Group tour · Mali - kingdoms of the Sahel · 28 Jan – 7 Feb 2026

Mali Timbuktu & Festivals Tour

Eleven days in Mali including escorted access to Timbuktu and the festival season in the Sahel.

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Dates28 Jan – 7 Feb 2026

Duration11 days

From€3,860

DestinationsMali - kingdoms of the Sahel

Our most complete Mali itinerary — Bamako, Ségou, Djenné, and a carefully coordinated escort to Timbuktu during festival season. Small group, local guides, and the rarest of access.

Itinerary

Day by day.

Day 1
28 Jan 2026
Bamako

Bamako
- Arrival at convenience
- Meet guide and driver; hotel transfer and city tour
- Evening: annual Dogon Festival of Bamako - traditional dances
Overnight
Hotel Tamana - AC room
Day 2
29 Jan 2026
Bamako

Bamako
- Explore the capital after a rest day
- Adapt schedule around Dogon Festival activities
- Surprise stops, meet locals
- Lively evening in town
Overnight
Hotel Tamana - AC room
Day 3
30 Jan 2026
Bamako - Siby

Bamako · Siby · Manding country
- Travel to Siby in Manding country (Mandinka homeland)
- Kamadjan Arch (13th century)
- Sacrificial and consultation caves
- Dinner with locals
Overnight
Campement de l'Arche - Basic facilities
Day 4
31 Jan 2026
Siby - Koulikoro - Bamako

Siby · Koulikoro · Bamako
- Koulikoro: visit the Squatted Camel
- Faramissiri caves
- Local lunch and market
- Nianan Hills scenic climb
- Return to Bamako; Dogon Festival evening
Overnight
Hotel Tamana - AC room
Day 5
1 Feb 2026
Bamako - Niger River

Bamako · Niger River
- Final Dogon Festival performances
- Sunset cruise on a pinasse
- Camp on an island with Bozo fishermen
- Homestyle dinner
Overnight
Niger River island camp - Basic camping tent
Day 6
2 Feb 2026
Bamako - San

Bamako · Ségou · San
- Depart for San with stops in local villages
- Lunch in Ségou
- Afternoon arrival
- Explore San, local mosque
Overnight
Hotel Teriya - AC room
Day 7
3 Feb 2026
San - Djenné - Ségou

San · Djenné · Ségou
- Early drive to Djenné
- Wander old town, koranic schools, mud structures
- Sacred well and Tapama's tomb; rooftop view of the Great Mosque
- Lunch: Tion Tion (regional dish)
- Afternoon drive to Ségou
- First night of Festival Sur Le Niger
Overnight
Hotel Djoliba - AC room
Day 8
4 Feb 2026
Ségou - Festival Sur Le Niger

Ségou
- Festival performances and concerts
- Mud-cloth making workshop
- Calabash decoration in a hamlet
- River trip to a pottery village
- Donkey cart tour; traditionally brewed millet beer
Overnight
Hotel Djoliba - AC room
Day 9
5 Feb 2026
Ségou - Festival Sur Le Niger

Ségou
- More festival concerts and cultural immersion
- Stroll ancient Ségou neighborhoods
- Evening among performers
Overnight
Hotel Djoliba - AC room
Day 10
6 Feb 2026
Ségou - Bamako

Ségou · Segoukoro · Bamako
- Return to Bamako after breakfast
- Stop at Segoukoro (former Bambara capital)
- Visit village chief (descendant of Bambara kings)
- Tomb of Biton Coulibaly and his mother's mosque
- Blacksmith market
- Evening with local artists
Overnight
Hotel Tamana - AC room
Day 11
7 Feb 2026
Bamako - Timbuktu - Mopti - Bamako - departure

Bamako · Timbuktu · Mopti
- Morning charter flight to Timbuktu
- Three adobe mosques, explorer houses, manuscript library
- Ethnological museum; Well of Buktu; Touareg dance; camel ride
- Lunch at Hotel du Desert
- Flight to Mopti (Venice of Mali): fish market, adobe mosque, river boat trip
- Flight back to Bamako
- Airport transfer
Overnight
Auberge Amassakoul - AC day-use room