Tour Itinerary

Day 01: Arrival in Dakar, Senegal

International flight arrives in Dakar in the evening; airport-to-hotel transfer; overnight in Dakar (Hotel Novotel / Hotel Farid or similar)

Day 02: Dakar/Goree Island - Saint Louis (265 km; ~3½hrs)

City tour of Dakar including the colorful Kermel market; then board the ferry for Goree Island, old slavery depot for some 300 years; visit the House of Slaves and the Historical Museum; lunch on Goree, then return to Dakar by ferry and onward drive to historic Saint Louis; overnight in Saint Louis (Hotel Cap St. Louis, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 03: Saint Louis / Parc Djoudj (60 km; ~½hr)

Excursion to the Parc Djoudj national bird sanctuary, one of Unesco's World Heritage sites, and one of the richest in birds in the world; enjoy a pirogue ride to better view the many species of cormorants, pelicans, ducks, flamingos, various songbirds and more; you may also see crocodiles, boas and wild boars; in the afternoon, visit old colonial Saint Louis city; overnight in Saint Louis (Hotel Cap St. Louis, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 04: Saint Louis - Dakar (265 km; ~3½hrs)

Return drive to Dakar; remainder of day at leisure; overnight in Dakar (Hotel Novotel / Hotel Farid or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 05: Dakar - Bamako - Segou(235 km; ~3hrs)

Airport transfer for 08h00 AM flight to Bamako; city tour of Bamako: get a panoramic overview of this sprawling city from Point G; then visit the National Museum, the city market, and the artisans' village; afternoon drive to Segou; overnight in Segou (Hotel Independance, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 06 & 07: Segou - Mopti (405 km; ~4½hrs)

Morning tour of Segou, Mali's second city and former colonial capital; see the interesting mix of colonial and traditional architecture; stroll through the pottery market on the waterfront; also visit Sekoro village, former capital of the Bambara kingdom; see the tomb of King Biton Coulibaly; afternoon drive to Mopti; overnight in Mopti (Hotel Kanaga, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 08: Mopti - Djenne (130km; ~1½hr) - Mopti

Excursion to Djenne on its weekly market day, when Djenne is at its colorful best; stroll around the market stalls, spread out before the magnificent Great Mosque; this is the world's largest mud brick architecture, originally constructed in the XIIIth century, one of Unesco's World Heritage sites; in the afternoon, return to Mopti in time to enjoy a relaxing sunset sail on the Niger River in a traditional hand-made pirogue; overnight in Mopti (Hotel Kanaga, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 09: Mopti - Dogon country (120 km; ~2hrs)

Drive to Mali's fascinating Dogon country; explore magnificent villages along the Bandiagara cliff, and see many examples of the unique traditional architecture and contemporary fetishes; exact village to be visited will depend on your walking/climbing preferences; option to witness a traditional Dogon mask dance, an authentic representation of one of the Dogon people's mourning rituals; overnight in Sangha (Hotel Campement Guina, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 10 & 11: Dogon country - Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (330 km; ~6hrs)

Depart Dogon country, driving through picturesque rural villages and cross into Burkina Faso; onward to Ouagadougou for overnight (Hotel Silmande, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 12: 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; 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 13 & 14: Ouagadougou - Tiebele - Tamale, Ghana (460 km; ~6hrs)

Onward to Tiebele village, in Burkina's Gourounsi country; visit magnificent fortress-like houses and compounds, colorfully painted with traditional motifs; continue to the Ghana border, and onward to Tamale for overnight (Gariba Lodge, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 15 & 16: Tamale - Kumasi (390 km; ~4½hrs)

Visit the Tamale market and the National Cultural Center; then depart for Kumasi, with a visit to the Baobeng-Fiema monkey sanctuary en-route; overnight in Kumasi (Hotel Georgia, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 17: Kumasi - Elmina (240 km; ~3½hrs)

Visit Kumasi: the National Cultural Center, the Manhyia Palace, and the Kejetia market, the largest market in West Africa; afternoon drive to Elmina; enjoy a walking tour of St. George's Castle; 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 18: Elmina - Cape Coast - Accra (165 km; ~2hrs)

Drive to Cape Coast to visit the 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 19: 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; driving times are approximate, depending on local conditions and stops

Suggestion: you may wish to add-on a few days at the end of the tour, to relax on the beach. If so, just let us know and we will re-program your airport transfer for the day of your choice.

Please note: during the rainy season (July/Aug/Sep) the visit to Parc Djoudj in Senegal is replaced by the Langue de Barbarie bird sanctuary, as Parc Djoudj is closed.

Level:
All tours are typical African road travel. Fairly comfortable. Though hot and dusty at times, the rewards of such a tour are substantial. Tourist infrastructure is unpredictable in these places, Venture Travel try our best to give the best accommodation, but travellers should understand we are in Africa, therefore be flexible to accept the odd delay or change of plan, then the tour can be a fantastic experience.

Inclusions & Exclusions

Our rates normally has the below items as included and excluded from the program rates. Each and every program has its own distinct included & excluded items.

Generally included items:

Not included:

Optional: traditional Dogon mask dance in a village - upon request