Bamako, Mali
West Africa
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Tel +223.7641.7383
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The Best of Mali tour

Timbuktu · Mopti · Djenne · Dogon country · Segou · Bamako

all of Mali's basic sites, plus Timbuktu by air

9 days / 8 nights hotel, no camping

Every tour is private, scheduled on dates of your choice, beginning/ending on a Friday in Bamako; 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

Day 1 Thursday	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 Friday	Bamako – Timbuktu (by air) Transfer to the airport for early morning flight to the legendary city of Timbuktu, gateway to the Sahara Desert. In its glory-days, Timbuktu attracted Muslim scholars from the entire Arab world. City tour of Timbuktu—we will visit 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; overnight in Timbuktu	Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar	Breakfast
Day 3 Saturday	Timbuktu : Niger River / Sahara Desert This morning we enjoy a private sailing excursion on the Niger River, by private river boat; enjoy the beautiful contrast of river and desert, and perhaps (at certain times of the year) see hippos in the river; return to Timbuktu for 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); we 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 4 Sunday	Timbuktu – Mopti (by air) / Niger River Airport transfer for the morning flight to Mopti, called the Venice of Mali, nestled between the Niger and the Bani rivers. We check into our hotel, then begin our visit of Mopti: 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—shop for gold or silver jewelry, hand-made cotton or wool blankets, or some of Mali's beautiful wood carvings (masks, statues, etc.); we end our day with a relaxing private sunset sail on the Niger River in a traditional riverboat; overnight in Mopti	Hotel Kanaga, or similar	Breakfast
Day 5 Monday	Mopti – Djenne (130 km; ~1½hr) – Mopti 9h00 AM we depart on our excursion to Djenne, to experience the large weekly market, when Djenne is at its colorful best. 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. 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, and return to Mopti for overnight	Hotel Kanaga, or similar	Breakfast
Day 6 Tuesday	Mopti – Dogon country (120 km; ~2hr) – Mopti Today we take a day-trip to Mali's fascinating Dogon country; we will explore magnificent villages along the Bandiagara cliff, and see many examples of the unique traditional architecture (small stone houses and circular granaries) and contemporary fetishes; this afternoon we may (optionally) witness a spectacular traditional Dogon mask dance, which is part of the Dogon people's funerary rites; on our way back to Mopti we will visit Songo village, renowned for its circumcision grotto with rock paintings; circumcision ceremonies are held here every three years for all Dogon boys aged 9-14 years old; the rock paintings are historical representations of noble Dogon families; and return to Mopti for overnight	Hotel Kanaga, or similar	Breakfast
Day 7 Wednesday	Mopti – Segou (405 km; ~5hr) We depart Mopti today, and en-route visit the Farafina Tigne boutique and bead museum in Sevare–beautiful hand-made local jewelry is available for purchase. Onward drive to Segou, Mali's second largest city, with sightseeing en-route; in Segou, enjoy a sunset stroll along the banks of the Bani River, as we browse through the traditional pottery market; overnight in Segou	Hotel Independance, or similar	Breakfast
Day 8 Thursday	Segou – Bamako (235 km; ~3hr) City tour of Segou, Segou, Mali's former colonial capital, with its interesting mix of traditional and colonial architecture; we will visit the market and the Kasobane boutique with its high-end traditional and contemporary textile art; we will stop by the Nieleni cooperative, which makes hand-woven high-quality wool rugs; then visit another women's cooperative that makes traditional millet beer. On departing Segou we will visit Sekoro village, which was the original Segou and former capital of the Bambara kingdom; we will meet the village chief, who is a descendant of the King Biton Coulibaly; then onward drive to Bamako for overnight	Grand Hotel, or similar	Breakfast
Day 9 Friday	Bamako / final departure City tour of Bamako: we will start with a panoramic overview of this sprawling city from Point G, then visit the ancient grottos with 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. We will also visit the city market, the artisans' village, and the fetish market for traditional medicine; in the evening, transfer to the airport for your onward flight	day-room	Breakfast

1 km ~ 0.6 mile; driving times are approximate, depending on local conditions and stops

NB: Hotels subject to availability. See proposed hotels description.

NB: Domestic flights to/from Timbuktu are contingent upon availability. If flights are not available, overland transportation to/from Timbuktu may be provided; this will require modifying the itinerary, due to time constraints.

The baggage allowance on domestic flights is 20 kg/passenger, plus one piece of hand-luggage maximum 5 kg.
(1 kg = 2.2 pounds)

Tour package includes:

8 nights hotels, double occupancy, with breakfast
day-room in Bamako on Day 8
private ground transportation by air-conditioned 4x4 vehicle, with driver and fuel
scheduled airfare Bamako-Timbuktu and Timbuktu-Mopti; flights subject to availability
excursion into the Sahara Desert by camel caravan to visit a Tuareg camp on the dunes
sailing excursion on the outskirts of Timbuktu (hoping to see hippos)
sunset sail on the Niger River by private river boat (in Mopti)
experienced English-speaking guide throughout
airport transfers upon arrival and departure in Bamako
all hotel taxes and local tourism taxes
all touring, excursion and village entry fees, as per tour program

Tour package does not include: international airfare to/from Bamako; Mali visas; non-specified meals, drinks/bottled water; optional Dogon mask dance, tips and personal expenses.

Optional: traditional Dogon mask dance in a village

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

Before reserving, please see our Terms and Conditions

The Best of Mali tour

Timbuktu · Mopti · Djenne · Dogon country · Segou · Bamako

all of Mali's basic sites, plus Timbuktu by air

9 days / 8 nights hotel, no camping

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