Bamako, Mali
West Africa
Tel +223.6673.1631
Tel +223.7641.7383
tours@sagatours.com

[ Text-only ]

See our Facebook photo albums

village elder and children

Sandama Tour

Mali · Burkina Faso · Ghana · Togo · Benin

A fascinating West African journey

18 days / 17 nights hotel, no camping

Every tour is private, scheduled on dates of your choice, beginning on a Thursday in Bamako, MALI and ending on a Sunday in Cotonou, BENIN; there are no fixed-date group departures.

Contact us for prices. Groups of any size are welcome. Be sure to specify the month/year of travel, and how many persons are in your party—prices are digressive, so a better value per person for a party of four than a party of two, etc.

ITINERARY

New version ! New, lower price !

Day 1 Saturday	Arrival in Bamako, MALI International flight arrives in Bamako in the evening; our staff will meet you in the Arrivals hall of Bamako airport, and provide your hotel transfer; overnight in Bamako	Grand Hotel, or similar	(no meals)
Day 2 Sunday	Bamako – Segou (235 km: ~3hrs) Begin your West African journey with a city tour of Bamako, Mali's vibrant capital city: over-view of this sprawling city from Point G, with a visit of the ancient grottos and rock paintings. Then on to the National Museum (see www.mnm-mali.org) with its impressive collections of textiles from the 11th to the 20th century; ancient Bamanan, Dogon and Senoufo sculptures; terracota objects from archeological sites; and contemporary African paintings and sculptures. In the afternoon we will visit the city market and the artisans' village, then we will drive through the heartland of Mali to Segou; overnight in Segou	Hotel Independance, or similar	Breakfast
Day 3 Monday	Segou – Djenne – Mopti (465 km; ~6hrs) 8h00 AM departure (or earlier) for our onward drive to Djenne, ancient sister-city of Timbuktu, arriving in time to see the large and colorful weekly market. Djenne was one of the first commercial centers of the Sahel region: it was the meeting place of the nomads from the Sahara, the local farmers and cattleherders, and the fishermen from the inland delta of the Niger. After exploring the market, we will stroll the ancient alleys and narrow streets, and see the oldest house in Djenne, dating from the XII^th century; also see the magnificent Great Mosque, the world's largest mud brick architecture, originally constructed in the XIII^th century, this is one of Unesco's World Heritage sites. We will visit the Djenne museum as we depart Djenne, driving onward to Mopti for overnight	Hotel Kanaga, or similar	Breakfast
Day 4 Tuesday	Mopti – Timbuktu (380 km; ~5½hrs) Enjoy an early morning walk along Mopti's riverfront: note the cargoes of salt slabs just arrived from the northern salt mines, or smoked fish to ship south; see young boys bathing sheep in the river before taking them to market. Around 9h00 AM, we will depart Mopti for an interesting drive across the Sahel ecosystem, to the legendary city of Timbuktu, gateway to the Sahara Desert; along the way, we may see desert nomad families travelling with their camels and goat herds; ferry-crossing and onward to our hotel, for overnight in Timbuktu	Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar	Breakfast
Day 5 Wednesday	Timbuktu / Sahara Desert Today we visit the legendary and historical city of Timbuktu. In its glory-days, Timbuktu attracted Muslim scholars from the entire Arab world; see the ancient mosques and former universities, the museum and the Ahmed Baba Institute archives of ancient Islamic manuscripts, the explorers' houses, and the market which receives the azalaïs, the salt caravans from the desert — at one time salt was literally worth its weight in gold. Lunchtime break, then in the afternoon we depart on our camel caravan into the Sahara Desert to visit a Tuareg camp on the dunes; the Tuareg people are known as the Princes of the desert, or the Blue Men of the desert (for the blue tinge on their skin from their indigo-dyed clothing); return to Timbuktu for overnight NB: due to security concerns we do not go deep into the desert.	Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar	Breakfast
Day 6 Thursday	Timbuktu – Mopti (380 km; ~5½hrs) Breakfast, then 8h00 AM departure from Timbuktu for our return driveacross the Sahel, to Mopti; we check into our hotel, then visit Mopti, called "the Venice of Mali" because it is surrounded by the waters of the Niger and the Bani rivers; see the Komoguel mosque, the fishing port (see pirogues being made by hand), and the bustling market where many of Mali's ethnic groups come to trade: Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fulani, Tuareg and Songhay. Our day which started in the desert, will end with a tranquil sunset sail on the Niger River by private river boat; overnight in Mopti	Hotel Kanaga, or similar	Breakfast
Day 7 Friday	Mopti – Dogon country (120 km [x2]; ~2hrs [x2]) Onward to Mali's fascinating Dogon country! The Dogon tribe originated in the south of Mali, which they fled to preserve their animist religion from the spread of Islam. When they arrived at the Bandiagara cliffs, they found the Tellem people occupying grottos carved in the face of the cliff; they eventually displaced the Tellem people, and used the grottos to bury their dead; funerary rites are an important part of the Dogon culture. We will visit the architectural wonders that are Dogon villages along the Bandiagara escarpment: Banani (note the ancient Tellem cave dwellings in the cliff face), Ireli, Amani (visit the sanctuary of sacred crocodiles, totem animal of the Dogon people), and Tireli village; optionally, we can witness a fascinating traditional Dogon mask dance—this authentic representation is one of the Dogon people's traditional funerary rites; overnight in Bandiagara	Hotel Falaise, or similar	Breakfast
Day 8 Saturday	Dogon country – Ouahigouya, BURKINA FASO (160 km; ~3½hrs) This morning we will visit Madougou village on the Senou plain, then depart Dogon country and Mali, driving through picturesque villages and cross into Burkina Faso; we arrive in Ouahigouya and check into our hotel; then tour Ouahigouya, capital of the old Yatenga kingdom; we will visit the historic Yatenga Naba's compound (Naba = "King") and Naba Kango's tomb—Naba Kango was one of the most fearsome of the Mossi rulers; he died violently in 1787; overnight in Ouahhigouya	Hotel Amitie, or similar	Breakfast
