Saga Tours of Mali - West Africa Adventure Travel
Tel/Fax +223.2020.2708
Fax +223.2020.9002
sagatours@sagatours.com

[Full graphics version]

|Home Page| |Tours| |Multicountry Tours| |Reserve a Tour| |FAQs| |Contact Us|


Nampala Tour — 18 days
Mali · Burkina Faso · Ghana

West African journey from the edge of the Sahara Desert, to the old Slave Coast

17 nights hotel; no camping



Every tour is private, scheduled on dates of your choice, beginning on a Thursday in Bamako, MALI and ending on a Sunday in Accra, GHANA; 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 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
Leisurely first day in West Africa, to adjust to the time change and climate difference; city tour of Bamako: begin with a panoramic overview of this sprawling city from Point G; then visit the National Museum, the city market, the artisans' village, and the fetish market for traditional medicine; 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's archives of scholarly Islamic manuscripts, the explorers' houses, the city market which receives the azalaïs, the salt caravans from the desert—historically, salt from the north was exchanged for slaves and gold from the south; in the afternoon, excursion into the great Sahara Desert by camel caravan to visit a Tuareg camp on the dunes; the Tuareg people are the Princes of the Desert; return to and overnight in Timbuktu (Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar)

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

with Breakfast

Day 4 Sunday: Timbuktu - Mopti
Airport transfer for early morning flight to Mopti, the Venice of Mali, nestled between the Niger and the Bani rivers; Mopti city tour: see the beautiful Komoguel mosque, the lively 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 sunset sail on the Niger River in a traditional pirogue; overnight in Mopti (Hotel Kanaga, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 5 Monday: Mopti - Djenne (130 km; ~1½hr) - Dogon country (230 km; ~3½hrs)
Excursion to Djenne, historical sister-city of Timbuktu, on its weekly market day, when Djenne is at its colorful best; stroll around the market stalls, spread out before the magnificent Great Mosque; originally built in the XIIIth century, this is the world's largest mud brick architecture and one of Unesco's World Heritage sites; in the afternoon, onward drive to Dogon country; overnight in Sangha (Hotel Campement Guina, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 6 Tuesday: Dogon country
Full day in Mali's fascinating Dogon country; explore magnificent villages along the Bandiagara cliffs, and see many examples of the unique traditional architecture and contemporary fetishes; option to witness a traditional Dogon mask dance, an authentic representation of one of the Dogon people's mourning rituals; visit Songo village, renowned for its circumcision grotto with rock paintings; traditional circumcision ceremonies are held here very three years for all Dogon boys aged 9-14 years; the rock paintings are historical representations of noble Dogon families; overnight in Bandiagara (Hotel La Falaise, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 7 Wednesday: Dogon country - Bobo Dioulasso, BURKINA FASO (560 km; ~7hrs)
Breakfast, then depart Mali and drive through picturesque villages; cross the border into Burkina Faso, and onward to Bobo Dioulasso for overnight (Hotel Auberge, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 8 Thursday: Bobo Dioulasso - Banfora (85 km; ~1hr) - Bobo Dioulasso
Morning excursion to Banfora, in Burkina Faso's sugarcane country; return to and visit Bobo Dioulasso ("house of the Bobo merchants"), Burkina's second largest city; see the old mosque 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 9 Friday: Bobo Dioulasso - Ouagadougou (355 km; ~4hrs)
After breakfast depart for Ouagadougou; en route, visit the Deux Bales National Park and perhaps see elephants; brief stop in Sabou village to see the "tame" crocodiles; overnight in Ouagadougou (Hotel Silmande, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 10 Saturday: Ouagadougou
Full day to explore Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital city; visit the Grand Market and the National Museum, with its interesting collection of regional clothing, masks, household utensils and ancestral statues; also visit the Music Museum and 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 11 Sunday: Ouagadougou - Tiebele - Tamale, GHANA (360 km; ~5hrs)
Depart Burkina Faso for Ghana; en route, visit Tiebele village, in Burkina's Gourounsi country; visit magnificent fortress-like houses and compounds, colorfully painted with traditional motifs; onward to Tamale for overnight (Gariba Lodge, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 12 Monday: Tamale - Larabanga - Mole National Park (120 km; ~2½hrs)
Visit the Tamale market and the National Cultural Center; afternoon drive to Mole National Park, with a stop en-route to visit the Larabanga mosque, which may be the oldest building in Ghana; continue to Mole Park for overnight (Mole Park Hotel, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 13 Tuesday: Mole National Park
Day of game drives in Mole Park, which is home to more than 90 species of mammals, and more than 300 species of birds — perhaps see elephants, buffalo, hippos, various species of antelopes, monkeys and birds; overnight in Mole Park Hotel (or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 14 Wednesday: Mole Park - Kumasi (375 km; ~5hrs)
Final game drive in Mole Park and onward to Kumasi, in Ghana's Ashante country; overnight in Kumasi (Hotel Georgia, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 15 Thursday: Kumasi
City tour of Kumasi, capital of Ghana's Ashante country: visit the National Cultural Center, the Manhyia Palace, and the Kejetia market, perhaps the largest market in West Africa; afternoon excursion to Bonwire village, to see authentic kente cloth being made; overnight in Kumasi (Hotel Georgia, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 16 Friday: Kumasi - Kakum National Park - Elmina (240 km; ~3½hrs)
Drive to and visit Kakum National Park; learn about the rain forest and its animals, and see the forest from the canopy walkway in the treetops; onward 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 17 Saturday: Elmina / Cape Coast - Accra (165 km; ~2hrs)
Visit historic 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 18 Sunday: Accra - final departure
City tour of Accra, including the National Cultural Center, National Museum, and the Nkrumah Mausoleum; walking tour of James Town, and crafts shopping at the Trade Fair Centre; 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.

NB: Domestic flights to/from Timbuktu are contingent upon availability; if flights are not available, overland transportation will be provided.
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 flights to Bamako, MALI and onward from Accra, GHANA; tourism visas (Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana); lunches, dinners, drinks/bottled water; tips, optional Dogon mask dance, and personal expenses.

Optional traditional Dogon mask dance in a village — upon request

Hotel upgrades in the capital cities are available 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