| Duration: | 9 Day(s) - 8 Night(s) |
| Tour Category: | Classic Tours |
Day 1: ARRIVE IN BAMAKO, MALI
The international flight arrives in Bamako in the evening. You will be met, assisted, and transferred to your hotel.
Overnight at Azalai Grand Hotel Or Similar
Day 2: TIMBUKTU
This morning take an early flight to the city of Timbuktu, a place whose name is synonymous with somewhere unreachable. Located near the River Niger, Timbuktu became fabulously wealthy in the 16th century. Loaded with blocks of salt and other trade goods, huge convoys of camels would spend weeks crossing the unforgiving Sahara to reach Timbuktu.
It was here that they would trade salt, pound-for-pound, with African merchants bringing gold and ivory along the Niger from the heart of Africa. Wander the dusty streets of Timbuktu, admiring such magnificent mud-brick structures as the Djinguereber Mosque, the Mosque of Sankore, and the Palace of Bouctou. See the houses of the various 19th-century European explorers who used Timbuktu as a base.
NB: There are currently no regular domestic flights to/from Timbuktu. Before the tour is confirmed if flights are still not available, we will amend the program to an overland one and which requires two nights in Timbuktu.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast
Overnight at Hotel du Desert Or Similar
Day 3: MOPTI
This morning you leave the legendary city of Timbuktu and fly to Mopti. Explore the city of Mopti which has a fascinating mix of Malian cultures including Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fulani, Tuareg, Songhai, and Hausa. Visit the beautiful mosque, the fishing port, and the bustling market, where you can shop for gold or silver jewelry, Tuareg leatherwork, or Fulani blankets of cotton or wool.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast
Overnight at Hotel Kanaga Or Similar
NB: There are currently no regular domestic flights from Timbuktu. Before the tour is confirmed if flights are still not available, we will amend the program to an overland one and which requires two nights in Timbuktu.
Day 4: MOPTI – DJENNE - MOPTI
This morning you travel from Mopti to Djenne, Mali’s architectural jewel. Founded in the fourth century, Djenne has scarcely changed since the middle ages. Visit Djenne’s colorful and bustling market. In the afternoon you return to Mopti.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast
Overnight at Kanaga Hotel Or Similar
Day 5: DOGON COUNTRY
Dogon Country is considered to be one of the most extraordinary places on earth. Please note that the road to Dogon Country is rough, dusty, and unpaved. Built up high on the narrow ledges of the cliffs are the villages of the Dogon people. In the 11th century, the Dogons fled the advancing Arabs coming from the north, and found shelter in one of West Africa’s most inhospitable areas. This is such a unique place that the United Nations has declared it a World Heritage site.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at Hotel La Falaise Or Similar
Day 6: DOGON COUNTRY
The Dogons are animists, worshipping their ancestors and the spirits of nature. Having preserved their traditions through the centuries, they are considered to be one of the most original civilizations of West Africa. Please note that part of today’s sightseeing can involve walking over rough ground to visit some of the villages, and fairly steep and rough paths have to be negotiated.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at Campement Sangha Or Similar
Day 7: SEGOU
After breakfast, drive to Segou, Mali’s second-largest city and former colonial capital. This drive takes you through varying rural villages where you can observe the traditional way of life. Along the drive, you have the opportunity to stop and visit local markets.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast
Overnight at Independence Hotel Or Similar
Day 8: SEGOU – SIKASSO
Drive to Sikasso, in Mali’s green belt; visit Sikasso: see the Mamelon (residence of the former kings of Sikasso), the Tata (remnants of a large palisade that encircled the city and for a time held off the French colonial army); Visit the grotto of Misiri Koro, home of the protector spirits of the Mande people, then return to your hotel.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast
Overnight at Hotel du Cinquantenaire or Similar
Day 9: SIKASSO – BAMAKO
After breakfast drives to Bamako and explores this capital city which is situated on the Niger, one of Africa’s great rivers which flows through Mali. The city was founded in 1640 but didn’t really start to grow until the French colonial period began in 1898. Mali is a country of many tribal peoples, each with its own exuberant styles of clothing and jewelry.
There is nowhere better to see this colorful diversity than in the streets and markets of Bamako. Bamako has a large art and craft center where sculptors, weavers, leather workers, jewelers, and metal workers exhibit their wares and skills. Another highlight of your tour is the Grand March, or ‘Great Market’, where you can spend hours exploring the hundreds of stalls. From carvings and cassettes to fabrics, beads, brass, and gold, the variety of goods is staggering.
One area of the market is devoted entirely to traditional African medicines. Here you’ll find the freshly shrunken heads of birds, monkeys, and crocodiles along with lizard skins and other gruesome treatments. Final departure in the evening
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast
TOUR INCLUDES:
• Meeting and assistance upon arrival and departure
• Round-trip airport/hotel transfers
• Hotel accommodation in the indicated properties
• Transportation in private vehicle
• Experienced tour guide
• Admission to listed sites and events
• Meals indicated by Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
TOUR DOES NOT INCLUDE:
• Cost of visa
• Meals not listed
• Travel Insurance
• Gratuity to driver and guide
