Festival in the Desert Tours 2010

The 2009 Festival in the Desert was fabulous —

Join us in January 2010 — Rendezvous: Festival au Désert !

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The Festival in the Desert (le Festival au Désert) is a Tuareg culture festival featuring traditional Tuareg music and world music, to be held on 7, 8, 9 January 2010 in Essakane, near Timbuktu, in the Sahara Desert.

The Festival in the Desert is a unique event modeled on traditional gatherings and celebrations of the Tuareg people, the "Blue Men of the Desert." It is an opportunity to meet the Tuareg people hosting and attending the festival; the day-time festivities include traditional Tuareg music, singing, dancing, poetry, ritual swordplay, camel races and artisans' exhibits. The on-stage world-music concerts are held at night, with the lights and sound system powered by electrical generators.


Desert Festival Logistics

The Festival in the Desert is held in the desert oasis Essakane, 65 kilometers from Timbuktu. Travel tansportation is by 4x4 vehicles. Accommodations consist of Tuareg tents and ground mats (NB: there are no hotels); hot meals are prepared on-site. There is no running water, but latrines and bucket-showers are available. Desert temperatures in January are hot during the day (~35 C / 100 F), but quite cold at night (~5 C / 40 F) — travellers must bring sleeping bags !


This is not a luxury holiday, but a unique cultural travel experience
that requires adapting to local conditions.

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See the BBC slideshow of the 2007 edition of the Festival in the Desert.

See the New York Times slideshow of the 2008 edition of the Festival in the Desert.

Essakane traveller Chuck Roberts has posted videos
of his 2007 Desert Festival tour experience
with Saga Tours.

For more information on the music and culture Festival in the Desert (based on previous editions of the Festival in the Desert), see
Condé Nast Traveler (Nov08), Vanity Fair, Boston Phoenix, BBC photos, Afropop, and SF Chronicle.


(scroll down for tour details, below photos)

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Click here for more photos from Peter Goodbody.

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2010 group tours:

13-day Full Basic Tour - click for itinerary 02–14 January 2010 9 nights hotel / 3 nights camping three full days at the Festival in the Desert 1 day / 2 nights in Timbuktu; with city tour Djenne city tour on colorful market day visit Dogon villages witness a traditional Dogon mask dance Mopti city tour sunset sail on the Niger River city tour of Segou, Mali's colonial capital Bamako city tour, including the National Museum, city market and artisans' village sfdsfdsdfsdfsfsfsfdsdfsgdgdgfdg Price: 1850 Euros per person (dbl occ) single supplement: 260 Euros NB: single supplement is applied to all unpaired travellers, for a single room at the hotels plus Festival entry pass: 130 Euros (subject to change)

17-day Expanded Tour - click for itinerary 04–20 January 2010 13 nights hotel / 3 nights camping three full days at the Festival in the Desert 2 days / 3 nights in Timbuktu; with city tour Djenne city tour on colorful market day Dogon country adventure: three full days to explore Dogon villages along the Bandiagara escarpment, and experience the fascinating Dogon culture witness a traditional Dogon mask dance Mopti city tour full-day sailing excursion on the Niger River, with option to visit Bozo fishing villages and nomadic Fulani camps city tour of Segou, Mali's colonial capital Bamako city tour, including the National Museum, city market and artisans' village Price: 2190 Euros per person (dbl occ) single supplement: 360 Euros NB: single supplement is appliled to all unpaired travellers, for a single room at the hotels plus Festival entry pass: 130 Euros (subject to change)

15-day Sailing/camping Tour - click for itinerary 02–16 January 2010 7 nights hotel / 7 nights camping three full days at the Festival in the Desert 3-day sail to Timbuktu; 2 nights camping city tour of Timbuktu Djenne city tour on colorful market day 2 days in magnificent Dogon country; with traditional Dogon mask dance; 2 nights camping Mopti city tour city tour of Segou, Mali's colonial capital Bamako city tour, including the National Museum, city market and artisans' village sfdsfdsdfsdfsfsfsfdsdfsgdgdgfdg Price: 2190 Euros per person (dbl occ) single supplement: 240 Euros NB: single supplement is applied to all unpaired travellers, for a single room at the hotels plus Festival entry pass: 130 Euros (subject to change) NB: minimum 8 travellers; maximum 12 travellers

Itineraries subject to change Tour prices based on double occupancy; single supplement is applied to all unpaired travellers Promotional prices — non-commissionable, non-discountable Entry pass price is subject to change Saga Tours does not handle international air reservations or ticketing

Please note: Saga Tours is not an organizer of the Festival in the Desert, and is not responsible for any possible changes in festival dates, venue, or entry pass price. We will inform our registered participants of changes, if any, as they occur. We reserve the right to modify the tour itineraries as and if it becomes necessary in our judgment to do so. If an itinerary change becomes necessary, we will offer and provide a comparable tour itinerary, within the constraints imposed by local conditions. Registered participants will be able to opt out at this time.

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On-line REGISTRATION will begin later; check this page regularly to register for a tour.

Or join our MAILING LIST -- we will notify you when Registration begins.

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Mali's entry requirements:

1. tourism visa
2. Yellow Fever immunization

Malaria prophylaxis is recommended; consult your physician.

See our Travel Tips page for Mali Embassy contact information, to apply for your Mali visa.
Saga Tours does not issue entry visas.

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Festival tour requirements:

1. a sleeping bag
2. soft luggage, such as a duffel bag; hard suitcases are not appropriate
3. summer clothing for days; a warm outfit for the desert nights; see our Travel Tips page for a suggested packing list, or our Desert Packing list for a more condensed and desert-focused list.

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The Festival in the Desert —
Tuareg culture and
international music !

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