Mali with Djenné

Day 1 – Arrival in Bamako

Day 1 is the arrival day in the capital of Mali, a day which we will spend picking you up from the airport, as well as welcoming you, checking into the hotel, and having a few beers.

In the evening, we will all have a welcoming dinner, so we can start to know each other, while we talk about the upcoming adventure.

Overnight in Bamako.

Day 2 – Full day exploring Bamako

I like Bamako because it is as vibrant as chaotic, and home to kind-hearted Malians who will use any excuse to play some music and dance along the bustling streets.

Being a relatively new city compared to all the historical sites found in Mali, Bamako lacks architectural gems as such but, from a cultural point of view, you will definitely love getting lost in the market lanes, checking out the vegetable gardens along the Niger River, or just strolling down the streets while dodging the endless scooters.

In Bamako, we will visit the medicinal market, the artisan market, the grand mosque, and the sand collectors.

In the evening, we will look for a place with Malian music.

Overnight in Bamako.

Day 3 – Siby

Siby is an area 50km south of Bamako that belongs to the Manding Mountains, a highland area from southern Mali which stretches all the way to Guinea Conakry, and home to the Malinke people, one of the main ethnic groups in West Africa.

The area around Siby is a pretty scenic area for trekking, with vertiginous cliffs and peculiar rock formations like the arch of Kamadjan.

We will explore some of its natural wonders, as well as check out the mango plantations. February is the mango season in Mali, and all mangos come from here so, if you like mangos, know that in Siby you have all-you-can-eat mangos.

Siby is also home to unspoiled villages barely visited by travelers, and we will be checking out a few.

Overnight in Siby.

Day 4 – Ségou

Early morning, we will head for Ségou, a laid-back town with a particularly chilled-out atmosphere, sitting on the shores of the Niger River, and a real highlight of this trip.

On our arrival, we will have our main meal, check out the local market, and then we will take a boat to sail across the Niger River.

I remember there was a pretty cool bar by the river in Ségou so that we can finish our day there.

Overnight in Ségou.

Day 5 – Full day in Ségou

There are so many things to do in this area, including an authentic textile workshop which we will visit, and villages like Koro, which we will visit as well.

Overnight in Ségou.

Day 6 – San

In the morning, we will take things slowly and then head to San, a small Malian city located around 3 hours from Ségou, and home to one of the most famous mud mosques in the country, after those in Djenné and Timbuktu.

This is also our base for visiting Djenné.

We will have lunch, visit the mosque, and enjoy the local life.

Overnight in San.

Day 7 – Djenné and back to Bamako

Very early in the morning, we will drive to Djenné.

Once an important commercial center that competed directly with Timbuktu along the trans-Saharan route, Djenné was also considered to be one of the most cosmopolitan towns in all of Africa but, unlike Timbuktu, Djenné went into decline much quicker, in the 16th century, and what used to be one of the most important centers for Islamic scholarship, is today nothing more than an agricultural, rural town.

Nonetheless, Djenné is absolutely photogenic, since the well-preserved town is entirely built of mud, typically a mix of sand, water and cow dung, making it very pleasant to your eyes.

In Djenné, we will visit the mosque, as well as Quranic schools and of course, we will get lost among its lanes.

After lunch, we will head for Bamako.

Overnight in Bamako.

Day 8 – Departure

On the last day, we will take care of your airport transfer.