Duration: | 12 Day(s) - 11 Night(s) |
Tour Category: | Festival Tours |
Day 1: Mon: Arrive Bamako
Arrive at any time. You are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Bamako at Azalai Grand Hotel.
Meal(s) Included: None
Day 2: Tue: Bamako
Today you will explore the capital city of Bamako situated on the Niger River, Africa’s 3rd longest. 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 the capital. In the city’s craft bazaar, we shall see sculptors, weavers, leather workers, jewelers, and metal workers exhibiting their wares and displaying their skills. One area of the market is entirely devoted 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.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3: Wed: Bamako – Segou / Festival on the Niger
Breakfast and drive to one of Mali's largest cities and former colonial capital. This drive takes you through varying rural villages where you can observe traditional ways of life. Along the drive, you have the opportunity to stop and visit local markets. After arriving in Segou in the late afternoon, check into your Segou hotel, and enjoy the festival opening activities (masks, puppets, music, and more). Overnight in Segou.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4, 5, 6: Thu, Fri, & Sat: Festival on the Niger
Features excursions to nearby cultural sites including Kalabougou, the pottery village; and Sekoro, the old Ségou, the former capital of the Bambara kingdom. Activities include demonstrations, exhibitions, music, and dance. Continue excursions in Segou and surrounding areas.
Enjoy in the evenings the festival activities.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7: Sun: Segou - Djenné
Enjoy the final festival activities and then we will drive to Djenné, Timbuktu's ancient sister city on the Bani River. En route, we shall visit San to see the local mosque, designed as a replica of the Djenné Grand Mosque.
Djenné was founded in the fourth century it has scarcely changed since the Middle Ages and, as we stroll through the streets and the bazaar we will be transported back into medieval times. This evening is at leisure. Djeno Djenne Hotel
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8: Mon: Djenne – Dogon Country
Today is Monday, on its weekly market day visit Djenné when it is at its colorful best; see the magnificent Grand Mosque, the largest mud-brick architecture in the world and one of Unesco's World Heritage sites, visit the museum where a representative of ‘Mission Culturelle’ will take you to the site of Djéno Djenné being the old Djenné.
You will learn about the history of the ancient city of Djenné. After visits drive to Dogon country and stay overnight in Sangha at Campement
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner
Day 9: Tue: Dogon country
Today, we drive to Dogon Country. With its fascinating rocky, Sahelian landscape, the Dogon Country is considered to be one of the most extraordinary places on Earth. Experience the unique village life and marvel at ancient Tellem cave dwellings. The Dogon are a group of people living in the central plateau region of the country, south of the Niger bend near the city of Bandiagara in the Mopti region. The Dogon are best known for their mythology, their mask dances, wooden sculpture, and their architecture.
The principal Dogon area is bisected by the Bandiagara Escarpment, a sandstone cliff of up to 500m (1,640 ft) high, stretching for about 150km (almost 100 miles).
This tribe's life is centered on sacred rights and rituals that take place in the hollow cliffs of the escarpment on which the Dogon houses are built. Their culture is surrounded by mysticism and intrigue, from an astonishing knowledge of the solar system to the unique structure of Dogon villages. We will visit the Dogon village of Songho, renowned for its rock paintings and circumcision grotto, and drive to Sangha comprised of 10 distinct Dogon villages - some of which are traditional animists while others have converted to Islam. We shall visit the women’s house and have a special visit with the Dogon spiritual leader, Le Hogon. Overnight in Sangha.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 10: Wed: Dogon Country – Mopti
For breakfast, 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.
Then we proceed to Mopti, the melting pot of Mali. On our city tour of Mopti, we visit to 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. Take this opportunity to 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 sunset sail on the Niger River by a private riverboat.
Meals included: Breakfast lunch and dinner
Day 11: Thu: Mopti – Bamako
Breakfast and drive back to Bamako; this is a long but scenic drive across the heartland of Mali. Arrive in the afternoon and stay overnight in Bamako.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 12: Fri: Bamako – Depart
In Bamako decide on your activities with the assistance of your driver and guide. Later transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast
Tour Price Includes:
Meeting and assistance upon arrival and departure, Round trip airport to hotel transfers, Assistance with airport departure formalities, Accommodation in the properties listed or similar, Transportation in private A/C vehicles, or Microbus, Trained English-speaking tour guide, Admissions to all listed sites, Luggage transfer, Meals indicated by B, L, D, tour as outlined including all the museum's fees
Tour Price Does Not Include:
International flight to/out of Mali, travel insurance, visa fees, festival entrance fees, gratuities, personal items such as souvenir shopping, etc.