Tour Itinerary

Day 01: Arrival in Bamako, Mali

International flight arrives in Bamako in the evening; airport-to-hotel transfer; overnight in Bamako (Grand Hotel, or similar)

Day 02: Bamako - Segou (235 km; ~3hrs)

Bamako city tour: start at Point G and the panoramic overview of the sprawling city of Bamako; visit the National Museum, the city market and the artisans' village, where you will see local craftsmen at work: silversmiths, woodcarvers, weavers, and leather workers; in the afternoon, drive to Segou; overnight in Segou (Hotel Independance, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 03 & 04: Segou - Mopti (405 km; ~4½hrs)

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

with Breakfast

Day 05: Mopti - Djenne (130 km; ~1½hr) - Mopti

City tour of Mopti, called the Venice of Mali because it is nestled between the Niger and the Bani rivers; see the beautiful Komoguel mosque and the fishing port, bustling commercial center; excursion to Djenne to see the colorful weekly market; stroll around the market stalls, spread out before the magnificent Great Mosque; originally constructed in the XIIIth century, this is the world's largest mud brick architecture and one of Unesco's World Heritage sites; return to and overnight in Mopti/Sevare (Hotel Kanaga / Hotel Ambedjele, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 06 & 07: Mopti - Timbuktu (550 km; ~6hrs)

After breakfast, depart Mopti and drive across the Sahel, to the legendary city of Timbuktu, at the edge of the Sahara Desert ! overnight in Timbuktu (Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 08: Timbuktu / Sahara Desert

Visit the mythical city of Timbuktu: see the ancient mosques (built in the XIVth century) and former universities, the museum and the Ahmed Baba Institute's archives of ancient Islamic manuscripts, the explorers' houses, and the city market which receives the azalaïs, the salt caravans from the desert—historically, salt from the north was traded for gold and slaves from the south; in the afternoon, excursion into the Sahara Desert by camel caravan to visit a Tuareg camp on the dunes; the Tuareg people are known as the Princes of the Desert; return to and overnight in Timbuktu (Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar)

with Breakfast

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

Day 09 & 10: Timbuktu - Mopti (550 km; ~6hrs) / Niger River

Return drive across the Sahel, to Mopti; arrive in time to enjoy a relaxing sunset sail on the Niger River in a traditional pirogue; overnight in Mopti/Sevare (Hotel Kanaga / Hotel Ambedjele, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 11: Mopti - Dogon country (120 km; ~2hrs)

After breakfast, drive to Mali's fascinating Dogon country; visit the Dogon village Songo, renowned for its rock paintings and circumcision grotto; traditional circumcision ceremonies are held here every three years, for all Dogon boys aged 9-14 years; the rock paintings are historical representations of noble Dogon families; continue to Sangha, on the edge of the Bandiagara escarpment; walking tour of Sangha, comprised of 10 distinct animist and Islamic villages; overnight in Sangha (Hotel Campement Guina, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 12: Dogon country

Descend the Bandiagara escarpment to visit the villages Banani (note the ancient Tellem cave dwellings in the cliff face), Ireli, Amani (visit the sanctuary of sacred crocodiles, a totem animal of the Dogon people), and Tireli; option to witness a traditional Dogon mask dance, an authentic representation of one of the Dogon people's mourning rituals; overnight in Bandiagara (Hotel La Falaise, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 13 & 14: Dogon country - Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso (560 km; ~7hrs)

Breakfast, then depart Mali and drive to Burkina Faso; overnight in Bobo Dioulasso (Hotel Auberge, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 15: Bobo Dioulasso - Banfora (85 km; ~1hr)

Tour Bobo Dioulasso, ("house of the Bobo merchants"), Burkina Faso's second largest city; see the old mosque and visit the old Kibidwe artisans' district, where you will see blacksmiths, potters, and dyers at work; in the afternoon drive to Banfora; visit the Karfiguela waterfalls and Lac Tengrela; overnight in Banfora (Hotel Canne a Sucre, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 16: Banfora - Gaoua (200 km; ~2½hrs)

Depart Banfora and visit the mysterious stone ruins of Loropeni, whose origins are unknown but the local Gan people call them the "house of refusal"; Loropeni is also the site of a large and lively local market held every five days; overnight in Gaoua (Hotel Hala, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 17 & 18: Gaoua - Ouagadougou (435 km; ~6hrs)

In Gaoua, visit the Poni Museum, dedicated to the Lobi culture; see the distinctive, fortress-like Lobi architecture; then drive to Ouagadougou; overnight in Ouagadougou (Hotel Silmande, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 19: 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; also 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 20 & 21: Ouagadougou - Natitingou, Benin (485 km; ~6hrs)

Depart Ouagadougou after breakfast and drive to Fada N'Gourma, cross the BF-Benin border and continue to Natitingou, in Somba country; overnight in Natitingou (Hotel Tata Somba, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 22 & 23: Natitingou - Abomey (420 km; ~5½hrs)

Visit the Natitingou Museum for an interesting overview of the Somba culture; then drive to Abomey, the former Danhomey kingdom; overnight in Abomey (Motel d'Abomey, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 24: Abomey - Cotonou/Ganvie (135 km; ~1½hr)

Visit the Royal Palace Museum, site of the ancient palaces of the twelve kings of Danhomey, who reigned from 1620 through 1900; visit the artisans' center; then depart for Cotonou; afternoon city tour of Cotonou, including the fish market and the international Dantokpa market, with its fetish market and handcraft center; pirogue excursion to Ganvie village, built on stilts over the lagoon; overnight in Cotonou (Hotel du Lac, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 25: Cotonou - Ouidah (40 km; ~½hr) - Lome, Togo (110 km; ~1¼hr)

Short drive to Ouidah, an important traditional religious center and ancient slave depot, which sent thousands of slaves to the new world; visit the Museum in the old Portuguese fort, the temple of pythons, the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Kpasse sacred forest; trace the route of the famous "Slave Road" which leads to the slavery memorial of Zoungbodji; perhaps also witness a traditional voodoo ceremony featuring the spirits of departed ancestors; drive to the Togo border; onward and overnight in Lome (Hotel Ibis, or similar)

with Breakfast

Day 26: Lome - final departure

City tour of Lome: visit the National Museum, Lome central market, the artisans' village, and the Akodessewa fetish market; 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