Saga Tours of Mali - West Africa Adventure Travel
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Mali Music Tour - Malian music and more !
spotlight on the music of Mali: enjoy listening to Mali's music stars and traditional musicians

with opportunities to learn African dance, drumming and various traditional music instruments in Bamako

11 days / 10 nights hotel, no camping



Every tour is private, scheduled on dates of your choice, beginning on a Thursday 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.


Who are your favorite Malian artists?

Toumani Diabate Oumou Sangare
Habib Koite Amadou & Mariam
Lobi Traore Salif Keita
Afel Bocoum Issa Bagayogo
Haira Arby Abdoulaye Diabate

and there are so many more !


We cannot specify in advance which music artists will be playing in Bamako on what dates, this is never known very long ahead of time. But this tour has three Friday and Saturday nights in Bamako so you will have three opportunities to see and hear the best music that Mali has to offer. In the smaller towns authentic traditional musicians will perform at your local hotel. And there is even a spectacular Dogon mask dance on the program !

This tour also has all of the usual must-see sites in Mali —


Day 1 Thursday: 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 Friday: Bamako
Full day in Mali's vibrant capital city; visit the National Museum, the city market and the artisans' village; also visit the Carrefour des Jeunes center to arrange your optional dance or drumming course for next week; in the evening, attend a music performance (artist and venue to be determined); overnight in Bamako (Grand Hotel, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 3 Saturday: Bamako - Timbuktu

Transfer to the airport for early morning flight to the legendary city of Timbuktu, gateway to the Sahara Desert; city tour: see the old mosques (built in the 14th century) and former universities, the museum and the Ahmed Baba Institute archives of scholarly Islamic manuscripts, the explorers' houses, the city market which receives the azalaïs, the salt caravans from the desert; in the afternoon, excursion into the Sahara Desert by camel caravan to visit a Tuareg camp; enjoy a Takamba, traditional Tuareg dance, and dinner with your Tuareg hosts, the Princes of the Desert; return to and overnight in Timbuktu (Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar)
with Breakfast, Dinner

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


Day 4 Sunday: Timbuktu - Mopti / Niger River
Airport transfer for morning flight to Mopti, the Venice of Mali, nestled between the Niger and the Bani rivers; Mopti city tour: see the beautiful mosque, the fishing port, and the bustling market where many of Mali's cultural groups can be seen: Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fulani, Tuareg and Songhay; enjoy a tranquil sunset sail on the Niger River in a traditional pirogue; relax to the music of traditional artists during dinner; overnight in Mopti (Hotel Kanaga, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 5 Monday: Mopti - Djenne (130 km; ~1˝hr) - Dogon country (240 km; ~3˝hr)
Excursion to Djenne on its weekly market day, when Djenne is at its colorful best; stroll around the market stalls, spread out before the magnificent Great Mosque, the world's largest mud brick architecture and one of Unesco's World Heritage sites; onward drive to Mali's magnificent Dogon country; overnight in Sangha (Hotel Campement Guina, or similar)
with Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6 Tuesday: Dogon country
Visit Dogon villages along the Bandiagara escarpment (another Unesco World Heritage site); you will see many examples of the classic traditional Dogon architecture and contemporary fetishism; descend the escarpment to visit Banani village, one of the most beautiful cliff villages; also visit Dogon seers, and witness a traditional Dogon mask dance; overnight in Sangha (Hotel Campement Guina, or similar)
with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 Wednesday: Dogon country
Drive to the southern end of the Bandiagara escarpment to visit Tely and Ende villages; see ancient Tellem cave dwellings in the cliff face; option to visit Nando and Niongono villages, if you wish to do a bit of climbing; overnight in Bandiagara (Hotel Falaise, or similar)
with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 Thursday: Dogon country - Segou (525 km; ~6˝hrs)
Visit 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; drive to Segou; enjoy another group of traditional musicians over dinner; overnight in Segou(Hotel Independance, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 9 Friday: Segou - Bamako (235 km; ~3hrs)
Visit 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; return drive to Bamako; in the evening, attend a musical performance (artist and venue to be determined); overnight in Bamako (Grand Hotel, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 10 Saturday: Bamako
Attend your African dance course, or learn to play the djembe (drum) or another traditional African insturment (balafon, kora, etc); in the evening, attend a music performance (artist and venue to be determined); overnight in Bamako (Grand Hotel, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 11 Sunday: Bamako - final departure

Day at leisure to relax by the hotel pool, or do some last-minute shopping; 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; see proposed hotels description.

NB: Domestic flights to/from Timbuktu are contingent upon availability. If flights are not available, overland transportation to/from Timbuktu may be provided; this will require modifying the itinerary and omitting some visits, due to time constraints.

The baggage allowance on domestic flights is 20 kg/passenger, plus one piece of hand-luggage maximum 5 kg.
(1 kg = 2.2 pounds)


Tour package includes:

Tour package does not include: international airfare to/from Bamako; Mali visas; non-specified meals, drinks/bottled water; optional classes to learn African dance, drumming, etc.; tips 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.

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