Chad
Republic of Chad
Middle Africa · TCD
Editorial Snapshot
Why Go To Chad
Chad appeals to travelers who care more about Sahara landscapes and remote geology than easy tourism infrastructure or polished city time. It works best as a specialist desert route focused on the Ennedi and Ounianga areas, not as a broad first-time Africa itinerary.
Popular For
Things To See
- N'Djamena
- Ennedi Massif
- Lakes of Ounianga
- Zakouma National Park
- Tibesti Mountains
Best Months
Know Before You Go
- This is a demanding trip shape that depends heavily on permissions, local operators, and route conditions.
- Most of the payoff is in remote desert country, so city-heavy or improvised itineraries are usually the wrong approach.
- Travel here needs current security validation before any plan becomes actionable.
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Flights
Hotels & Accommodations
Compare stays across major booking options
Open hotel and accommodation options for Chad.
Guidebooks
📚Browse Chad Guidebooks on AmazonTours & Activities
Country Data
Stats At A Glance
Practical travel, safety, climate, and quality-of-life stats for Chad.
Quick Facts
- Capital
- N'Djamena
- Population
- 19,340,757
- Area
- 1,284,000 km²
- Region
- Middle Africa
Languages
- Arabic
- French
Currency
Central African CFA franc (Fr)
XAF
Exchange rate unavailable for USD.
Cost of Living (World Bank)
35.1
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 N'Djamena (12.10°N, 15.03°E).
LGBTQ+ Friendly
25/100
Traveler LGBTQ score
- Legal protections
- 20/100
- Lived safety
- 33/100
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)
0.416
Low human development
- 5-year change
- +0.014
- 10-year change
- +0.020
- Trend
- improving
- Data year
- 2023
- Gender Dev. Index (GDI)
- 0.787
- Gender Inequality Index (GII)
- 0.670
- Planetary-adjusted HDI (PHDI)
- 0.397
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (2)
- 🌍
Ennedi Massif: Natural and Cultural Landscape
Inscribed 2016
- 🌿
Lakes of Ounianga
Inscribed 2012
Natural Beauty (World Bank)
- Protected land area
- 21.0%
- Forest cover
- 3.2%
Source: World Bank.
Wildlife & Birdwatching
- Threatened mammal species (IUCN)
- 16
- Threatened bird species (IUCN)
- 20
Source: World Bank / IUCN Red List. Higher counts indicate richer biodiversity, typically in tropical rainforest, island, and savannah ecosystems.
Food & Cuisine
17/100
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
1/100
Luxury & premium accommodation score
Based on OpenStreetMap luxury hotel density and World Bank international tourism receipts.
US Travel Advisory
Do not travelin Chad for any reason due to risk of crime, terrorism, unrest, inadequate health infrastructure, kidnapping, and landmines. Outside of N’Djamena, the U.S. government has extremely limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Chad. U.S. government employees working in Chad need special authorization to travel outside of the capital due to safety risks. Embassy N’Djamena has implemented in-city restrictions for U.S. government employees, to include limits on areas acceptable for night driving and requirements for mandatory armored vehicle use. Crime Both violent and petty crime are a real danger in Chad. Violent crimes include muggings, purse snatching, armed robbery, home invasion, carjacking, and sexual assault. Common petty crime includes pickpocketing. Both visitors and residents face these threats. Limited resources and inadequate law enforcement training hinder police response to serious crime in most areas. Terrorism There is risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity in Chad. Visit the U.S. Department of State's country reports on terrorism to learn more. Terrorist groups have targeted: Religious venues Schools Government buildings Police stations Transportation hubs Markets Areas visited by tourists, including national parks These attacks have resulted in the deaths of Chadians as well as foreign visitors. Americans should remain alert and avoid large public gatherings. Unrest Protests can happen without warning. They often develop around special events or political issues like elections. When protests, strikes, and demonstrations escalate, security services have responded with force, deploying batons, rubber bullets, tear gas, and gunfire to disperse crowds. Health Medical services in Chad are extremely limited. Access to routine and emergency medical treatment is often unavailable. There is limited access to medicines, including antibiotics. All medical services, from treatment for a minor health issue to one requiring medical evacuation, are at your expense. If you purchase additional medical insurance, be sure to keep records of all medical services paid for and provided. Kidnapping Kidnapping for ransom is common in Chad. Criminal groups and terrorist organizations target both locals and foreign visitors. Landmines Landmines and unexploded ordnance from prior and ongoing conflicts exist throughout Chad. Areas of greatest risk are: Northern Chad (Tibesti, Borkou, Ennedi-Est, and Ennedi-Ouest provinces). Sila province in eastern Chad. Moyen-Chari province in southern Chad. Not all landmine areas are clearly marked or easy to recognize. Stay on main roads and well-traveled areas.
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