Travel Smart

Avoid all travel

Source: Government of Canada · Verified 2026-07-26

The capital sits inside the same blanket do-not-travel advisory as the rest of the country, and the FCDO notes the terrorist threat in the city itself has been rising rather than staying confined to the periphery, with hotels, restaurants and gathering points named as potential targets. Street crime is flagged specifically around the UN Circle and the former Central Market. Demonstrations can turn violent with little warning and disrupt traffic and public transport.

Avoid: The UN Circle and the former Central Market area for street crime, and any demonstration or large gathering

Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office · Verified 2026-08-29

Smartraveller explicitly bars travel to everything north of the Orodara, Salanso, Tougan, Ouahigouya, Djibo and Dori line, citing a high threat of kidnapping and terrorist attack. Both regions are among the eight placed under the national state of emergency, which gives security forces expanded powers to search, restrict movement and detain people. Jihadist groups operate with limited state presence across much of this territory.

Avoid: Everything north of the Orodara, Salanso, Tougan, Ouahigouya, Djibo and Dori line, and the Mali border zone

Source: Australian Government Smartraveller · Verified 2026-08-29

Smartraveller rules out all areas of the eastern regions because of a high kidnapping threat, and separately names the W National Park on the Niger and Benin border, along with the length of the eastern border with Niger, as no-go because of banditry and kidnapping. The whole region is also one of the eight under the government's state of emergency, so the restriction sits on top of the national advisory rather than instead of it.

Avoid: W National Park and the border corridor with Niger and Benin, and the entire Est region

Source: Australian Government Smartraveller · Verified 2026-08-29

One of the eight regions under the national state of emergency, which the FCDO and Global Affairs Canada both tie to an active jihadist insurgency and to expanded search and detention powers for security forces. The US State Department separately names the Kossi and Sourou provinces within this region among the localised emergency zones, and warns that improvised explosive devices are a real threat on roads outside the capital.

Avoid: Kossi and Sourou provinces, and roads outside main towns because of the risk from improvised explosive devices

Source: US Department of State · Verified 2026-08-29

Smartraveller separately rules out the southwestern Mali border corridor, naming Sindou, Orodara, Salanso and Nouna, because of a high threat of kidnapping and terrorist attack. The Cascades region is also one of the eight under the national state of emergency, so this sits on top of, rather than instead of, the blanket do-not-travel status covering the whole country.

Avoid: Sindou, Orodara, Salanso, Nouna and the Mali border corridor

Source: Australian Government Smartraveller · Verified 2026-08-29