Gabon
Gabonese Republic
Middle Africa · GAB
Editorial Snapshot
Why Go To Gabon
Gabon is a strong fit for travelers who want rainforest wildlife and Atlantic coast scenery without turning the trip into a classic savannah safari. It lands best as Libreville plus one or two serious park or lodge stops such as Loango, Lopé, or Ivindo, not as a countrywide sweep.
Popular For
Things To See
- Libreville
- Loango National Park
- Lopé National Park
- Ivindo National Park
- Pointe Denis
Best Months
Know Before You Go
- Gabon is at its best when you travel for a specific park experience instead of trying to collect many short stops.
- Park logistics and transfers take planning, so this is a better fit for travelers comfortable with lodge-based itineraries.
- The appeal here is wildlife and landscape immersion, not a dense urban or heritage route.
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Flights
Hotels & Accommodations
Compare stays across major booking options
Open hotel and accommodation options for Gabon.
Guidebooks
📚Browse Gabon Guidebooks on AmazonTours & Activities
Country Data
Stats At A Glance
Practical travel, safety, climate, and quality-of-life stats for Gabon.
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Libreville
- Population
- 2,469,296
- Area
- 267,668 km²
- Region
- Middle Africa
Languages
- French
Currency
Central African CFA franc (Fr)
XAF
Exchange rate unavailable for USD.
Cost of Living (World Bank)
38.3
Price level index (US = 100)
Safety & Peace
lower score = more peaceful · 1.0–3.5 scale
Monthly Climate Averages
These weather averages are based on data for Libreville (0.38°N, 9.45°E).
LGBTQ+ Friendly
31/100
Traveler LGBTQ score
- Legal protections
- 20/100
- Lived safety
- 51/100
This score blends legal protections with lived-safety context so strong laws alone do not automatically push a country to the top of the ranking.
- Homosexuality legal✅
- Relationship recognitionNone
- Adoption recognition❌
- Anti-discrimination laws❌
- Employment protections❌
- Legal gender recognition❌
- Conversion therapy ban❌
Human Development Index (UNDP)
0.733
High human development
- 5-year change
- +0.006
- 10-year change
- +0.026
- Trend
- stable
- Data year
- 2023
- Gender Dev. Index (GDI)
- 0.994
- Gender Inequality Index (GII)
- 0.505
- Planetary-adjusted HDI (PHDI)
- 0.704
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (2)
- 🌿
Ivindo National Park
Inscribed 2021
- 🌍
Ecosystem and Relict Cultural Landscape of Lopé-Okanda
Inscribed 2007
Natural Beauty (World Bank)
- Protected land area
- 22.7%
- Forest cover
- 91.2%
Source: World Bank.
Wildlife & Birdwatching
- Threatened mammal species (IUCN)
- 18
- Threatened bird species (IUCN)
- 5
Source: World Bank / IUCN Red List. Higher counts indicate richer biodiversity, typically in tropical rainforest, island, and savannah ecosystems.
Food & Cuisine
34/100
Food and dining score
Built from two layers: dining-scene breadth and open prestige signals. We combine restaurant density, cuisine diversity, distinguished restaurants, and gastronomy-city recognitions from open data sources.
Luxury Infrastructure
50/100
Luxury & premium accommodation score
Based on OpenStreetMap luxury hotel density and World Bank international tourism receipts.
US Travel Advisory
Updated after periodic review. There was no change to the advisory level or risk indicators. Advisory summary was updated. Exercise increased caution in Gabon due to unrest, crime, and health. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire travel advisory. Unrest Demonstrations and protests may occur in Gabon without warning. Protests often occur in Libreville and Port Gentil. Crime Crime is common in Libreville and Port Gentil. It includes robbery, vehicle break-ins, and residential burglaries. Health Access to medical care is limited. Medical facilities are limited in quality and standard of care they can provide. They may not have enough supplies of basic medications, especially outside of large cities. If you decide to travel to Gabon: Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to get important updates and alerts from the U.S. embassy or consulate. Enrolling helps the U.S. embassy or consulate contact you or your emergency contact in an emergency. Review the Country Security Report for Gabon. Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for the latest Travel Health Information for Gabon. Whether you’re a first time or frequent traveler, use the International Travel Checklist. We highly recommend that you buy travel insurance before you travel. Check with your travel insurance provider about evacuation assistance, medical insurance, and trip cancelation coverage. Review our information on Crime Abroad and for Victims of Crime. Do not physically resist any robbery attempt. Have a plan to leave in an emergency that does not depend on U.S. government help. Review our information on Crisis and Evacuations. Avoid demonstrations and crowds. Check local media for breaking events. Be prepared to adjust your plans. Keep travel documents up to date and easily accessible.
Read full advisory →Data current as of May 2026 and subject to change. Travel advisory information is sourced from the U.S. State Department and reflects conditions at the time of data collection, not real-time conditions. Do not rely solely on this information for travel decisions. Always check current government advisories for your nationality. Terms of Use · About our data