14 Day Mali, Ghana and Burkina Faso tour

Net Cost:$ 4262.31
(Per Person Land Package and Intra Flights Only)

DAY 1                                                 AKWAABA - WELCOME
Arrive in Accra, Ghana. Transfer from airport to your hotel. Welcome drink and orientation. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel in Accra.

Lodging: 4 Star
Meals: D

DAY 2                                                 ACCRA CITY TOUR
After breakfast depart hotel for a sightseeing city tour of Accra. You will drive through the administrative and economic districts of Accra, the capital of Ghana. This128-year-old city has a blend of colonial and modern architecture that summarize her history.  You will visit the W. E. B. Dubois Center for Pan African Culture, Independence/ Black Star Square and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. After lunch in a local Ghanaian restaurant, you will end your tour at the Arts Centre where you will have an opportunity to use your bargaining skills to shop from an open-air market for artifacts from Ghana and West Africa. Dinner and overnight at hotel in Accra.

DAY 3                                CAPE COAST CASTLE & ELMINA CASTLE
Depart for a drive to the Central Region to tour the infamous Forts, Castles and Slave Dungeons of Ghana. History will unfold the story of the slave trade which the impact is still felt beyond the shores of Africa today. Visit the Cape Coast Castle built by the Swedes in 1653 and was later taken over by the British. This castle also houses the West African Historical Museum established by the Smithsonian Institute in collaboration with the Ghanaian Government in 1994.  After lunch, visit the Elmina Castle built by the Portuguese in 1482 and is also known as St. George's Castle.  This castle was the first European structure built in Sub – Saharan Africa.  The view of the colorful harbor nestle below the Elmina Castle, full of pirogues preparing to go to sea offers one of West Africa’s best picture perfect opportunities.  Dinner and overnight at hotel in Elmina.

DAY 4                         KAKUM NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast at the hotel; depart for a drive through the historic Denkyira Kingdom to Kakum National Park, one of the West Africa’s surviving tropical rain forests.  Choose between a 2 km nature walk through this forest to discover the wide variety of exotic floral species and the medicinal values they offer or take a walk on the canopy walkway which hangs suspended at 30 meters (100ft) above the forest ground. Enjoy a lunch of African cuisine at Hans Cottage Botel while watching the resident crocodiles and busy weaver birds. After lunch, spend the remainder of the day relaxing at the beach soaking up the African sun.  Overnight at hotel in Elmina.

DAY 5                                                         KUMASI CITY TOUR
After breakfast at your hotel, check out and depart for a drive through the forest zone to Kumasi, the seat of the Ashanti Empire to explore the legends of the famous Ashantis, whose legacies are still evident today. After lunch, visit Manhyia Palace Museum, to obtain firsthand information on the legacies of the Ashanti kingdom. A regal history that dates back to 1700 is told with relics and artifacts. Enjoy a drive through the city with monuments dedicated to the memory of the great Ashanti people.  End the day’s tour at the National Cultural Center which features the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum and various studios of the brass makers, potters and batik makers.  Dinner and overnight at hotel in Kumasi.

DAY 6                                                TAMALE CRAFT SHOPPING
After breakfast, check out and depart Kumasi for a drive to Tamale the capital of the Dagomba State.  Visit the Centre for National Culture to see how the Northern Culture evolved.  Here you will find the well known northern traditional attire known as the “smock or (fugu)” being designed, dyed and sewed by hand. Visit the main handicraft market where you can shop for straw products, leather goods, and carvings from the Mossi people.    After your lunch, visit Kukuo a suburb of Tamale to experience the mastery and style used in the manufacture of pottery and other household items with clay and local dye or (paint).  Overnight stay at hotel in Tamale.

DAY 7          TAMALE – OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO
Check out and depart for a scenic drive through the savanna zone to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Check in and have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, depart for a sightseeing tour of Ouagadougou, the traditional capital of the Mossi Empire. Visit the Centre Artisan to shop for bronze castings, carvings, masks, jewelry which consists of desert crosses and terracotta beads as well as Tuareg leather boxes. End the day by visiting the Musee National. The museum consists primarily of ethnographic collections such as clay pots, basket making and weaving exhibits, regional costumes including the Mossi chiefs regalia, ancestral statutes of the Bobo, Mossi, Lobi and the Gourounsi people. Dinner and overnight at a hotel in Ouagadougou.

DAY 8                                           OUAGADOUGOU – DOGON COUNTRY
Early morning departure for a drive to Bandiagara, the entrance door to the Dogon Valley to explore its stone and mud villages built on top, along side and at the base of an escarpment locally refered to as Tellem houses. This architecture and location of the Dogon villages offer a unique picturesque view, which spans 150 kilometers of this stunning escarpment. Overnight at encampment in Dogon Country.

DAY 9                                DOGON COUNTRY 
This day is devoted to discovering the mysteries of the Dogon people. Take a trek through the villages of Banani, Ireli, and Tireli. Ireli has the best preserved habitats of Dogon ancestors, the Pgmie, Tellum, and Tireli is famous for its Masked Dance Ceremonies. After lunch, visit the spiritual chief’s house called Guinna and Songo for its famous rock paintings. Take a tour of Sangha, a striking example of a Dogon village with traditional homes and granaries.  Overnight at encampment in Dogon Country.

DAY 10                                                            DOGON-MOPTI
After breakfast, depart for Mopti, described as the cross road of Mali. Mopti is the country’s route intersection, pulling together all the people of Mali (Bamana, Songhai, Fula, Tuareg, Moor, Bozo and Dogon). After lunch, take a tour of the city of Mopti which includes its bustling harbor where you will find large wooden pinasses with canvas covers and colorful flags waving in the breeze. Moptis Grande Marche, Petit Marche and fish markets are all worth exploring. You will find variety of items including earthenware pottery and calabash products. Again visit the Grande mosque and old town with its narrow pedestrian streets and gray banco houses. Overnight at hotel in Mopti.

DAY 11            MOPTI-TIMBUKTU (Tuesdays and Saturdays)
Depart early (on a morning flight) for Timbuktu to discover the ancient city of Timbuktu, originating back to 1100AD. Explore this city known for being the first center of learning for mankind; its impressive history and unique architecture. Visit the Ethnological Museum, which houses a collection of ancient books on religion, science, history and mathematics. Check into your hotel and have lunch. After lunch, make a stop at the local mosques, the explorers’ houses, the market, and the museum. End the day’s tour with an excursion to the desert for evening camel ride led by the local tuaregs.  Overnight at hotel in Timbuktu.

DAY 12                            TIMBUKTU – BAMAKO (Wednesdays and Sundays)
Check out and depart Timbuktu to Bamako. After lunch, spend the remainder of the day at leisure. Overnight at hotel in Bamako.

DAY 13                                BAMAKO CITY TOUR
After breakfast, Visit the National Museum, to see some of the beautifully displayed objects, including those used in forging and weaving. Other highlights include the stylized antelope mask of Bamana; various Senoufo statuary, and, of course, the world-renowned antique Dogon Sculptures. Visit the Point G, where you will have a panoramic view of the city and some abounded cliff dwellings featuring old rock paintings. The artisan center houses an abundance of shops and stalls selling crafts and curios such as leatherwork, fabric, silverware, masks, carvings and bronze figurines. There is also the artisan’s workshop where you can watch woodcarvers, silversmiths, drum makers and other craftspeople at work. Overnight at hotel in Bamako.

DAY 14                                          DAY AT LEISURE / DEPARTURE
Spend the most part of this day at leisure and last minute shopping. Check out and transfer to airport for check-in for final departure back home.