Mali & Timbuktu Tour
Five days in Mali timed around the 600-year celebration of Timbuktu's University Mosque — including the rare, community-led plastering of the Djingareyber Mosque, one of the Sahel's oldest living rituals.
A five-day journey built around one of the most distinctive events in West Africa: the annual plastering of the Djingareyber Mosque in Timbuktu. This community rite now marks six hundred years of the mosque''s existence as a living university.
We pair two full days in Timbuktu (meeting the master calligraphers, the high manuscript library, the Almansour Koyra museum, Tuareg dance, camel rides and the rarely-seen Butchers'' Dance) with the Manding country at Siby, Segoukoro''s Bambara royal history, and a day in Koulikoro exploring the Caves Mosque and the Niger River sand caravan.
Day by day.
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Day 1
25 Jul 2026Bamako — Timbuktu
Bamako · Timbuktu
- Departure to Timbuktu by flight; late-morning arrival
- Regional museum
- Explorer houses
- Master calligrapher's workshop
- Almansour Koyra museum
- Monument of Peace
- Afternoon: Tuareg dance and camel tour
Overnight
Timbuktu lodging — Double room · 24/7 security
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Day 2
26 Jul 2026Timbuktu — 600 years of the University Mosque
Timbuktu
- Join the local community for the 600-year celebration of the University Mosque, including the annual plastering of this UNESCO World Heritage site
- Afternoon: the high manuscript library and Quranic schools
- Butchers' Dance — a rare, non-touristic ceremony where butchers dance with the horns of cattle and ask forgiveness for the animals killed
Overnight
Timbuktu lodging — Double room · 24/7 security
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Day 3
27 Jul 2026Timbuktu — Bamako — Siby
Timbuktu · Bamako · Siby · Manding country
- Breakfast, then drive to Siby to explore the Manding country
- Arch of Kamandjan (Kamajan)
- Sacrificial caves
- Mud village walk
- Malinké mask dance near the arch
Overnight
Campement de l'Arche, Siby — Basic facilities
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Day 4
28 Jul 2026Siby — Bamako — Ségou
Bamako · Segoukoro · Ségou
- Day trip to Ségou Koro, former capital of the Bambara Kingdom on the banks of the Niger
- Mud-cloth (bogolan) production
- Millet beer brewing
- Calabash craftsmanship
- Regional cathedral
- Traditional neighborhoods of Ségou
Overnight
Hotel Djoliba, Ségou — Double room
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Day 5
29 Jul 2026Ségou — Koulikoro — Bamako — departure
Ségou · Koulikoro · Kalaban Koro · Bamako
- Breakfast, then travel to Koulikoro
- Caves Mosque — meet Fulani and Bambara communities and hear the mosque's history
- Local market
- Drive back to Bamako
- Puppeteer's workshop
- Afternoon boat trip on the Niger — meet the caravan of boats transporting sand to Kalaban Koro and the fishermen village
- Evening airport transfer
Overnight
Bamako hotel — Double room · day use
What's included
- Hotels based on double room
- All breakfasts
- Lunch and dinner in Timbuktu
- Return flight Bamako–Timbuktu–Bamako
- Tuareg dance, Butchers'' dance, Malinké dance
- 24/7 security in Timbuktu
- West-African English & French speaking guide
- Permission letters for sightseeing
- Local walking guides
- Entrance fees at all locations
- Airport pickup and transportation
- Fuel
What's not included
- International flights to/from Bamako
- Mali visa
- Lunches and dinners outside Timbuktu
- Tips for local guide and driver
- Drinks, souvenirs
- Personal expenses
Ready to join this journey?
Tell us your party size and any preferences — we'll come back with availability, a formal quote and next steps.