Day 1, January 1: Bamako. Arrival, reception at the airport and transfer at the hotel Mande or Similar, evening music clubs in the town. Includes: (D).
Day 2, January 2: Tour Bamako - Segou (240km)
Breakfast and the Capital city tour of Mali, Bamako is situated on the Niger, one of Africa's great rivers. Mali is a country of many tribal peoples, each with its own exuberant style of clothing and jewelery. There is nowhere better to see this colourful diversity than in the streets and markets of Bamako. Our visit will start by an overview on the hill of point G down; you will visit the National Museum, the city market, the antiquary’s village and the artisan’s village. The city has a large art and craft centre where sculptors, weavers, leather workers, jewellers and metal workers exhibit their wares and skills. 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 for traditional African medicines. Here you'll find the freshly shrunken heads of birds, monkeys and crocodiles, along with lizard skins and other gruesome treatments; we will end our visit by the cattle market at Drale, then direction to Segou via Segou koro the capital of the former Bambara kingdom to see the vestibule, the king’s tomb, overnight at Esplanade Hotel. Mande Hotel. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 3, January 3: Tour Segou - Djenne (300km)
After breakfast, Ségou tour, the capital or city of 4444 Balanzan considered as a mythic tree which is leafy in dry season and no leaves in the rainy season; the Balanzan “acacia albilda’ signify the bravery and the courage of the citizen of Ségou. Capital of the Bambara Kingdom of Ségou during the reign of Biton Coulibaly from 1712-1755. Ségou is Conquest in 1862 by the Toucouleur El Hadj Omar Tall and occupied by the French colonist Archinard in 1891.The Bambara ethnic is very proud of theirs culture and tradition showed by the dance step (the “Bara” and the “Bondjalan”. The 4 th administrative region of Mali with around 1 675 358 inhabitants composed of Bambara, minianka, bwa and Soninke, Fulani, maure, somono and bozo shared in an area of 60 947 sq km. We will begin by the colonial houses, the bogolan center to learn the different design of Bogolan, then boating to the ceramic village Kalabougou, return in the afternoon drive to Djenne, overnight at the Campement Hotel.
Day 4, January 4: Djenne city tour
After breakfast Djenne the city tour, classified as World Heritages because of its architecture. The city considered as the twin of Timbuktu because of its attachment on Islam. Founded around the 10 th century by Soninke, a religious city considered as one of the oldest city in Africa. The visit of children learning in Coranic School is worthy. Djenne is very famous by its biggest mud monument in the world, we will start by the market considered as one the most colourful market in West Africa due to its African typical products, then we will visit the mosque, the virgin Tomb and the former Djenne Djene Djeno, we will end our tour by some surrounding villages. Overnight in Djenné (Campement Hotel). Includes: (B), (D).
Day 5, January 5: Djenne- Mopti (130km). Arrival at Mopti in the afternoon and visit of Mopti, the Venice of Mali for its location between the Bani and Niger river, visit: the beautiful mosque, the fishing port, the bustling market where many ethnic group of Mali – Bambara, Fulani, Bozo, Bobo, Dogon, Songhai, come to trade, then embark on River trip; overnight riverbank encampment. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 6, January 6: River cruise; overnight riverbank encampment. Breakfast, Then boat for the birds watching during this days you will enjoy a great variety of multi colour birds, to see Malian fisher’s men with their canoe, the bozo villages on bank of the river; overnight riverbank encampment in Niafounke. Includes: (B), (L), (D).
Day 7, January 7: Arrive Niafounke - Essakane Festival
Depart from Niafounke to reach the legendary city of Timbuktu, the city of 333 holy, the mysterious city or the doorway to the desert founded around the 11 th century by the touareg Imagcharen. In Timbuktu the tradition says: “gold comes the south, salt comes from the north, money comes from occident, but the speeches of God, holy things, wonderful stories can be found only in Timbuktu. The 6th administrative capital of Mali, Timbuktu attracts many tourists who like to discover an exceptional cultural heritages, adventure landscape and fabulous histories of the city. Timbuktu has maintained many ancient monuments you will visit Timbuktu city: the mosques, the museum and archives. The Mosque of Djinguareyber, built in 14th century by emperor Kankou Moussa on his way from the Pilgrimage; the mosque Sankore of the 15 th century which hosted many intellectuals from its University; the Mosque of Sidi Yahia built at the end of the 15 th century by an old woman of the city, arrival in Essakane and enjoy the traditional music festival of Desert, Overnight in desert encampment. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 8, January 8: Festival. Enjoy the festival, have tea ceremony with Tuareg and camel ride, overnight in desert encampment.
