Saga Tours of Mali - West Africa Adventure Travel
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Fax +223.2020.9002
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Whirlwind West Africa tour :
Mali · Burkina Faso · Ghana · Togo · Benin

9 nights hotel; no camping


This is a very rapid tour of West Africa, as the name "Whirlwind" implies; travellers must be prepared to spend considerable time travelling and less time visiting, with every night in a different hotel.

But if your time is limited, this tour will allow you to see and experience a significant portion of Africa, in just 10 days !

It is also possible to add Niger to this itinerary; with Niger added, tour is 12-days/11-nights.


Every tour is private, scheduled on dates of your choice; 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 : 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 : Bamako - Segou (235 km; ~3hrs)
Begin your West African journey with a city tour of Bamako, Mali's lively capital city; visit the National Museum, the city market and artisans' village; afternoon drive to Segou, Mali's former colonial capital; overnight in Segou (Hotel Independance, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 3 : Segou - Koutiala - Bobo Dioulasso, BURKINA FASO (380 km; ~4½hrs)
Onward drive through picturesque countryside in the heartland of West Africa, through Mali and cross into Burkina Faso; city tour of Bobo Dioulasso, as time permits: see the old mosque, the Houet Museum, 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)
with Breakfast

Day 4 : Bobo Dioulasso - Ouagadougou (355 km; ~4 hrs)
Onward to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's vibrant capital city; after lunch, 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)
with Breakfast

Day A: optional extension to NIGER (500 km; ~6 hrs); city tour as time permits: visit the National Museum, the large city market, and the artisans' village of Wadata; overnight in Niamey (Grand Hotel, or similar)
Day B: return to BURKINA FASO; overnight in Ouagadougou (Hotel Silmande, or similar)

Day 5 : Ouagadougou - Tamale (400 km; ~5hrs) - Kumasi, (390 km; ~4½hrs) GHANA
Depart francophone Burkina Faso for anglophone Ghana; lunch stop in Tamale; onward to Kumasi for overnight (Hotel Georgia, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 6 : Kumasi - Elmina (240 km; ~3hr)
Visit Kumasi, in Ghana's Ashante country: the National Cultural Center, the Manhyia Palace, and the Kejetia market, the largest market in West Africa; afternoon drive to Elmina; enjoy a walking tour of St. George's Castle, and finish with a stroll to St. Jago Hill for a panoramic overview of historic Elmina; overnight in Elmina (Elmina Beach Resort, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 7 : Elmina - Cape Coast (15 km; ~¼hr)- Accra (150 km; ~1½hrs)
Short drive to Cape Coast; visit the historic old town section; and visit Cape Coast Castle, former bastion of the Atlantic slave trade, now a Unesco World Heritage site; drive to and overnight in Accra (Novotel Accra, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 8 : Accra - Lome, TOGO (200 km; ~2½hrs)
Onward drive across the border to Lome, Togo (and back into francophone Africa); afternoon city tour of Lome: visit the National Museum, the large and colorful city market, the fetish market (for voudou practitioners) and the artisans' village; overnight in Lome (Hotel Sarakawa, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 9 : Lome - Ouidah (110 km; ~1½hr) - Cotonou, BENIN (40 km; ~½hr)
Depart Togo for Benin, last stage of your West African journey; visit Ouidah, an important traditional religious center and ancient slave depot, which sent tens of thousands of slaves to the new world; visit the Museum in the old Portuguese fort, the temple of pythons, the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Kpasse sacred forest; trace the route of the famous "Slave Road" which leads to the slavery memorial of Zoungbodji; perhaps also witness a traditional voodoo ceremony featuring the spirits of departed ancestors; onward to Cotonou for overnight (Novotel Orisha, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 10 : Cotonou/Ganvie - final departure
City tour of Cotonou, including the huge Dantokpa market, the second largest in West Africa (after Kumasi in Ghana); pirogue excursion to visit Ganvie fishing village, built on stilts over the lagoon; this village was created in the 18th century by the Tofinu people, to escape the slave-raids of their neighbors; in the evening, transfer to the airport for your final departure
with Breakfast

1 km ~ 0.6 mile; distances are approximate
Driving times are approximate, depending on local conditions, stops, and border crossings

NB: Hotels subject to availability; see proposed hotels description.

The tour with these hotels is our default "Better" standard (3-4* hotels where available).
Upgrade to "Best" standard (4-5* hotels where available) is also possible.
NB: in rural areas there is little choice of accommodations, and we utilize the same "best available" hotels for all tour standards.

Please specify if you would like to include the extension to Niger.


10-day Tour package includes:

10-day tour package does not include: international flights to Bamako, MALI and onward from Cotonou, BENIN; tourism visas (Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin); lunches, dinners, drinks/bottled water; tips, optional items, and personal expenses.


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