MALI
Highlights
Timbuktu: the dream!
The scorching sands of the Sahara and the flourishing savannah of the Sahel
The Mandingo people and life on the Niger
The masterpiece of the San Mosque
Where we sleep
Hotel
How we get around
Domestic charter flights, car with driver
TYPE OF TRIP
Road trip with a private driver, set in an unstable territory no longer accustomed to tourism. Nights in hotels and tents are planned, requiring a spirit of adaptation. For safety reasons, the margin of autonomy during transfers and visits is limited.
For more information on our trips, please consult the FAQ section.
DAY 1: Departure with flights from Italy. Layover and flight to Bamako, the capital of Mali.
DAY 2: Arrival in Bamako, immigration formalities, and meeting with local representatives. A first introduction to the city and Malian culture. Depending on the arrival time (in case of late afternoon arrival, activities will be moved to Day 8), check-in and lunch at a local restaurant offering traditional West African dishes such as poulet yassa—spicy marinated chicken with lemon, mustard, or onions. Visit the National Museum, featuring a collection of 10,000 objects ranging from masks and traditional costumes to textiles, old photos, and many videos, to immerse yourself in Malian culture. Visit the Tower of Africa, the tallest structure in Mali at 80 meters high, and finally, visit the marble Monument to Malian Independence and the capital’s railway station. Dinner and evening in Bamako.
Morning: Breakfast and visit to the capital, depending on the activities completed on Day 2. Visit the recycling market and the puppet workshop, followed by a tour in a traditional wooden boat to enjoy life on the Niger River, the third longest river in Africa. Visit the sand port and the temporary fishing villages. Transfer to Siby.
Afternoon: Siby is the home of the Mandingo people, an ethnic group descending from the 13th-century Mali Empire. Visit the Arch of Kamadjan, a stunning natural and historic stone arch that served as a meeting place for soldiers, war councils, and notables in the 13th century. Visit other historical sites around the area, including the sacrificial caves and the consultation cave. Now for one of the trip’s highlights: a Dogon mask ceremony. Here, village elders chant to drive away evil spirits while sacred Dogon masks are brought out from traditional houses to be worn for the dance.
Evening: Dinner and night in a tent in Siby.
Morning: Breakfast and transfer to Bamako. Departure by plane for the mythical city of Timbuktu, the historic terminus of the trans-Saharan caravan routes, whose historical heritage has been seriously threatened in recent years by the presence of armed fundamentalist cells in the region.
Afternoon: Visit to three mud mosques, a library containing precious manuscripts, and the ethnological museum, with the chance to witness a traditional Tuareg dance and enjoy a camel ride.
Evening: Dinner and night in a hotel in Timbuktu.
Morning: Breakfast and transfer to the airport. Flight back to Bamako.
Afternoon: Return to the hotel and relax.
Evening: Dinner and night in a hotel in Bamako.
Morning: Breakfast and start of the road trip towards Segou. Visit Segoukoro, also known as Sekoro, which was formerly the capital of the Bambara Kingdom. Meet the village chief, a descendant of the Bambara Kings, and explore the village where traces of the past are still visible, including the tomb of Biton Coulibaly and the mosque dedicated to his mother. Visit the Soroblé Bogolan center, where bogolan cloths are woven; in the Bambara language, this means “made of mud.” This traditional cotton fabric is indeed dyed with fermented mud and represents one of Mali’s most influential cultural practices.
Afternoon: In-depth exploration of Segou, with its colonial districts.
Evening: Dinner and night in a hotel in Segou.
Mattina: colazione e spostamento verso Mopti, uno dei principali porti del Mali lungo il fiume Niger, definita anche la “Venezia del Mali”
Pomeriggio: visita del mercato del pesce e della moschea in terra cruda, seguita da una gita in barca sul fiume Niger
Sera: cena e notte in hotel a Mopti
Mattina: colazione e spostamento verso Segou. Stop nel percorso a Wan per la visita del Bobo Village noto per i suoi incredibili granai. Spostamento verso San e visita del paese, del mercato e della moschea locale, piccolo gioiello in stile sudano-saheliano, costruito in terra cruda, una sorta di moschea di Djenné in miniatura
Pomeriggio: visita del Calabash Village e di un bar tradizione in cui viene prodotta birra di miglio
Sera: cena e notte in hotel a Segou
Morning and afternoon: breakfast and return to Bamako to catch up on activities missed on day 2 and day 3
Evening: transfer to the airport and flight to Italy
DAY 10: arrival in Italy and on to the next adventure!