Day 9, January 9: Continue to enjoy with the festival of desert.
Day 10, January 10: Timbuktu.
Breakfast and drive to Timbuktu where you will Visit the old Islamic manuscripts in the Baba Ahmed Institute, the houses of exploratory Gordon Laing, Henri Barth, Mongo Park, and Rene Caille, the handicraft centre to discover the wonderful work of the touareg: the jewelery and the blankets; the visit of the three famous mosque (Mosque of Djinguareyber built in 14th century by Kankou Moussa, Mosque of Sankore and the mosque Sidi Yahia, overnight in Hotel La Colombe
Day 11, January 11: Timbuktu via Douentza to Yendouma
After breakfast, drive to Mali's fascinating Dogon country via Douentza. Being among of the most enigmatic people of Africa, the Dogons are living in stones and mud houses and granaries built up high on the narrow edges of the cliffs. The Dogons are animists, worshipping their ancestors and the spirits of nature. Having preserved their traditions through the centuries, the Dogon architecture is certainly the most well known element by external world, along with other practices such as mask dances (to request to a deceased spirit to leave the village and then rejoin the ancestors) or the fox divinatory game. The Dogons are farmers cultivating their fields either high on the cliff, in the plain or down of the cliff. The Dogons fled the advancing of Arabs coming from the north, and found shelter in one of West Africa's most inhospitable areas difficult to reach. This difficulty contributes to Dogon’s isolation even between them, and in time each village developed its own dialect, un-comprehended by the neighbours. Today, there are about fifty of idioms in spoken Dogon language. on the edge of the Bandiagara escarpment, where we stay for Camping in Yendouma. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 12, January 12: Trekking in Dogon Country. This morning drive to Sangha, we descend the Bandiagara escarpment to visit the village of Banani, where the ancient Tellem Cave dwellings in the cliff face, further the Ireli Village where you will see a mask dance, Amani, where we will visit the sacred crocodile sanctuary, and Tireli. See the caves of Deguimbere and other small but interesting villages on the escarpment edge, before returning to Bandiagara for overnight. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 13, January 13 Trekking in Dogon Country
Breakfast departure to Ende, by the way we will visit Begnemato, Teli, yabatalou and Camping in Ende.
Day 14, January 14: Dogon Country - Ouagadougou
Breakfast and drive to explore Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital city. Ouaga, as the capital of Burkina Faso is generally known is the home to the Mossi, the largest ethnic group in the nation. All the sights can be easily reached on foot. The city’s atmosphere is relaxed and the Burkinabe are known to be very hospitable and friendly people. We’ll visit the Grand Market and the National Museum, with its interesting collection of regional clothing, masks, household utensils and ancestral statues; also visit the crafts markets at the Artisans Centre, where we will find basketry, batik fabrics, wooden statues and masks, jewelery, leatherwork and bronze castings and preparation for your departure.
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Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Hotel accommodation as mentioned (or similar category)
- Meeting and assistance upon arrival and departure at Airports
- Private ground transportation by AC (where available) cars or minivans
- Experienced English-speaking guide
- Airport-Hotel-Airport transfers and luggage handling
- All hotel taxes and local tourism taxes
- All tours and sightseeing with entry fees included
- Meals as indicated (B=breakfast, D=dinner)
- Full board during the camping day
- Camel ride and tea ceremony with Tuareg
- Any other agency service.
Price Excludes:
- Festival entrance ticket
- Travel insurance (highly recommended)
- Visa fees (if applicable)
- Gratuities, tips and other such costs
- Drinks/Beverages and any personal expenses
- Meals not specified and Mineral water.
Also see tour packages in:
Africa
Mali
Burkina Faso
Local Culture
Festival Tours
Dance, Music and Opera
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