Itinerary

1. Day 1: Bamako

   • Your international flight arrives in Bamako. 
   • Your tour guide will meet you in the arrivals hall of Bamako airport and provide your hotel transfer. 

   Overnight in Bamako

2. Day 2: Bamako - Timbuktu

   • Have your breakfast. 
   • Transfer to the airport and fly to Timbuktu, one of Africa's mythical desert cities. Today, like centuries ago, the city is surrounded by a heavy mist of mystery. Almost no tourists have gotten there anymore since the Tuareg started demanding their own independent country.
   • Arrive in Timbuktu, get welcomed by our local guide and embark on a city tour. 
   • Have lunch at the restaurant or with our guide with local family (traditional dishes).

3. Day 3: Timbuktu

   • You will spend all day exploring Timbuktu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site perched on the edge of the Sahara and a centre of religion and scholarship for centuries.
   • Visit three of West Africa's oldest mosques, Sankore Mosque, Djingareber, and Sidi Yehia, all made from mud and timber and recall Timbuktu's golden age. You will also explore the Ethnological Museum, the Al-Mansur Korey House, the marketplace, and the Ahmed Baba Centre and Haidara Library to see the ancient manuscripts that have survived since the 13-14th centuries.
   • In the afternoon, take a fun sunset camel ride into the desert and visit a Tuareg campsite. Here, you'll have the opportunity to mingle and drink tea with the nomads and be entertained by their traditional singing, drumming, and dancing with sabres. An optional traditional Moshe dinner is also available.

   Overnight at Hotel Handrina Khan

   Accommodation: Hotel Handrina Khan

   Meals included: Breakfast

4. Day 4: Departure from Timbuktu - Niger River

   • From Timbuktu, via the Niger River. Along the way, witness many species of birds and even herds of hippopotami cooling down on the river if you're lucky. Stop by several villages and get a glimpse of the way of living of the Fulani and Bozo people, one of the many ethnic groups in Mali located predominantly along the river.
   • In the evening, camp along the banks of the Niger River. 

5. Day 5: Niger River - Mopti

   • Spend the first half of the day cruising the Niger River and then arrive in Mopti port, where your boat will dock; Mopti – the "melting pot" of Mali and the Venice of Mali, remains a beautiful city that attracts many visitors with its river port which remains an inevitable crossroads for trade. 
   • Arrival and check-in at the Hotel Flandre. Lunch in a restaurant nearby the river. 
   • Visit canoe workshops (see pirogues being made by hand), the river port, the mosque Komoguel and the bustling fish market where many of Mali's ethnic groups come to trade: Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fulani, Tuareg and Songhay. Possible ride by dugout on the Niger River at sunset with beautiful panoramic photos.

   Overnight at the Hotel Flandre or similar

6. Day 6: Djenne

   • After breakfast, visit the market. 
   • After exploring the market, we will stroll the ancient alleys and narrow streets and see the oldest house in Djenne, dating from the 12th century. Also, see the magnificent Great Mosque, the world's most prominent mud brick architecture, originally constructed in the 13th century. This is one of Unesco's World Heritage sites. We will walk around the old city's narrow streets, meeting with the association of women who colour the bogola and taking pictures in their dyeing workshop. A real trip back in time. We will see the tomb of Tapana Djenepo, the Koranic schools, and the well of Nana Wangara.
   • Lunch and departure towards Segou. 
   • Road to Segou after launch (5h). Arrive in Segou, Mali's former colonial capital, with its exciting mix of traditional and colonial architecture. Visit the Bagolan factory, then check-in in at our hotel Esplanade or similar. Take beautiful photos of the sunset on the Niger Quay and see French colonial heritage buildings designed in Sudanese style. A musical evening is organized at the hotel.

   Accommodation: Hotel Esplanade

   Meals included: Breakfast

7. Day 7: Segou – Segoukoro – Bamako

   • Departure for Bamako (3h) after breakfast. We make a long stop in Segoukoro, the capital of the former Bambara Empire.
   • Explore the small town with a couple of exciting adobe constructions (King Palace, Mosques) and visit the tomb of Biton Coulibaly's mother—an introduction to Bambara culture and traditions.
   • Continue to Bamako, lunch in the restaurant, overnight at the Hotel Colombus or similar.

8. Day 8: Bamako - Departure

   • After breakfast in the morning, have a Bamako tour. 
   • Visit the capital city of Mali, and stroll to the bazaar market and the national museum before taking you to Airport for your departure flight. I will take you to the artisan market where you can shop for souvenirs. 

   End of the tour.