Bamako city tour, panoramic overview of the city, visit the National Museum, the city market and the artisans' village, transfer to the airport for the flight to Timbuktu, the ancient mosques, excursion into the Sahara Desert. Princes of the Desert, flight to Mopti, Grand Mosque, visit the Dogon village Songo, drive to Sikasso.
DAY 1 - ARRIVE BAMAKO, MALI
International flight arrives in Bamako; airport-to-hotel transfer; overnight in Bamako. DAY 2 - BAMAKO Bamako city tour: start at Point G and the panoramic overview of the city; visit the National Museum, the city market and the artisans' village, where you will see local craftsmen at work: silversmiths, woodcarvers, weavers, and leatherworkers; overnight in Bamako. (B) DAY 3 - TIMBUKTU Early morning transfer to the airport for the flight to Timbuktu; check into your hotel, and visit this legendary city: see the ancient mosques (built in the XIVth century) and former universities, the museum, the explorers' houses, the city market which receives the azalaïs, the salt caravans from the desert; in the afternoon, excursion into the Sahara Desert by camel caravan to visit a Tuareg camp; enjoy tea on the dunes with your Tuareg hosts, the Princes of the Desert; return to and overnight in Timbuktu. (B) DAY 4 - MOPTI Early morning transfer to the airport for flight to Mopti, the Venice of Mali, nestled between the Niger and the Bani rivers; Mopti city tour: see the beautiful mosque, the fishing port, and the bustling market where many of Mali's cultural groups can be seen: Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fulani, Tuareg and Songhay; enjoy a sunset sail on the Niger River in a traditional pirogue; overnight in Mopti. (B) DAY 5 - DJENNE Day trip to Djenne on its weekly market day, when Djenne is at its colorful best; stroll around the market stalls, visit the magnificent Grand Mosque, the world's largest mud brick architecture and one of Unesco's World Heritage sites; return to and overnight in Mopti. (B) DAY 6 - DOGON COUNTRY After breakfast, drive to Mali's fascinating Dogon country; visit the Dogon village Songo, renowned for its rock paintings and circumcision grotto; continue to Sangha, on the edge of the Bandiagara escarpment; overnight in Sangha. (B,L,D) DAY 7 - 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 sacred crocodile sanctuary), and Tireli, where you may see a traditional Dogon mask dance; return to and overnight in Sangha. (B,L,D) DAY 8 - SEGOU After breakfast drive to Segou, Mali's second largest city and former colonial administrative center; en route, visit Terekongo village, site of a sacred well inhabited by protector spirits of the Bobo people; overnight in Segou. (B) DAY 9 - SEGOU & SOKORO Visit Segou and Sokoro village (the "old Segou"), capital of the Bambara kingdom; see the tomb of King Biton Coulibaly; after lunch, drive to Sikasso; overnight in Sikasso. (B) DAY 10 - SIKASSO & BOBO DIOULASSO, BURKINA FASO Visit Sikasso, in Mali's green belt; see the remnants of the Tata, ancient palisade that encircled the city and for a time held off the French colonial army; visit the Mamelon, residence of the kings of Sikasso; in the afternoon, depart Mali and cross into Burkina Faso; overnight in Bobo Dioulasso. (B) DAY 11 - BOBO DIOULASSO 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. (B) DAY 12 - BANFORA 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 diverse market held every five days; overnight in Gaoua. (B) DAY 13 - GAOUA After breakfast, visit the Poni Museum, dedicated to the Lobi culture; see the distinctive, fortress-like Lobi architecture; then drive to Ouagadougou; overnight in Ouagadougou. (B) DAY 14 - 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 craft market at the Artisans' Center, where you will find basketry, batik fabrics, wooden statues and masks, jewelry, leatherwork and bronze castings; overnight in Ouagadougou. (B) DAY 15 - NATITINGOU, BENIN 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. (B) DAY 16 - NATITINGOU Visit the Natitingou Museum for an interesting overview of the Somba culture; then drive to Abomey, the birthlace of voodoo; visit Abomey's historical Daho-Donou Museum; overnight in Abomey. (B) DAY 17 - ABOMEY Visit the ancient palaces of the twelve kings of Abomey, who reigned from 1620 through 1900; visit the artisans' center; then depart for Cotonou; overnight in Cotonou. (B) DAY 18 - COTONOU Tour to Ouidah, an important traditional religious center and ancient slave depot, visit the Museum in the old Portuguese fort, the temple of pythons, the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Kpasse sacred forest; witness a traditional voodoo ceremony featuring the spirits of departed ancestors; return to and overnight in Cotonou. (B) DAY 19 - COTONOU & FINAL DEPARTURE In the morning visit Ganvie village, built on stilts over the lagoon; then continue with a tour of Cotonou, including the international Dantokpa market, with its fetish market and handcraft center; in the evening, transfer to the airport for your final departure. (B) TOUR INCLUDES: - Accommodations in the properties listed
- day room in Cotonou on the final day
- Meals indicated by B, L, D
- Transportation in private vehicles
- domestic flight Bamako-Timbuktu-Mopti
- sunset sail on the Niger River
- desert excursion by camel to visit a Tuareg camp
- experienced English-speaking guide
- airport-hotel transfers and luggage handling
- all hotel taxes and local tourism taxes
- all excursion and site visit/entry fees
Not Included: International airfare to Africa, travel insurance, visa fees, gratuities | 
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