Itinerary

1. Bamako/mopti - Dogon country (695 km; 9hr)

   • Meet your private guide, your vehicle and your driver in Bamako and enjoy the long but interesting drive through the heartland of Mali, all the way to Dogon country; there will be many photo opportunities along the way as we travel through rural villages and towns.

   Overnight stay in Bandiagara.

2. Dogon country

   • Visit the Songo village here, renowned for its circumcision grotto with rock paintings. 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.

   • Onward to Sangha, comprised of 10 distinct animist and Islamic quarters.

   • Take a walking tour of Sangha, where we will see many examples of the unique traditional architecture and contemporary fetishes.

   • Visit Ogols and Bongo.

   Overnight stay in Sangha.

3. Dogon country

   • At 7 am, have breakfast and then descend the escarpment to visit several cliff villages: Banani (note the ancient Tellem cave dwellings in the cliff face), Ireli, Amani (visit the sanctuary of sacred crocodiles, totem animal of the Dogon people) and Tireli village, where we may (optionally) witness a fascinating traditional Dogon mask dance - this is an authentic reproduction of a traditional funerary rite, where the masks ask the spirit of the deceased person to depart the village and rejoin the ancestors.

   • Return to Sangha for an overnights stay.

4. Dogon country

   • On our final day in Dogon country, we will drive to the southern end of the escarpment to visit the villages Endy and Teli: observe the ancient Tellem grottos in the cliff face, which are now used as burial chambers.

   • Go to Nando to see the interesting mud-castle mosque.

   • Onward to Niongono, perched on a cliff like medieval citadel (NB: climbing is required to visit Niongogo).

   • In the late afternoon, we return to Bandiagara for overnight stay.

5. Dogon country – Bamako (695 km,9hr) / final departure

   • After breakfast, we return to Bamako for transfer to the airport for onward return flight.