Itinerary

Day 1 Bamako

Bamako is the capital and largest city in Mali. Located on the banks of the Niger River, Bamako is a culturally vibrant city with plenty to offer in terms of markets, museums and music. The name Bamako comes from the Bambara word meaning crocodile's back.

Kensington Tours donates a portion of proceeds to our charitable initiative www.kensingtoncares.com which supports education-based initiatives in disadvantaged communities.

Airport transfer with private vehicle and guide.

The Villa Soudan is a new 12 room hotel located by the Niger River.

Overnight at Villa Soudan.

Day 2 Timbuktu

Established by the nomadic Tuareg as early as the 10th century, Timbuktu is home to a diversity of people from different Mali communities. The city was once considered an intellectual and spiritual capital for Islamic missions in the 15th and 16th centuries. It offers a convenient meeting spot for west and north African peoples, and the city is considered the home of written scholarship and knowledge in Africa. There is an institute in the city that is dedicated to commemorating the written history of the region, acting as home to many historic documents. It is assumed to have had one of the first universities in the world, with 25,000 students back in the 1400s. The Djinguereber Mosque, Sankore University, and Sidi Yahya mosque are all popular attractions to visitors.

Airport transfer with private vehicle and guide.

Take your flight from Bamako to Timbuktu today. The flight duration is approximately 2.5 hrs.

Lunch at a local restaurant

Timbuktu is a legendary city at the border of the Sahara, which was in the past a strategic place in the trans-Sahara trade. At the same time it was an important centre of study of law and theology. In this city you’ll visit the Djingareiber-mosque, built in the 14th century, the Sidi Yahiya –mosque, the Sankoré-mosque, the house of the explorers (Gordon Laing, René Caillé and Heinrich Barth),the Ahmed Baba centre (manuscripts) and the museum. Later in the afternoon you'll go for a sunset trip on the back of a camel to visit the Touaregs(Blue Men of the desert).

La Maison is a unique find in Timbuktu. Located in the town, this 9 room hotel offers a roof top patio with great views of the dunes as well as the medina.

Overnight at La Maison.

Day 3 Mopti

Mopti is located between Timbuktu and Ségou. The city lies on three islands linked by dykes; New Town, the Old Town and Bani. As a result it is sometimes known as the "Venice of Mali".

Airport transfer with private vehicle and guide.

Take your morning flight from Timbuktu to Mopti today. The flight duration is approximately 1 and a half hour.

Lunch at a local restaurant (included in tour price).

Upon arrival into Mopti you will have a tour of the harbour followed by a canoe-trip at sunset to the junction of rivers Bani and Niger. Mopti is built on three islands at the junction of rivers Bani and Niger. It is an important trade center and a lively town where a lot of ethnic groups live together: the Bozo, Dogon, Bambara, Bella-farmers, Tuareg and the Fulani. The market and the port are full of colours and smells. You can see in the port how the colourful ‘pinasse’-boats are made.

La Maison Rouge is one of the best hotels that Mopti has to offer. The hotel has 12 rooms with private bath and air conditioning as well as a small restaurant that uses fresh ingredients grown in their own garden.

Overnight at La Maison Rouge.

Day 4 Djenne

Djenne is famous for its mud brick architecture, most notably the Great Mosque of Djenné which was originally built in 1220 and then rebuilt in 1907. Djenne is the oldest known city in sub-Saharan Africa and in 1988 its historic city center was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Drive between Djenne and Mopti with private vehicle, driver and English speaking guide. This drive takes approx. 2hrs.

Lunch at a local restaurant (included in tour price).

Djenne, founded in the 9th century, received ivory, gold, slaves, wool and cola nuts from the south and transported these products to the north. Since the 12th century the city became very important for this trade. For Muslims, Djenne is an important religious city because of the mosque and the many Koranic schools. Your visit to Djenne, will include its phenomenal mud mosque, the grave of Tapama Djenepo, the young Bozo-girl buried alive to save the city from a flood, and the architectural remainders of Moroccan colonisation.

Hôtel Djenné Djenno is a modern and elegant interpretation of Malian style, decorated by its owner Sophie Sarin, a Swedish artist and interior designer, who has used the ancient West African textile tradition ‘Bogolan’ to create the charming interiors of the hotel.

Overnight at Hotel Djenne Djenno.

Day 5 Segou

Ségou is a city in south-central Mali, northeast of Bamako on the River Niger. It was founded by the Bozo people in 1620, on a site about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the present town. With 100,000 inhabitants, it is the third largest city in Mali. The main economic activities of the Segou region are agri-business, cattle farming and fishing.

Drive from Bamako to Segou (4.5 hs) with private vehicle, driver and English speaking guide.

Lunch at a local restaurant (included in tour price).

Visit to Segou, the old capital of the Bambara kingdom and an important city during the colonial period which is still visible in the architecture of some old houses in town and to Segoukoro, the old village of Segou.

Hotel Le Djoliba offers clean comfortable rooms with a great location near the Niger River

Overnight at Hôtel Le Djoliba.

Day 6 Bamako

Drive from Segou to Bamako with private vehicle, driver and English speaking guide.

Airport transfer with private vehicle and guide.

Depart from Bamako international airport - end of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart.

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