Day 9 Sunday	Ouahigouya - Ouagadougou (190 km; ~2½hrs) Onward drive to Ouagadougou; check into your hotel, then explore Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital city; we will visit the Grand Market and the National Museum, with its interesting collection of regional clothing, masks, household utensils and ancestral statues; also visit the Music Museum if it has reopened (closed for renovations), and the crafts markets at the Artisans' Center, where you will find basketry, batik fabrics, wooden statues and masks, jewelry, leatherwork and bronze castings. If we finish all these visits, in the afternoon we take an excursion to the Parc Urbaiin Bangr-Weoogo—with its crocodile lagoons, a mini-zoo, and well-tended gardens, it makes a nice respite from the city; overnight in Ouagadougou	Hotel Silmande, or similar	Breakfast
Day 10 Monday	Ouagadougou – Tiebele – Tamale, GHANA (495 km; ~7hrs) Today we depart Burkina Faso and francophone Africa, for anglophone Ghana; en-route we will visit Tiebele village, in Gourounsi country. We will visist the Royal Court of Tiebele, and see the interesting fortress-like houses of the Kassena people. The houses are of various shapes and sizes depending on the status of the occupants, and they are beautifully decorated with geometric patterns on the walls; they are constructed of mud and feature flat roofs for sleeping in the hot weather; the houses are painted by the women, with local red, blue, white and black pigments. We resume our journey to the Ghana border, and onward to Tamale for overnight	Gariba Lodge, or similar	Breakfast
Day 11 Tuesday	Tamale – Kumasi (390 km; ~5hrs) We will visit the large central market in Tamale to see the gonja cloth weavers at work, and browse through the fetish section to get a look at some 'interesting' items for sale; then we continue our drive through the countryside to Kumasi, in Ashanti country, with a visit to the Baobeng-Fiema monkey sanctuary en-route; overnight in Kumasi	Royal Basin Resort, or similar	Breakfast
Day 12 Wednesday	Kumasi / Ashanti country Today we isit Kumasi and Ahsanti country: we start at the National Cultural Center, the Manhyia Palace, and the Kejetia market, the largest market in West Africa–a kaleidescope of sight and sound. In the afternoon, visit we will visit Ashanti villages on the outskirts of Kumasi; Ejisu village and the cultural sites: Yaa Asantwaa Museum, and Besease traditional shrine; and also Bonwire village, to see authentic Ghanaian kente cloth being made; return to Kumasi for overnight	Royal Basin Resort, or similar	Breakfast
Day 13 Thursday	Kumasi – Kakum – Elmina (240 km; ~3½hrs) Today we drive to Kakum National Park, a rainforest preserve inhabited by some 100 different species of mammals, including forest elephants and giant forest hogs, as well as many types of antilopes, monkeys and birds. The main attraction at Kakum is the 350 meter long canopy walk, varying between 28-40 meters high—this is not recommended for the acrophobic! After the park if time permits, we can visit Monkey Forest animal sanctuary. Then we continue to Elmina for overnight	Elmina Beach Resort, or similar	Breakfast
Day 14 Friday	Elmina / Cape Coast – Accra (165 km; ~2½hrs) In Elmina, we begin with a walking tour of St. George's Castle, and a stroll to St. Jago Hill for a panoramic overview of historic Elmina. Then onward to Cape Coast, which was the first capital of Britain's Gold Coast colony. By the late 17th century, Cape Coast had grown from a small fishing village to one of the most important trading ports along the coast; and through the 18th century, the local economy was driven by its role as the heart of the transatlantic slave trade. We will visit the historic old town section, and the notorious Cape Coast Castle, former bastion of the Atlantic slave trade, with three large slave dungeons accessible only from the seaward side of the fort, and the Door of no Return; Cape Coast Castle is now a Unesco World Heritage site. We will drive to Accra for overnight	Novotel Accra, or similar	Breakfast
Day 15 Saturday	Accra – Lome, TOGO (200 km; ~2½hrs) This morning we will tour of Accra, including the National Museum, the Cultural Centre, and the Nkrumah Mausoleum. Then onward to Lome, Togo; afternoon city tour of Lome: we will visit the National Museum, the Lome central market, the artisans' village and the Akodessewa fetish market; overnight in Lome	Hotel Ibis Centre, or similar	Breakfast
Day 16 Sunday	Lome – Ouidah (110 km; ~1½hr) – Cotonou, BENIN (40 km; ~¾hr) And onward to Benin! We will drive across the border to Ouidah, an important traditional religious center and ancient slave depot, which sent thousands of slaves to the new world. We will visit the Museum in the old Portuguese fort, the temple of pythons, the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Kpasse sacred forest; we will trace the route of the famous "Slave Road" which leads to the slavery memorial of Zoungbodji; and continue onward to Cotonou for overnight	Hotel du Lac, or similar	Breakfast
Day 17 Monday	Cotonou – Abomey (one-way 135 km; ~3hrs) – Cotonou 07h00 AM breakfst, then we depart on our excursion to Abomey, former capital of the Danhomey kingdom; we will visit the Royal Palace and Museum, site of the the ancient palaces of the twelve kings of Abomey (Unesco World Heritage site), who reigned from 1620 through 1900; we will visit the artisans' center, renowned for traditional tapestries and bronze castings, formerly reserved for the royal court only; in the afternoon, we can explore the Dahomey Trail with its unrestored palaces and fetish temples; then return to and overnight in Cotonou	Hotel du Lac, or similar	Breakfast
Day 18 Tuesday	Cotonou/Ganvie – final departure Today we will visit colorful Cotonou, including the huge Dantokpa market, the second largest in West Africa (after Kumasi in Ghana), and the large artisans' center, where artisans can be seen working their crafts. In the afternon we will take a pirogue excursion to visit Ganvie fishing village, built on stilts over the lagoon waters of Lake Nokoue; this village was created in the 18th century by the Tofinu people, to escape the slave-raids of their neighbors; women sell fish, fruits and vegetables from their canoes, and fish-farming is practiced within enclosures of trees and branches that surround the village. We return to Cotonou for hotel check-out; transfer to the airport for final departure<	day-room	Breakfast

