Bamako, Mali
West Africa
Tel/Fax +223 220 2708
sagatours@sagatours.com

bringing water to the village

Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana — 18 days

West African journey from the edge of the Sahara Desert to the old Slave Coast

Every tour is private, scheduled on dates of your choice, with a Thursday arrival in Bamako; there are no fixed-date scheduled departures.

Contact us for prices. Groups of any size are welcome. Be sure to specify 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.

Home

Frequently Asked Questions

Day 1 Thursday: Arrival in Bamako, MALI
International flight arrives in Bamako, airport-to-hotel transfer; overnight in Bamako (Grand Hotel, or similar)

Day 2 Friday: Bamako (B)
Leisurely first day in West Africa, to get used to the time change and climate difference; city tour of Bamako: visit the National Museum, the city market, the artisans' village, the fetish market for traditional medicine; overnight in Bamako (Grand Hotel, or similar)

Day 3 Saturday: Bamako - Timbuktu (B)
Transfer to the airport for early morning flight to the legendary city of Timbuktu, gateway to the Sahara Desert; city tour: see the old mosques (built in the 14^th century) and former universities, the museum and archives of scholarly Islamic manuscripts, the explorers' houses, the city market which receives the azalaļs, 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 4 Sunday: Timbuktu - Mopti (B)
Airport transfer for early morning flight to Mopti, the Venice of Mali, nestled between the Niger and the Bani rivers; Mopti city tour: see the beautiful mosque, the fishing port, and the bustling market where many of Mali's cultural groups can be seen: Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fulani, Tuareg and Songhay; enjoy a sunset sail on the Niger River in a traditional pirogue; overnight in Mopti (Hotel Kanaga, or similar)

Day 5 Monday: Mopti - Djenne (130 km) - Dogon country (230 km) (B)
Excursion to Djenne on its weekly market day, when Djenne is at its colorful best; 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; in the afternoon, 3-hour drive to Dogon country; overnight in Sangha (Hotel Campement Guina, or similar)

Day 6 Tuesday: Dogon country (B)
Full day in Mali's fascinating Dogon country; explore magnicifcent villages along the Bandiagara cliff, and see many examples of the unique traditional architecture and fetishes; overnight in Bandiagara (Hotel Kambary / Hotel La Falaise, or similar)

Day 7 Wednesday: 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 8 Thursday: Bobo Dioulasso - Banfora (85 km) - Bobo Dioulasso (B)
Morning excursion to Banfora, in Burkina's sugarcane country; return to and visit Bobo Dioulasso ("house of the Bobo merchants"), Burkina'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; overnight in Bobo Dioulasso (Hotel Auberge, or similar)

Day 9 Friday: Bobo Dioulasso - Ouagadougou (355 km) (B)
After breakfast depart for Ouagadougou (~4-hour drive); en route, cross the Deux Bales National Park and perhaps see elephants; brief stop in Sabou village to see the crocodiles; overnight in Ouagadougou (Hotel Silmande, or similar)

Day 10 Saturday: Ouagadougou (B)
Full day to explore Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital city; visit the Grand Market and the National Museum, with its interesting collection of regional clothing, masks, household utensils and ancestral statues; also visit 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 11 Sunday: Ouagadougou - Tamale, GHANA (360 km) (B)
Depart Burkina Faso for Ghana (~4-hour drive); overnight in Tamale (Gariba Lodge, or similar)

Day 12 Monday: Tamale - Mole National Park (135 km) (B)
Visit the Tamale market and the National Cultural Center; afternoon drive to Mole National Park; overnight in Mole Park Hotel (or similar)

Day 13 Tuesday: Mole National Park (B)
Day of game drives in Mole Park; perhaps see elephants, buffalo, hippos, various species of antelopes, monkeys and birds; overnight in Mole Park Hotel (or similar)

Day 14 Wednesday: Mole Park - Larabanga - Kumasi (350 km) (B)
Visit Larabanga to see the old mosque which may be the oldest building in Ghana. Onward to Kumasi, in Ghana's Ashante country; overnight in Kumasi (Hotel Georgia, or similar)

Day 15 Thursday: Kumasi (B)
Visit Kumasi: the National Cultural Center, the Manhyia Palace, and the Kejetia market, perhaps the largest market in West Africa; afternoon excursion to Bonwire village, to see authentic kente cloth being made; overnight in Kumasi (Hotel Georgia, or similar)

Day 16 Friday: Kumasi - Kakum National Park - Cape Coast (225 km) (B)
Drive to and visit Kakum National Park; learn about the rainforest and its animals, and see the forest from the canopy walkway in the treetops; onward to Cape Coast; afternoon visit of the old town; overnight in Cape Coast (Sanaa Lodge, or similar)

Day 17 Saturday: Cape Coast - Elmina (20 km) - Accra (165 km) (B)
Visit the Cape Coast Castle, former bastion of the Atlantic slave trade, now a Unesco World Heritage site; excursion to nearby Elmina; enjoy a walking tour of St. George's Castle; finish with a stroll to St. Jago Hill for a panoramic overview of historic Elmina; drive to and overnight in Accra (Shangri-La Hotel, or similar)

Day 18 Sunday: Accra - final departure (B)
City tour of Accra, including the National Cultural Center, National Museum, and the Nkrumah Mausoleum; walking tour of James Town, and crafts shopping at the Trade Fair Centre; in the evening, transfer to the airport for your final departure

1 km ~ 0.6 mile

NB: Hotels subject to availability

Optional Dogon mask dance on Day 6; contact us for pricing info.

NB: Domestic flights to/from Timbuktu are contingent upon availability; if flights are not available, overland transportation will be provided.

Tour includes the following:

17 nights hotel, double occupancy
day-room in Accra on the final day
17 breakfasts (B)
private ground transportation by 4x4 vehicle, with driver
scheduled domestic flights Bamako-Timbuktu and Timbuktu-Mopti (subject to availability)
desert excursion by camel to visit a Tuareg camp
sunset sail on the Niger River
experienced English-speaking guide throughout
airport transfers upon arrival in Bamako and departure in Accra
all hotel taxes and local tourism taxes
all site visit, excursion, and entry fees as per itinerary

Not included are international flights to Mali and return from Ghana, entry visas, lunches, dinners, drinks/bottled water, tips, optional Dogon mask dance, and personal expenses.

Hotel upgrades in the capital cities are available; contact us for pricing info.

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