Travel from Guinea Bissau to Guinea Conakry is challenging. There are no direct flights and if you want to go overland, you have to work for it. I’m going to try and give you an idea of what we have done over the last few years on our scooter tours. Im mainly talking about road conditions, the forms or transport you choose to take are up to you.

Finding public transport in any of these places is best done on the ground. If you wanted to get from Guinea Bissau to Guinea Conakry then I would probably break the trip up. Get to either Labe or Boke on day 1, and then the following day push on to Conakry. Done in one push with either of the following options would be brutal! 

How to travel overland from Guinea Bissau to Guinea Conakry

Overland, there are 2 main options and within those options there are several variations. For navigation we use both Google Maps and Maps.me. They compliment each other pretty well. 

Firstly, if you are driving your own vehicle (motorbikes you can read more below), then the easiest option is to leave Bissau and head east across Guinea Bissau all the way to the border at Buruntuma. You will pass through the towns of Bafata, Gabu and Piche and the road is sometimes good, sometimes not, but as it’s the main road to Guinea, no matter the weather it will be passable.

The border crossing is pretty straight forward and as you pass Kandika in Guinea you have a really nice view of the Gabu Plateau as you make your way towards Koundara. Koundara is a big town with banks and money changers and some passable overnight sleeping options.

From there the road to Labe is great. There is a 26 km section that has yet to be finished and in the wet it’s a mess, but with loads of trucks using this road travelling from Senegal to Guinea then you will manage.

From Labe you can either continue on the tarmac to Mamou via Pita and then from Mamou you swing back west all the way to Conakry. It’s a long drive, but it’s definitely the easiest option.

From Labe, if you wanted a challenge then you could instead take the dirt road via Douki (drop in and visit Hassan Bah and he can take you on some amazing hikes in his corner of the world, Chutes and Ladders is epic!). From Douki continue west and you will arrive at a junction at Gougoudje, just south of the town of Telimele (a nice little town and the drive up to it is stunning).

You will also see a road from Telimele through Sangaredi to Boke. It’s a rocky mess in places. On a bigger bike it’s doable, but on a scooter it’s pretty terrible. Take this option at your peril.

If you ignore Telimele you will turn south at the Gougoudje junction, drive about 23 kms to the junction at Kambanya and take the right fork, you are aiming at the town of Tondon. It’s next to the enormous Souapiti Dam. For some reason google maps doesn’t want to show you the dam but it has been fully operational since 2022.

You pass a few military checkpoints at the dam and then from there, it’s tar all the way to Conakry. You join the Conakry to Boke road at Koubiya.

If you are backpacking or you are on a motorbike, another option is available. I suggest only attempting this one when it’s dry so from July through to late November, give this one a miss.

You need to get to the village of Candembel (Gandembel) in southern Guinea Bissau, it’s about 21 kms south from the village of Quebo. From Bissau it’s about 215 kms. On your own bike, the fun starts!

If you’re travelling on public transport, the cars will drop you here and under the huge Kapok tree in the middle of the village you will hopefully find a motorbike taxi. They ply the route between here and Boke in Guinea. It’s 93 kms and the first section to Kandiafra is very challenging. There are steep downhill sections and the road is a track. We do it on our scooters though, so on a bigger bike you’ll have fun.

As you get to the Kogon River, the road stops, the ferry is under water, and the only way to cross is in a canoe. They are used to moto taxis carrying massive loads so even the bigger adventure bikes will be able to load here. Once you cross, the Guinea immigration checkpoint is about 6 km further on and they will stamp you in officially, including passport and, if you’re riding your own vehicle, your carnet or fiche.

From there, it’s a straight shot to Boke. They are upgrading this whole road so it becomes a pleasure by the time you arrive. From Boke to Conakry is easy. Boke is a big city in the heart of bauxite country so getting to and from here is a breeze.

Guinea is big and is an amazing country. For us, Fouta Djallon is not to be missed. (We’ve written a whole article on that part of Guinea here). So the first option with the detour through Tondon is an awesome choice. We have covered loads more routes throughout Bissau and Guinea so drop us a message if you see another route and want some advice, we may well have already tried it.