The hills and villages around Djougou offer day trips by motorbike or four-wheel drive into terrain that sees very few tourists. The landscape north of town becomes increasingly dramatic as you approach the Atacora massif — red laterite tracks through savanna, occasional rocky outcrops, and villages of traditional round houses with thatched roofs.
The Tata Somba fortified houses, traditionally associated with the Batammariba people further north near Natitingou, have their southern limit not far from Djougou. A zemidjan driver who knows the area can take you to villages where this architectural tradition survives, though the further you go toward Natitingou, the better the examples become.
Hiring a motorbike taxi for a half-day into the surrounding hills — through farming villages, past small reservoirs, and into the scrubby upland — is one of the better ways to use a day in Djougou if you have one to spare. Negotiate the price in advance; the drivers know the territory well and will suggest destinations if you ask.