Day 1 Bamako, Mali

On arrival at Modibo Keita International Airport in Bamako our expert cultural tour guide will meet, assist and transfer you to your hotel in our private air conditioned vehicle.  Once you have checked- in, your guide, who will be with you throughout your stay, will brief you on what to expect during your stay in Mali.
Meal(s) Included: No
Overnight at Azalai Grand Hotel or Similar

Day 2 BAMAKO – KOUMANTOU – SIKASSO 

Breakfast, from Bamako proceed to Sikasso with a stopover in Koumantou village to visit the village, interact with local people and make pictures.  

Continue to Sikasso, Mali’s breadbasket learn the history of the city while visiting places like the museum, the Mamelon Hill, the Mausoleum of Tieba King of Kenedougou Kingdom from 1866-1893, the house of Keletigui, the ruins of the Tata wall that encircled and protected the city against invasions being renovated by UNESCO. 

Meals included: breakfast 

Overnight at Hotel du Cinquantenaire

Day 3 SIKASSO 

Breakfast and proceed to visit Loulouli, continue to a typical Samogo & Senoufo village called Fakokouroukoro in the area of Loulouni.  Visit the village of Fakokouroukoro then witness hunters’ traditional dance of the locality. Drive back to Sikasso for lunch. 

In the afternoon, drive to Zerelaba, a typical Minianka village. Visit the village and witness a traditional balafon performance. Drive back to hotel for dinner and overnight at Hotel. 

 Meals included: breakfast 

Overnight at Hotel du Cinquantenaire 

Day 4 SIKASSO – SAN – MOPTI

Breakfast and en-route to Segou via Koutiala, the capital of white gold (cotton), pass through rich agricultural lands of southern Mali. You have the opportunity to visit local villages with granaries on the way. From Koutiala make a detour to visit San to see the local mosque, designed as a replica of the Djenne Grand Mosque and visit Terekoungo a typical Bobo village, site of a sacred well inhabited by protector spirits of the Bobo people,  the fetish house and the millet beer making process  Drive to Overnight in Segou.  

Meals included: breakfast 

Overnight at Hotel Kanaga or substitute 

Day 5 MOPTI  

Today you will discover the city of Mopti including the Fulani quarter, the vegetable market, the harbour certainly the biggest one on the Niger river in Mali. Lunch in a local restaurant in Sevare. After lunch, you will visit the beads shop called “Farafina Tigne” where you will learn about the history of beads. Then continue to Mopti to have the sunset cruise on the Niger River. We will visit a Bozo village on the bank of River. Back to Hotel for dinner and overnight.  

Overnight at Hotel Kanaga or Substitute 

Day 6 MOPTI – DJENNE -SEGOU

After breakfast, we will rive to Segou via Djenne a UNESCO site. Upon arrival in Djenne, you will visit the mosque (the biggest mud building in the world), the three styles f building, the mausoleum of Tapama Djenepo the virgin girl walled up alive for the protection and prosperity of the town, visit the library. Lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch, you will drive to Segou with short visits in Terekoungo, and also stop at an eight centuries baobab tree. Upon arrival in Segou, check in hotel Esplanade for dinner and overnight. 

Overnight at Vue Esplanade Hotel 

Day 7 Segou

Breakfast, in Ségou, former colonial administrative center. Visit Sékoro village, the former capital of the Bambara kingdom where you will see the tomb of King Biton Mamary Coulibaly, the founder of the Bambara Kingdom, the mosque that is older than the village and visit the mosque that King Biton built for her mother.  

Take a cruise in a traditional motorized pinasse on the River Niger to the Bambara village of Kalabougou. The village is known for its pottery and we may see the women creating and kilning them as today is Saturday. 

Return to Segou and admire the beautiful Sudanese-style colonial architecture. See and experience how to make a traditional mud cloth.  Visit traditional weavers and other artisans time permitting.  

Meals included: Breakfast 

Overnight at Vue Esplanade Hotel Segou 

Day 8 SEGOU – BAMAKO  

Easy drive from Segou to Bamako, start with the city tour of Bamako.  

Have an overview of Bamako from the hill Point G also called the hill of Health. Proceed to the city’s craft bazaar to see sculptors, weavers, leather workers, jewelers and metal workers exhibiting their wares and displaying their skills. One area of the market is devoted entirely to traditional African medicines. Here you’ll find the freshly shrunken heads of birds, monkeys and crocodiles, along with lizard skins and other gruesome treatments.  

Tour the biggest mosque, the handcraft centre to shop for souvenirs. 

Drive through the city and see monuments, Sudanese style buildings, the Niger River, Central Bank tower, Stay overnight in Bamako.  

Meals included: Breakfast 

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight at Azalai Grand Hotel Bamako 

Day 9 BAMAKO– SIBY – NANA KENIEBA – BAMAKO 

Breakfast, travel to the mountain village of Mandé in the Western region of Mali (55 Km). In Mande you will learn about the history of Soundiata Keita, the legendary former king of the ancient Malian Empire. Several of Mali’s ethnic groups including Dogon, Bambara, Malinke, Kassonke, Minianka, Senoufo, and Bobo originate from this area. 

In Siby you will see the arch of Kamandjan, the cave of Kamandjan.  

Continue to Nana-Kenieba for a Dogon dance performance which will last approx. 1 hours.  After visit and dance, drive back to overnight in Bamako.  

Meals included: Breakfast 

Overnight at Azalai Grand Hotel or Similar

Day 10 Bamako – Depart

You are transferred to the airport.  

Meals included: Breakfast