DAY 1	ARRIVE IN BAMAKO, MALI International flight arrives in Bamako; airport-to-hotel transfer; overnight in Bamako Overnight at Le Grand Hotel Or Similar
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. Overnight at Le Grand Hotel Or Similar
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 to 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. Overnight at Hendrina Khan Hotel Or Similar
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. Overnight at Hotel Kanaga Or Similar
DAY 5	DJENNE Day trip to Djenne on its weekly market day, when Djenne is at its colorful best; stroll around the market stalls, spread out before 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. Overnight at Hotel Kanaga Or Similar
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. Overnight at Hotel Cheval Blanc Or Similar
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. Overnight at Campement Hotel Sangha Or Similar
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. Overnight at Hotel Independence Or Similar
DAY 9	SEGOU/SIKASSO Visit Segou and Sekoro village (the "old Segou"), capital of the Bambara kingdom; see the tomb of King Biton Coulibaly; after lunch, drive to Sikasso; overnight in Sikasso. Overnight at Hotel Zanga Or Similar
DAY 10	SIKASSO & BOBO DIOULASSO 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. Overnight at Hotel Auberge Or Similar
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. Overnight at Fara Hotel Or Similar
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. Overnight at Hala (Ala)Hotel Or Similar
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. Overnight at Hotel Residence La Palmeraie Or Similar
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. Overnight at Hotel Residence La Palmeraie Or Similar
DAY 15	NATITINGOU 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. Overnight at Hotel Tata Somba Or Similar
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 Overnight at Hotel Dako Ler Bohicon Or Similar
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. Overnight at Hotel Du Lac Or Similar
DAY 18	OUIDAH Tour of Ouidah, an important traditional religious center and ancient slave depot, which sent thousands of African's into slavery into the new world; visit the Museum in the old Portuguese fort, the temple of pythons, the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Kpasse sacred forest; trace the route of the famous "Slave Road" which leads to the slavery memorial of Zoungbodji; witness a traditional voodoo ceremony featuring the spirits of departed ancestors; return to and overnight in Cotonou. Overnight at Hotel Du Lac Or Similar
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 products and handcraft center; in the evening, transfer to the airport for your final departure.

^back to top

Call (+001).215.471.8555 for tour pricing, or click here to request a quote online. Special children and group rates available.

Tour Price Includes:

18 nights double occupancy hotel accommodation, Day room in Cotonou on the final day, Meals indicated by B, L, D, private ground transportation, 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

Tour Price Does Not Include:

International airfare to Africa, travel insurance, visa fees, gratuities

Single Supplement is the additional price paid for single occupancy of a room.

^back to top

Airfare

Continent Tours can secure competitive international airfare from most destinations to Africa. Click here to request a quote online, or call (+001).215.471.8555 for details.

^back to top