1 km ~ 0.6 mile; distances are approximate
Driving times are approximate, depending on local conditions, stops, and border crossings

NB: Hotels subject to availability; see proposed hotels description.

The tour with these hotels is our default "Better" standard (3-4* hotels where available).
Upgrade to "Best" standard (4-5* hotels where available) is also possible.
NB: in rural areas there is little choice of accommodations, and we utilize the same "best available" hotels for all tour standards.

Tour package includes:

17 nights hotel, double occupancy, with breakfast
day-room in Cotonou on the final day
private ground transportation by air-conditioned 4x4 vehicle, with driver and fuel
sunset sail on the Niger River by private river boat
Sahara Desert excursion by camel caravan to visit a Tuareg camp on the dunes near Timbuktu
pirogue excursion to Ganvie village
experienced English-speaking guide throughout
airport transfers upon arrival in Bamako and departure in Cotonou
all hotel taxes and local tourism taxes
all site visit, excursion and entry fees as per tour program

Tour package does not include: international flights to Bamako, MALI and onward from Cotonou, BENIN; tourism visas (Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin); lunches, dinners, drinks/bottled water; optional Dogon mask dance; tips and personal expenses.

Optional traditional Dogon mask dance in a village — upon request

Hotel upgrades in the capital cities are available upon request.

Please note: Saga Tours does not handle international air reservations and ticketing.

Before reserving, please see our Terms and Conditions

Sandama Tour

Mali · Burkina Faso · Ghana · Togo · Benin

A fascinating West African journey

18 days / 17 nights hotel, no camping

Home

Multi-country Tours

Mali Tours

Reserve a Tour

FAQs