Saga Tours of Mali — West Africa Adventure Travel
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The Best of Mali tour – 9 days
Timbuktu · Mopti · Djenne · Dogon country · Segou · Bamako

All of Mali's basic sites, plus Timbuktu by air

8 nights hotel, no camping


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


D1 Thursday: 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).


D2 Friday: Bamako - Timbuktu (by air)
Transfer to the airport for early morning flight to the legendary city of Timbuktu, gateway to the Sahara Desert. In its glory-days, Timbuktu attracted Muslim scholars from the entire Arab world.
City tour of Timbuktu—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. Overnight in Timbuktu (Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar).

with Breakfast

D3 Saturday: Timbuktu: Niger River / Sahara Desert
This morning we enjoy a private sailing excursion on the Niger River, by private river boat; enjoy the beautiful contrast of river and desert, and perhaps (at certain times of the year) see hippos in the river. Return to Timbuktu for 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). We return to Timbuktu for overnight (Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar).

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

with Breakfast

D4 Sunday: Timbuktu - Mopti (by air) / Niger River
Airport transfer for the morning flight to Mopti, called the Venice of Mali, nestled between the Niger and the Bani rivers. We check into our hotel, then begin our visit of Mopti: see 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—shop for gold or silver jewelry, hand-made cotton or wool blankets, or some of Mali's beautiful wood carvings (masks, statues, etc.). We end our day with a relaxing private sunset sail on the Niger River in a traditional river boat. Overnight in Mopti (Hotel Kanaga, or similar).
with Breakfast

D5 Monday: Mopti - Djenne (one-way 130 km; ~1½hr) - Mopti
9h00 AM we depart on our excursion to Djenne, to see the large weekly market, when Djenne is at its colorful best. 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 cattle herders, and the fishermen from the inland delta of the Niger.
We will experience the sights and sounds of the market, then 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 as we depart, and return to Mopti for overnight (Hotel Kanaga, or similar).
with Breakfast

D6 Tuesday: Mopti - Dogon country (120 km; ~2hr) - Mopti
Today we take a day-trip to Mali's fascinating Dogon country. We will explore magnificent villages along the Bandiagara cliff, and see many examples of the unique traditional architecture (small stone houses and circular granaries) and contemporary fetishes. This afternoon we may (optionally) witness a spectacular traditional Dogon mask dance, which is part of the Dogon people's funerary rites. On our way back to Mopti we will visit Songo village, renowned for its circumcision grotto with rock paintings. Circumcision ceremonies are held here every three years for all Dogon boys aged 9-14 years old; the rock paintings are historical representations of noble Dogon families. We return to Mopti for overnight (Hotel Kanaga, or similar).
with Breakfast

D7 Wednesday: Mopti - Segou (405 km; ~5hrs)
We depart Mopti today, and en-route visit the Farafina Tigne boutique and bead museum in Sevare–beautiful hand-made local jewelry is available for purchase. Onward drive to Segou, Mali's second largest city, with sightseeing en-route. In Segou, we will enjoy a sunset stroll along the banks of the river Niger, as we browse through the traditional pottery market. Overnight in Segou (Hotel Independance, or similar).
with Breakfast

D8 Thursday: Segou - Bamako (235 km; ~3hrs)
City tour of Segou, Segou, Mali's former colonial capital, with its interesting mix of traditional and colonial architecture. We will visit the market and 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; then visit another women's cooperative that makes traditional millet beer. On departing Segou we will visit 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 for overnight (Grand Hotel, or similar).
with Breakfast

D9 Friday: Bamako - final departure
City tour of Bamako: we will start with a panoramic overview of this sprawling city from Point G, then visit the ancient grotto with 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. 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: 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 Dogon mask dance; tips and personal expenses.

Optional: traditional Dogon mask dance in a village


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.

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