Day 1: Bamako
Morning arrival at the Bamako International airport. Transfer to Hotel Tamana.
Day 2: Bamako - Mopti
We will leave Mopti in the morning (8 hours by car). Check into Hotel Y a pas de probleme.
Day 3: Mopti - Dogon Country
We will leave for Sanga (3 hours by car) where we will have lunch and then leave for Banani, where we will camp overnight.
Day 4: Dogon Region
We will explore Banani, Youga Piri, Youga Na, Ireli, Amani and Tereli, where we will camp overnight.
We will explore the spectacular countryside of the Bandiagara escarpement. We will visit the Dogon villages inhabited since the XIVth century where this unique culture has been preserved thanks to the oral traditions of their people and little outside influence.
We will see Dogon houses whose wooden doors and windows contain symbolic sculptures. Their multiple rooms are arranged around a central courtyard where daily tasks take place. Men and women keep their wealth in separate granaries, mud buildings having thatched conical roofs.
Other typical village buildings include: the "house for speech or debate" (the toguna) built with a low ceiling so that calm discussions are encouraged, place where the elders meet to make decisions affecting the village; the "house for menstruating women", where women live during their menstrual period; the "house of the Tellems," houses of the former inhabitants, constructed on the face of the cliff and used today as burial sites and the house of the hogon, the tribal chief in charge of transmitting his knowledge to his successor.
Day 5: Dogon Region
We will explore Tereli, Nombori and Dourou, where we will camp overnight.
Day 6: Dogon Country - Mopti
We continue our excursion as far as the village of Dourou and Bandiagara.
We will see traditional ceremonies in which the dancers wear typical masks, some designed to recognize a good harvest while others commemorate ancestors, frighten evil spirits, evoke beneficial spirits, etc.
Check into the Hotel "Y a pas de probleme".
Day 7: Mopti
City located at the confluence of the Niger and Bani Rivers, Mopti contains a busy and animated river port crowded with boats arriving and leaving, carrying all kinds of products. Here we will visit workshops where the river boats called "pinasses" (long wooden boat driven by outboard engine) are built and repaired.
We will also visit the craft market, the old city (Komoguel), where the Sougouni Market and Great Mosque dating from 1935 are located.
Day 8: Mopti - Niger River
Departure by pinasse on the Niger River.
We take advantage of the landscape, cool breezes, superbe sunsets and view a wide variety of birdlife along the river.
The pinasses are covered by a roof that provides protection from the sun while also serving as a viewing platform from which one can take maximum advantage of the beauty of the landscape. In addition, these boats are equipped with a small kitchen and restroom facility.
Day 9: Niger River
We will stop at various villages found en route.
The pinasse will tie up for the night so that we can sleep in tents in order to take advantage of the quiet and the stars.
Day 10: Niger River - Timbuktu
Arrival in Timbuktu in the afternoon and check into the Hotel La Colombe.
Day 11: Timbuktu
We will visit Timbuktu, legendary and mythical city, known the world over for its splendid past and for many years accessible only to Moslems.
This city, located at the edge of the Sahara Desert and designated as a UNESCO protected site, has long been a market place for merchants dealing in salt and gold.
Traditional houses contain Arab-style sculpted wooden windows and doorways decorated with forged iron.
Places to visit include: The Djingareiber Mosque, Ahmed Baba Cultural Centre, the houses of early explorers, the city wall, the Tuareg Museum and craft market, the Sankore Mosque, the first Islamic university and the Sidi Yahia Mosque.
We will have lunch at the hotel and then take a camel ride to a Touareg encampment.
Spend the night in the hotel or camp in the desert.
Day 12: Timbuktu - Hombori
We will leave in the morning for Hombori. We will stop in Douentza for lunch.
We will watch the sunset from dunes that take on a rose color at the end of the day.
Camping overnight.
Day 13: Hombori
We will see the elephants of Gourma. Camping overnight.
Day 14: Hombori – Djenné
In the morning, we will take advantage of the view from the Hombori Mountains and the rocky area called the "Hand of Fatma".
Later in the day we will leave for Djenne (7 hours by car). We will stop at Sevare for lunch.
Lodging is at the Hotel Le Campement.
Day 15: Djenné
We will visit the city of Djenne: the Komboro Mosque, the largest adobe mud mosque in the world, built by King Komboro at the end of the XIIIth century and rebuild in 1905; the tomb of Tapama Djenepo, a girl sacrificed for the prosperity of the city; the colorful Great Market; Koranic schools where children write the Koran on wooden tablets; the archeological site of Djenne Djeno and the Cultural Museum.
Lodging is at the Hotel Le Campement.
Day 16: Djenné – Ségou
En route to Segou we will stop at several villages inhabited by the ethenic Bobo people.
We will spend the night in the Hotel L'Esplanade.
Day 17: Ségou
We will visit this former capital of the Bambara Kingdom. It is a quiet city that is ideal for walks along the Niger River under the numerous "balanzans" or butter trees that thrive in this region.
We can visit the "bogolan" (cotton fabrics dyed with organic pigments over designs outlined in mud of various colors) and bambara pottery workshops.
Spend the night in the Hotel L'Esplanade.
Day 18: Ségou – Bamako
We will depart towards Bamako, a 3 hours ride. Check in at Hotel Tamana.
Day 19: Bamako
We will visit the capital of Mali: the National Museum of Bamako, the Great Mosque and the Cathedral.
Day 20: Bamako – Siby
We will spend the day in Siby (one hour from Bamako).
We will enjoy the magnificent view from a natural rock formation called the Kamandjan Arch.
In addition, we can watch the processing of cosmetics using fruit from the "karité" tree.
Spend the night in the Hotel Tamana.
Day 21: Bamako
We will visit: the Great Market, the artisan market, the market of traditional medicines and fetiches and the market of Medina, where they make tools to work the land.
Evening transfer to the airport for departing flights.
Included in this trip:
-Thirteen nights lodging in hotels, including the use of a room prior to departure flight, and seven nights of camping.
-Breakfasts. In the Dogon Region, in Hombori and on the pinasse, lunch and dinner are included (drinks are excluded except for bottled water).
-Travel by all terrain vehicle with air-conditioned system, including driver and gas.
-Experienced guide for all visits.
-Private pinasse.
-Transfers to and from the airport.
-Hotel and local tourist taxes.
Not included: international flights, visa, non-specified meals and drinks, tips and personal expenses. | 
