Mali Textiles Tour

Day 1 Friday: Arrival in Bamako, MALI

International flight arrives in Bamako in the evening; airport-to-hotel transfer; overnight in Bamako (Grand Hotel, or similar)

Day 2 Saturday: Bamako

Breakfast, then begin your textile tour of Mali with a city tour of Bamako, Mali's bustling capital city: visit the National Museum (see the informative textile exhibit), the city market and the artisans' village, where you will get a first look at Mali's huge variety of textiles; in the afternoon, visit a workshop of weavers making the narrow bands of cloth that are a hallmark of many of Mali's traditional fabrics; also visit a batik workshop, where the West Africa "bazin" fabric is dyed — this fabric is worn by all the belles of West Africa; you will have the opportunity to place special orders, to be picked up at the end of your tour; overnight in Bamako (Grand Hotel, or similar)

Day 3 Sunday: Bamako - Djenne (570 km; ~7hrs)

Enjoy a scenic drive through the heartland of Mali, to Djenne; with sight-seeing en-route; overnight in Djenne (Hotel Campement, or similar)

Day 4 Monday: Djenne - Dogon country (250 km; ~3½hr)

Visit Djenne, ancient sister-city of Timbuktu, on its colorful weekly market day; see the magnificent Great Mosque, the world's largest mud brick architecture, one of Unesco's World Heritage sites; stroll through the ancients streets and alleys, and visit a bogolan (mudcloth) workshop; drive to Dogon country; overnight in Sangha (Hotel Campement Guina, or similar)

Day 5 Tuesday: Dogon Country

Visit Dogon villages along the Bandiagara escarpment, another Unesco World Heritage site: Banani, Ireli, and Amani with its sanctuary of sacred crocodiles; return to Sangha for lunch, and an afternoon walking tour of Sangha, comprised of 10 distinct villages, some animist and others Islamic; you will see many examples of the classic traditional Dogon architecture and contemporary fetishism; make your way to the village of indigo dyers — indigo-dyed fabric is used traditionally to make Dogon clothing, and it is still considered fashionable and high-status; overnight in Sangha (Hotel Campement Guina, or similar)

Day 6 Wednesday: Dogon Country

Drive to the southern end of the escarpment to visit Ende and Tely villages—see ancient Tellem dwellings constructed in the cliff face; visit traditional bogolan (mudcloth) dyers, and see how the mudcloth is made; overnight in Bandiagara (Hotel Falaise, or similar)

Day 7 Thursday: Dogon country - Mopti (75 km; ~45 minutes)

Drive to Mopti, the "melting pot" of Mali, located between the Bani and the Niger rivers; city tour of Mopti: visit the Komoguel mosque, the fishing port (see pirogues being made by hand), and the bustling market where many of Mali's ethnic groups come to trade: Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fulani, Tuareg and Songhay; enjoy a relaxing sunset sail on the Niger River by private pirogue; overnight in Mopti (Hotel Kanaga, or similar)

Day 8 Friday: Mopti - Segou (450 km; ~4½hrs)

Drive to Segou, Mali's former colonial capital; see the interesting mixture of colonial and traditional architecture, and stroll through the pottery market on the waterfront; also visit Sekoro village, former capital of the Bambara kingdom; see the tomb of King Biton Coulibaly; overnight in Segou (Hotel Independance, or similar)

Day 9 Saturday: Segou - Bamako (235 km; ~3hrs)

Visit a weavers' cooperative, and try your hand on some traditional looms; also visit a mudcloth workshop where you can make your own mudcloth; in the afternoon return drive to Bamako for overnight (Grand Hotel, or similar)

Day 10 Sunday: Bamako - final departure

Day at leisure in Bamako; return to the markets to do some shopping, or go back to various textile workshops to pick up any special orders; otherwise, relax by your hotel pool; in the evening, transfer to the airport for your final departure