Mali Adventure Tour: Dogon Cliffs, Niger River, Sahara Desert — 15 days

Day 2 Thursday: Bamako - Segou (235 km) (B)
Breakfast, then 3-hour drive to Segou, Mali's second largest city and former colonial administrative center; admire the beautiful Sudanese-style colonial architecture, visit the port, the pottery market, traditional weavers and mudcloth artisans; visit Sekoro village, former capital of the Bambara kingdom; see the tomb of King Biton Coulibaly; overnight in Segou (Hotel Independance, or similar)

Day 3 Friday: Segou - Mopti (405 km) (B)
3½-hour drive to Mopti, also known as the Venice of Mali, for its location between the Bani and the Niger rivers; visit Mopti: the Komoguel mosque, the fishing port (see pirogues being made), and the bustling market where many of Mali's ethnic groups come to trade: Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fulani, Tuareg and Songhay; overnight in Mopti (Hotel Kanaga, or similar)

Days 4, 5 Saturday, Sunday: Sail the Niger River (B,L,D,B,L,D)
Begin sailing down the mighty Niger River to Timbuktu; visit Bozo fishermen's villages and nomadic Fulani camps along the way; you will also see Mali's varied birdlife along the shore, and very likely see hippos in the river; meals and overnight camping on the riverbank

Day 6 Monday: Niger River - Timbuktu (B,L)
Final day of sailing to take in the sights and sounds of the Niger, and arrive in Timbuktu by day's end; transfer from the port to your hotel; overnight in Timbuktu (Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar)

Day 7 Tuesday: Timbuktu - Sahara Desert (B,D)
Visit the legendary city of Timbuktu, gateway to the Sahara Desert: see the ancient mosques and former universities, the museum and Ahmed Baba Institute archives of ancient Islamic manuscripts, the explorers' houses, and the market which receives the azalaïs, the salt caravans from the desert; in the afternoon, depart on your camel caravan into the desert to visit a Tuareg camp; the Tuareg people are known as the Princes of the desert; dinner and overnight camping on the dunes of the Sahara with your Tuareg hosts

Day 8 Wednesday: Sahara Desert - Timbuktu (B)
Return to Timbuktu; remainder of the day free to relax, or visit the artisans' center; overnight in Timbuktu (Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar)

Day 9 Thursday: Timbuktu - Sevare (540 km) (B)
Drive across the Sahel (6 hours), to Sevare; overnight in Sevare (Hotel Flandre, or similar)

Day 10 Friday: To Dogon Country (110 km) (B,L,D)
Continue to Mali's fascinating Dogon country; visit Songo village, renowned for its rock paintings and circumcision grotto; continue to Sangha, comprised of 10 distinct animist and Islamic villages, in peaceful coexistence; walking tour of Sangha; overnight in Sangha (Hotel Campement Guina, or similar)

Day 11 Saturday: Dogon country (B,L,D)
Visit Dogon villages along the Bandiagara escarpment; see many examples of the typical Dogon architecture, and ancient Tellem cave dwellings in the cliff; overnight camping in a Dogon village

Day 12 Sunday: Dogon country (B,L,D)
Continue exploring magnificent Dogon villages, and by day's end, return up the escarpment to Sangha; overnight in Sangha (Hotel Campement Guina, or similar)

Day 13 Monday: Dogon country - Djenne (230 km) (B)
3-hour drive to Djenne, Timbuktu's ancient sister-city on the Niger; visit Djenne on its weekly market day, when Djenne is at its colorful best; see the magnificent Great Mosque, the largest mud brick architecture in the world and one of Unesco's World Heritage sites; overnight in Djenne (Hotel Campement, or similar)

Day 14 Tuesday: Djenne - Bamako (570 km) (B)
Return drive (7 hours) to Bamako; overnight in Bamako (Grand Hotel, or similar)

Day 15 Wednesday: Bamako - final departure (B)
Bamako city tour: visit the National Museum, the city market, and the artisans' village; in the evening, transfer to the airport for your final departure