Mali, Burkina Faso & Ghana with Timbuktu

Itinerary

Day 1: Depart USA

Depart on your independent flight to Bamako, Mali.

Day 2: Bamako, Mali

Arrive in Bamako this evening and transfer to the Hotel Salam where you spend the next two nights.

Day 3: Bamako

Today tour the city of Bamako, a fascinating mix of French colonial buildings and colorful street markets that characterize much of West Africa. Visit the National Museum and enjoy lunch at a lovely restaurant on the Niger River, followed by a stop at the ArtisansÂ’ Market.

Day 4: Bamako / Timbuktu / Mopti

This morning depart by private aircraft to the most famous named place on the planet: Timbuktu. The ancient home of Islamic learning and a major stop on the gold and salt caravan route, tour the cityÂ’s venerable mosques, Ethnological Museum, and the houses of the legendary explorers Rene Caille, Gordon Laing, and Henry Barth. Then make your way to the encircling sand dunes to visit a Tuareg encampment. Here, the legendary Blue Men of the desert give a special performance, followed by a sumptuous traditional lunch. Return to the airport this afternoon for the private flight to Mopti and overnight at Hotel Kanaga, your home for four nights.

Day 5: Mopti / Djenné

Today visit Djenné, which claims to be the oldest city in West Africa, and little appears to have changed over the centuries. The small adobe city is a labyrinth of alleys lined with mud houses adorned with thatched roofs, ornate window shutters, and doors decorated with paint and metal objects that give the town its unique, otherworldly charm. The centerpiece of the town is the justly famous red mud mosque, claimed to be the largest mud building in the world. This is an outstanding example of Sudanese architecture and provides a wonderful backdrop as you visit the weekly Monday market. Here discover a wide variety of goods and have a chance to mingle with members of the many ethnic groups living along the Niger River Valley.

Day 6: Mopti / Dogon Country

Today visit the celebrated Dogon Country with its picturesque mud villages, caves, and cliffside dwellings. The scenery here has a breadth and scale rarely seen elsewhere, with sweeping escarpments, towering cliffs, and dark, brooding canyons. After a picnic lunch, enjoy a Dogon mask performance, where energetic dancers don elaborately-carved masks, some up to 10 feet in height.

Day 7: Mopti

This morning explore the canal-laced city of Mopti and visit the old Teikiri neighborhood, the Sougouni market, and the local craft market. This afternoon board local canoes for a sun-downer cruise along this bustling port that draws traders from across the shifting red sands of the Sahara.

Day 8: Mopti / Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso / Ouagadougou

The first leg of todayÂ’s private flight will be to Burkina FasoÂ’s second largest city, Bobo Dioulasso. Here visit the Dioulasoba Mosque, the market, and, after lunch, view BanforaÂ’s spectacular landscape of domes gently shaped by wind erosion. The second leg brings you to the capital city of Ouagadougou for an overnight at Hotel Laico Ouaga 2000.

Day 9: Ouagadougou / Tièbèlè

Continue the exploration of Burkina Faso, driving south to the village of Tièbèlè, home to the Gouruonsi people. Here, visit the king’s family and several local homes and conclude the time in the village with a Nagla, or warrior, ceremony. Return to Ouagadougou in the early afternoon to peruse the handicraft village and overnight at Hotel Laico Ouaga 2000.

Day 10: Ouagadougou / Kumasi, Ghana

This morning your private flight takes you to Ghana. After check-in and lunch, visit KumasiÂ’s Cultural Center and Museum and the Central Market, considered one of the largest open-air markets in western Africa. Overnight at the Golden Tulip Hotel.

Day 11: Kumasi

Known as “The Garden City” because of its tropical climate and vegetation, Kumasi is the cultural cradle of Ghana and home of the Ashanti King. Today, you have the opportunity to participate in Akwasidee, a public ceremony to celebrate the culmination of the 42-day cycle of the Ashanti religious calendar, and witness the gathering of various Ashanti dignitaries in town for the celebration. After lunch visit the handicraft villages of Ahwia and Ntonso. Overnight at the Golden Tulip Hotel.

Day 12: Kumasi / Elmina

This morning drive to GhanaÂ’s coastal region with your first stop in Elmina. After lunch, explore the haunting grounds of Elmina Castle. Built in 1482 by the Portuguese, this UNESCO World Heritage Site was one of the most important stops on the Atlantic slave trade route. Also get a taste of seaside culture as you walk through ElminaÂ’s bustling market and along the harbor. Overnight at Elmina Beach Resort.

Day 13: Elmina / Cape Coast / Accra

After breakfast visit the acclaimed Kakum National Park, home to AfricaÂ’s only walkway suspended in a rain forest canopy. With heights of up to 100 feet from the ground, the 1,000-foot-long aerial walk provides a marvelous vantage point to observe the parkÂ’s rare mammal and bird species. For those who wish to explore Cape Coast at ground-level, visit the Cape Coast Castle and African Historical Museum, where slaves were once bought and sold. Then make your way to Accra for a city tour and overnight at Labadi Beach Resort.

Day 14: Accra

This morning visit the Artist Alliance Gallery of Accra, with a wonderful collection of contemporary Ghanaian and West African art. In the afternoon, tour the Casket Market at Nungua to see woodworkers creating customized coffins in the shapes of fruits, animals, and even automobiles to represent the lives of the deceased. Overnight at Labadi Beach Resort.

Day 15: Accra / USA

Transfer this morning to the airport to connect with your independent homeward flights.