Saga Tours of Mali — West Africa Adventure Travel
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Niger River Journey to Timbuktu – 11 days

– 3-day Niger River sail by private river boat, from Mopti to Timbuktu; with 2 nights camping on the river bank
– excursion into the Sahara Desert with overnight camping on the dunes
– also visit Mopti, Djenne, Segou and Bamako

A unique river and desert experience in the heart of Africa !

7 nights hotel, 3 nights camping


Every tour is private, scheduled on dates of your choice, beginning on a Sunday and ending on a Wednesday 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.


Day 1 Sunday: 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)


Day 2 Monday: Bamako - Mopti (640 km; ~8hrs)
After breakfast, we depart Bamako at 08h00 AM to begin our African journey with a long but scenic drive through the heartland of Mali, to the port city of Mopti; sightseeing en route; overnight in Mopti (Hotel Kanaga, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 3 Tuesday: Mopti / Niger River
Today we visit the city of Mopti, sometimes called the Venice of Mali because it is surrounded by the waters of the Niger and the Bani rivers: see the beautiful Sudanese-style mosque, the fishing port, and the bustling local market, where many of Mali's ethnic groups come to trade: Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fulani, Tuareg and Songhay. Our boat crew will purchase supplies, and at mid-morning we embark on our private river boat and begin sailing the Niger River downstream to Timbuktu; overnight camping on the river bank
with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 Wednesday: Niger River
This is a lovely, full day of sailing; we will visit Bozo fishermen's villages and nomadic Fulani camps along the way; we will also see Mali's varied bird life along the shore, and very likely see hippos in the river (do not approach–hippos are dangerous); meals and overnight camping on the river bank
with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 Thursday: Niger River - Timbuktu
Today we will enjoy a final day of sailing to take in the tranquil sights and sounds of the Niger River and rural villages, and we will arrive in Timbuktu by day's end; our vehicle is waiting at the port to bring us to town; we check into our Timbuktu hotel and freshen up; overnight in Timbuktu (Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar)
with Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6 Friday: Timbuktu / Sahara Desert

NB: due to security concerns we do not go deep into the desert.

Today we visit the legendary and historical city of Timbuktu.
In its glory-days, Timbuktu attracted Muslim scholars from the entire Arab world; 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.
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); enjoy dinner and tea on the dunes, and overnight camping with your Tuareg hosts, the Princes of the Desert
with Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7 Saturday: Sahara Desert - Timbuktu
This morning we say goodbye to our Tuareg hosts and return to Timbuktu; we will have the rest of the day at leisure to further explore this ancient city; optional Takamba (Tuareg dance) in the evening; overnight in Timbuktu (Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 8 Sunday: Timbuktu - Djenne (510 km; ~7½hrs)
We have an early breakfast today, and at 07h00 AM we will depart Timbuktu, for an interesting drive across the Sahel ecosystem; we are going all the way to Djenne, Timbuktu's historic sister-city, one of Unesco's World Heritage sites; overnight in Djenne (Hotel Campement, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 9 Monday: Djenne - Segou (335 km; ~4½hrs)
Today we visit Djenne on its colorful weekly market day when villagers from miles away come to buy and sell. 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 taking in the signts and sounds of 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 on our way out of town, as we drive to Segou for overnight (Hotel Independance, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 10 Tuesday: Segou - Bamako (235 km; ~3hrs)
This morning we visit Segou, Mali's former colonial capital; see the interesting mix of traditional and colonial architecture; we will visit 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, and visit another women's cooperative that makes traditional millet beer; then renjoy a relaxing stroll through the traditional pottery market on the waterfront. After lunch we depart Segou for 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, with the rest of day at leisure; overnight in Bamako (Grand Hotel, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 11 Wednesday: Bamako - final departure
And last but not least, we visit Bamako: over-view of this sprawling city from Point G, with a visit of the ancient grottos and 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. In the afternoon 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
with Breakfast

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

NB: camping is no frills, sleeping on a ground mattress in a small tent; there are no campgrounds, so no running water, no latrines. Camping in Mali is not recommended for inexperienced campers.

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


Tour package includes:

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

Optional: Tuareg dance in Timbuktu on Day 7; contact us for pricing info.

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.

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