Best Of Mali Tour

Day 1: Arrival – Bamako

Your international flight arrives today in Bamako. You will be met and transferred to your hotel in the city. Tour orientation upon arrival.

Hotel Mirabeau or similar

Meals Included: None

Day 2: Bamako

Today is Christmas. The city tour of Bamako includes panoramic viewpoints over the city, the National Museum, which provides an excellent introduction to the country’s ethnic diversity, the large and colorful markets, traditional drying areas, and more.

Decide on your evening activities with your tour guide.

Hotel Mirabeau or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3: Bamako – Sikasso

Drive approximately 4–5 hours to discover southern Mali, known as the country’s green belt. Visit several villages along the way. The tour of Sikasso includes the remains of the Mamelon and the Cultural Center of the Sénoufo people.

Hôtel du Cinquantenaire or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 4: Sikasso – San

Complete the tour of Sikasso by visiting the Missirikoro Grotto, then continue to Koutiala, the capital of “white gold” (cotton). Continue onward to San for overnight. Time permitting, visit the Mosque of San and Terekungo.

Hotel Santoro or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 5: San – Dogon Country

Drive to the fascinating Dogon Country. Points of interest include the circumcision grotto in Songho, Niongonon, and Sangha.

Campement Sangha or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 6: Dogon Country

Enjoy another full day in Dogon Country. Descend the escarpment to visit typical Dogon villages perched along the cliff edge. A Dogon mask dance will be organized before departure. Continue to Bandiagara for overnight.

Hotel La Falaise or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 7: Dogon Country – Timbuktu

Drive along paved roads and later dusty tracks toward Timbuktu, stopping at interesting points along the way to admire the changing landscape.

Hotel du Desert or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 8: Timbuktu

Wander through the dusty streets of Timbuktu, admiring magnificent mud-brick structures such as the Djinguiraiber Mosque, the Sankoré Mosque, the Sidi Yahia Mosque, and the manuscript center. Visit the houses of various 19th-century European explorers who once used Timbuktu as a base.

Visit the Ethnological Museum and the Maison des Artisans.

Enjoy an excursion into the Sahara Desert by camel caravan to visit a Tuareg camp near Timbuktu. Share tea on the dunes with your Tuareg hosts, the “Princes of the Desert.” Return to and overnight at your hotel in Timbuktu.

Hotel du Desert

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 9: Timbuktu – Mopti

Drive back along dusty roads to Mopti, stopping at scenic points along the way to admire the landscape.

Hotel Kanaga

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 10: Mopti – Djenné – Mopti

This morning, travel from Mopti to Mali’s architectural jewel, Djenné. Visit Djenné on its weekly market day, when the town is at its most colorful. See the magnificent Grand Mosque, the largest mud-brick structure in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the museum and wander through Djenné’s narrow streets, discovering this remarkable architectural city.

Return to Mopti for overnight.

Hotel Kanaga

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 11: Mopti – Kona – Mopti

This morning, enjoy an approximately seven-hour cruise on the Niger River to Kona, located 55 km from Mopti.

Lunch will be served on board. Highlights include watching fishermen at work, visiting riverside villages such as Kotaca with its beautiful mosque, and observing water birds. Upon arrival in Kona, drive back to Mopti.

Enjoy a city tour of Mopti, showcasing its fascinating mix of Malian cultures, including Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fulani, Tuareg, Songhaï, and Hausa. Visit the mosque, fishing port, and bustling market, where you can shop for gold or silver jewelry, Tuareg leatherwork, and Fulani cotton or wool blankets.

Hotel Kanaga

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 12: Mopti – Teriyabugu

Drive to Teriyabugu to visit the “Hut of Friendship,” an ecotourism center dedicated to rural development and self-sufficiency. Relax and enjoy the fresh air along the Bani River.

Visit the mini-zoo and museum, and observe the Bozo people smoking and drying fish.

Hotel Teriya

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 13: Teriyabugu – Ségou

After breakfast, enjoy an approximately one-hour drive to visit Ségou, the former capital of the Bambara Kingdom. Highlights include the pottery market, the mud-cloth fabric center, and observing women preparing local beer. Continue to Sékoro to learn about the kingdom’s history, visit the tomb of the first king, Biton Coulibaly, and see the ancient mosque of unknown origin. Overnight in Ségou.

Hotel Auberge

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 14: Ségou – Bamako

Drive back to Bamako. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Hotel Mirabeau

Day 15: Bamako – Departure

Enjoy a day at leisure or souvenir shopping with your tour guide and driver. Prepare for your onward flight.

OR

Travel to the mountain village of Mandé in western Mali (55 km) on its weekly market day. Learn about the history of Soundiata Keita, the legendary founder of the ancient Mali Empire. Several Malian ethnic groups—including Dogon, Bambara, Malinké, Kassonke, Minianka, Sénoufo, and Bobo—originate from this region.

In Mandé, visit the Fanfamba Grotto, the former meeting place of village elders, and the Cave of Kamadian, featuring chambers once used by artisans such as blacksmiths, hunters, fortune tellers, and chiefs. Meet a Donso, a traditional hunter in ceremonial attire. Visit a women’s cooperative producing butter and soap from shea tree nuts. Return to Bamako.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Tour Price Includes:

(Price per person, based on a minimum of two people, double occupancy)

Round-trip airport and hotel transfers

Accommodation in listed properties or similar

Tours in private vehicles

Services of experienced English/French-speaking guides

Admission fees to all listed sites and activities

Niger River cruise (Kona–Mopti)

Luggage handling

Meals as indicated

Tour Price Does Not Include:

International airfare to/from Mali

Domestic airfare

Travel insurance

Meals not listed

Personal expenses (telephone, laundry, visa fees)

Gratuities for drivers and guides