Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin — 15 days

Day 2 Saturday: Bamako - Segou (235 km) (B)
Bamako city tour: start at Point G and the panoramic overview of the city; visit the National Museum, the city market and the artisans' village, where you will see local craftsmen at work: silversmiths, woodcarvers, weavers, and leatherworkers; in the afternoon, 3-hour drive to Segou; overnight in Segou (Hotel Independance, or similar)

Day 3 Sunday: Segou - Mopti (405 km) (B)
Visit Segou, Mali's second city and former colonial capital; see the interesting mixture of traditional and colonial architecture; stroll through the pottery market on the waterfront; visit Sekoro village (the "old Segou"), former capital of the Bambara kingdom; see the tomb of King Biton Coulibaly; in the afternoon, 3½-hour drive to Mopti; overnight in Mopti/Sevare (Hotel Kanaga / Hotel Ambedjele, or similar)

Day 4 Monday: Mopti - Djenne (130 km) - Mopti / Niger River (B)
City tour of Mopti, called the Venice of Mali; see the beautiful mosque and the fishing port, bustling commercial center; excursion to Djenne to see the colorful weekly market; stroll around the market stalls, spread out before the magnificent Great Mosque, the world's largest mud brick architecture and one of Unesco's World Heritage sites; return to Mopti in time to enjoy a relaxing sunset sail on the Niger River; overnight in Mopti/Sevare (Hotel Kanaga / Hotel Ambedjele, or similar)

Day 5 Tuesday: Mopti - Timbuktu (550 km) (B)
After breakfast, depart Mopti and drive (~6 hours) across the Sahel, to the legendary city of Timbuktu, at the edge of the Sahara Desert ! overnight in Timbuktu (Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar)

Day 6 Wednesday: Timbuktu / Sahara Desert (B)
Visit the mythical city of Timbuktu: see the ancient mosques (built in the XIV^th century) and former universities, the museum, the explorers' houses, the city market which receives the azalaïs, the salt caravans from the desert; in the afternoon, excursion into the Sahara Desert by camel caravan to visit a Tuareg camp; enjoy tea on the dunes with your Tuareg hosts, the Princes of the Desert; return to and overnight in Timbuktu (Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar)

Day 7 Thursday: Timbuktu - Dogon country (650 km) (B)
Return drive across the Sahel, to Mali's fascinating Dogon country; overnight in Sangha/Bandiagara (Hotel Campement Guina / Hotel Kambary, or similar)

Day 8 Friday: Dogon country (B)
Visit Dogon villages along the Bandiagara escarpment: Banani village(note the ancient Tellem cave dwellings in the cliff face), Ireli, Amani (visit the sacred crocodile sanctuary), and Tireli, where you will witness a traditional Dogon mask dance; overnight in Sangha/Bandiagara (Hotel Campement Guina / Hotel Kambary, or similar)

Day 9 Saturday: Dogon country - Bobo Dioulasso, BURKINA FASO (540 km) (B)
Breakfast, then depart Mali and drive (~6 hours) to Burkina Faso; overnight in Bobo Dioulasso (Hotel Auberge, or similar)

Day 10 Sunday: Bobo Dioulasso - Ouagadougou (355 km) (B)
Tour Bobo Dioulasso, ("house of the Bobo merchants"), Burkina Faso's second largest city; see the old mosque and visit the old Kibidwe artisans' district, where you will see blacksmiths, potters, and dyers at work; in the afternoon drive to and overnight in Ouagadougou (Hotel Silmande, or similar)

Day 11 Monday: Ouagadougou (B)
Full day to explore Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital city; visit the Grand Market and the crafts markets at the Artisans' Center, where you will find basketry, batik fabrics, wooden statues and masks, jewelry, leatherwork and bronze castings; overnight in Ouagadougou (Hotel Silmande, or similar)

Day 12 Tuesday: Ouagadougou - Natitingou, BENIN (480 km) (B)
Depart Ouagadougou after breakfast and drive to Fada N'Gourma, cross the BF-Benin border and continue to Natitingou, in Somba country; overnight in Natitingou (Hotel Tata Somba, or similar)

Day 13 Wednesday: Natitingou - Abomey (420 km) (B)
Visit the Natitingou Museum for an interesting overview of the Somba culture; then drive (~4½ hours) to Abomey, the birthplace of voodoo; overnight in Abomey (Motel d'Abomey, or similar)

Day 14 Thursday: Abomey - Cotonou (135 km) (B)
Visit Abomey, former capital of the Danhomey kingdom; visit the Royal Palace and Museum, site of the ancient palaces of the twelve kings of Abomey (Unesco World Heritage site), who reigned from 1620 through 1900; visit the artisans' center, renowned for traditional tapestries and bronze castings, formerly reserved for the royal court only; in the afternoon, explore the Dahomey Trail with its unrestored palaces and fetish temples; depart for Cotonou; overnight in Cotonou (Hotel du Lac, or similar)

Day 15 Friday: Cotonou / Ganvie - final departure (B)
City tour of Cotonou, including the fish market and the international Dantokpa market, with its fetish market and handcraft center; pirogue excursion to Ganvie village, built on stilts over the lagoon (Lake Nokoue); in the evening, transfer to the airport for your final departure