Bamako, Mali
West Africa
Tel +223.6673.1631
Tel +223.7641.7383
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Highlights of Mali tourBamako · Mopti · Timbuktu · Dogon country ·
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Every tour is private, scheduled on dates of your choice, beginning on a Saturday and ending on a Sunday 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 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; ~3hr) Begin your personal discovery journey through Mali; have breakfast, then depart at 9h00 AM: we will drive to and visit Segou, Mali's former colonial capital, with its interesting mix of traditional and colonial architecture; after lunch, 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; we end the day with stroll through the traditional pottery market on the waterfront; overnight in Segou |
Hotel Independance, or similar | Breakfast |
| Day 3 Monday |
Segou – Djenne (330 km; ~4½hr) – Mopti (130 km; ~1½hr) / Niger River 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 XIIth century; also see the magnificent Great Mosque, the world's largest mud brick architecture, originally constructed in the XIIIth century, this is one of Unesco's World Heritage sites; we will visit the Djenne museum as we depart, and onward to Mopti for a relaxing sunset sail on the Niger River by private river boat; overnight in Mopti |
Hotel Kanaga, or similar |
Breakfast |
| Day 4 Tuesday |
Mopti – Timbuktu (380 km; ~5½hr) 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 – Dogon country (500 km; ~7½hr) Breakfast, then 8h00 AM departure from Timbuktu for our return drive across the Sahel, all the way 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; overnight in Sangha |
Hotel Campement Guina, or similar |
Breakfast, Dinner |
| Day 7 Friday |
Dogon country Today we visit Dogon villages along the Bandiagara escarpment (another Unesco World Heritage site); we will see many examples of the classic traditional Dogon architecture (small stone houses and circular granaries) and contemporary fetishism. We will descend the escarpment (on foot, if you wish) to visit Banani village, one of the most beautiful of the cliff villages; we also will visit Dogon seers and their divination plots; option to witness a traditional Dogon mask dance, one of the Dogon people's funerary rites; overnight in Sangha |
Hotel Campement Guina, or similar |
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Day 8 Saturday |
Dogon country – Mopti – Segou (525 km; ~7hr) Breakfast at 7h00 AM, then we finish our Dogon visits with a drive to the Dogon village Songo, renowned for its circumcision grotto and rock paintings; traditional circumcision ceremonies are held here every three years, and the rock paintings are historical representations of noble Dogon families. Then we continue on to Mopti for a city tour: Mopti is 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. Onward to Segou for overnight |
Hotel Independance, or similar | Breakfast |
| Day 9 Sunday |
Segou – Bamako (235 km; ~3hr) / final departure Today we 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; check into hotel day-rooms and lunch-break. In the afternon we have a city tour of Bamako: over-view of this sprawling city from Point G, with a visit of 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. As time permits, 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 Grand Hotel, or similar | 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.
Tour package includes:
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.
Option: traditional Dogon mask dance in a village — upon request
Please note: Saga Tours does not handle international air reservations and ticketing.
Before reserving, please see our Terms and Conditions
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