul market is a bustling and noisy place which some tourists are not really prepared for as they approach the experience with their own country's mindset. If people want to see the country as it is, an open mind is needed. Here is the real Gambia and an active one where people are putting a lot of effort into earning a living. Gambians are hard working people. There is no state benefits system such as that in the UK, so the people in Gambia are very resourceful and productive. The tourists really need to support their enterprise. Comparing it to shopping experiences in the tourists' home country is unfair and unrealistic. Tourists know the price of goods in their home country but many are not willing to pay the price when they go there and even expect to under-pay. They see the local traders as "husslers" though they are just trying to make a living and they put a lot of efffort into it. I would encourage tourists to support local industry, but also to do as they do at home - shop around! Get friendly with a local person who knows where the bargains are. Gambian ladies are always good to know and helpful, telling people where to find the best price for something they want to buy. Banjul market is good, but also try Senegambia Craft Market on the Bertil Harding Highway.
Written August 24, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AnnieBee303
572 contributions
Mar 2016 • Couples
The smells (mostly pleasant) and the chaos makes this market an experience I shall never forget, but would definitely recommend as you need to be there to take it all in. You walk over rough ground through narrow channels between the traders and their stalls. They all call out to you to come and look at their wares and will almost plead with you to buy something and immediately start dropping the price even if you tell them you aren't buying, only looking. You have to be firm and walk away. I found it quite annoying because I really wanted to take my time and brouse properly. I might have actually spent more if I hadn't felt quite so hassled, but it's just a totally different culture. We had a guide with us who stepped in when he could tell we'd had enough of the hard-sell. I don't think I would have liked to go it alone! Not sure I'd want to go back either, which is a shame, but it's just not for me. As I said at the beginning though, don't be put off - go experience for yourself!
Written March 26, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
J J
Poland573 contributions
Dec 2015 • Family
Great place to taste Gambian folklore at its pure, harsh version. Especially worth visiting is its handicraft sector.
Written December 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ellipse
Johannesburg, South Africa101 contributions
Sep 2015 • Solo
I had fun at this market, which is actually called Albert Market. It is not the usual kind of fun and you need to understand that it can be full of people on some days. Also understand that depending on where you go in the market, there can be strong smells of fish and meat, with flies in abundance sitting on the fish mainly. The market feels a little chaotic but if you go with someone who knows it, it is not bad. Do not expect to be wowed with amazing arts and crafts. This is a true third world market and some of the streets you might walk through are muddy with stones and holes randomly distributed. If you know where to go, you can also see a beach close to the market where boats arrive to sell their fish first to people waiting on the beach. You will also be able to see from this beach where the Atlantic Ocean and the Gambia River meet.
If you are not sure if this market is for you, ask yourself if you have seen a few third world countries and markets before. If you have, it should not phaze you. However, if this is your first experience of a third world country, it might come as a complete and overwhelming culture shock to you. Perhaps ask a taxi driver to walk with you and, if you feel you want to get out of there, you can then let the driver know. At least that way you have a quick escape.
If you are not sure if this market is for you, ask yourself if you have seen a few third world countries and markets before. If you have, it should not phaze you. However, if this is your first experience of a third world country, it might come as a complete and overwhelming culture shock to you. Perhaps ask a taxi driver to walk with you and, if you feel you want to get out of there, you can then let the driver know. At least that way you have a quick escape.
Written November 1, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
That depends on you. They will give you a price then it’s up to you to argue about that and go way down their price. If you can’t come to an agreement walk away, they will come after you and mostly agree. Have fun
Written May 22, 2019
Comment puis-je m'y rendre en transports publics ?
Où se trouve l'entrée ?
Quel est le prix du ticket?
Written November 17, 2015
Showing results 1-2 of 2
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing