Saga Tours of Mali - West Africa Adventure Travel
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Mali Textiles Tour - 10 days
Discover the wonderful variety of Mali's traditional textile arts

Visit artisans in their workshops—try your hand at weaving or dying traditional fabrics

9 nights hotel; no camping



Every tour is private, scheduled on dates of your choice, beginning on a Friday and ending on a Sunday in Bamako, MALI; 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.


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


Day 2 Saturday: Bamako
Breakfast, then begin your textile tour of Mali with a city tour of Bamako, Mali's bustling capital city: visit the National Museum (see the informative textile exhibit), the city market and the artisans' village, where you will get a first look at Mali's huge variety of textiles; in the afternoon, visit a workshop of weavers making the narrow bands of cloth that are a hallmark of many of Mali's traditional fabrics; also visit a batik workshop, where the West Africa "bazin" fabric is dyed -- this fabric is worn by all the belles of West Africa; you will have the opportunity to place special orders, to be picked up at the end of your tour; overnight in Bamako (Grand Hotel, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 3 Sunday: Bamako - Djenne (570 km; ~7hrs)
Enjoy a scenic drive through the heartland of Mali, to Djenne; with sight-seeing en-route; overnight in Djenne (Hotel Campement, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 4 Monday: Djenne - Dogon country (250 km; ~3˝hr)
Visit Djenne, ancient sister-city of Timbuktu, on its colorful weekly market day; see the magnificent Great Mosque, the world's largest mud brick architecture, one of Unesco's World Heritage sites; stroll through the ancients streets and alleys, and visit a bogolan (mudcloth) workshop; drive to Dogon country; overnight in Sangha (Hotel Campement Guina, or similar)
with Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5 Tuesday: Dogon Country
Visit Dogon villages along the Bandiagara escarpment, another Unesco World Heritage site: Banani, Ireli, and Amani with its sanctuary of sacred crocodiles; return to Sangha for lunch, and an afternoon walking tour of Sangha, comprised of 10 distinct villages, some animist and others Islamic; you will see many examples of the classic traditional Dogon architecture and contemporary fetishism; make your way to the village of indigo dyers — indigo-dyed fabric is used traditionally to make Dogon clothing, and it is still considered fashionable and high-status; overnight in Sangha (Hotel Campement Guina, or similar)
with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 Wednesday: Dogon Country
Drive to the southern end of the escarpment to visit Ende and Tely villages—see ancient Tellem dwellings constructed in the cliff face; visit traditional bogolan (mudcloth) dyers, and see how the mudcloth is made; overnight in Bandiagara (Hotel Falaise, or similar)
with Breakfast, Lunch Dinner

Day 7 Thursday: Dogon country - Mopti (75 km; ~45 minutes)
Drive to Mopti, the "melting pot" of Mali, located between the Bani and the Niger rivers; city tour of Mopti: visit 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; enjoy a relaxing sunset sail on the Niger River by private pirogue; overnight in Mopti (Hotel Kanaga, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 8 Friday: Mopti - Segou (450 km; ~5˝hrs)
Drive to Segou, Mali's former colonial capital; see the interesting mixture of colonial and traditional architecture, and stroll through the pottery market on the waterfront; also visit Sekoro village, former capital of the Bambara kingdom; see the tomb of King Biton Coulibaly; overnight in Segou (Hotel Independance, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 9 Saturday: Segou - Bamako (235 km; ~3hrs)
Visit a weavers' cooperative, and try your hand on some traditional looms; also visit a mudcloth workshop where you can make your own mudcloth; in the afternoon return drive to Bamako for overnight (Grand Hotel, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 10 Sunday: Bamako - final departure
Day at leisure in Bamako; return to the markets to do some shopping, or go back to various textile workshops to pick up any special orders; otherwise, relax by your hotel pool; in the evening, transfer to the airport for your final departure
with Breakfast

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

NB: Hotels subject to availability; on this ecotour we select simple hotels rather than our usual, more upscale hotels; see proposed hotels description.

Upgrade to all-hotel accommodations/no-camping is also available—please specify if you prefer the no-camping option.


Tour package includes:

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

Option: traditional Dogon mask dance performed in a village — upon request


NB: Posted itineraries are subject to change, and quoted prices are accordingly subject to change; itineraries and prices are locked-in when a tour is booked.

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

Before reserving, please see our Terms and Conditions