2023
Tour leader: Robert
• Arrive in Niamey, Niger’s capital, then transfer to our hotel.
• Depending on our arrival time, we may have the opportunity to take a boat along the Niger River to Boubon, a small traditional village, before returning to our hotel in the evening.
• Depart early for the southern city of Maradi. During this journey, we will stop for lunch in the historical town of Konni; depending on the schedule, we may also visit a market.
• After Konni, continue to Maradi and check into our hotel.
• Depart for Zinder after breakfast—the second largest city and former capital of Niger.
• Visit the mosque and the ancient Sultan Palace of Zinder, which dates from the 15th century and offers a great example of traditional Hausa architecture.
• Tour the regional museum to learn about Hausa culture and spend time in the bustling cattle and artisan markets.
• Check into our hotel later in the day and stay overnight in Zinder.
• Head back to Maradi. On arrival, we will take in the various sights, including the Grand Mosque and the impressive Sultan Palace. You can enjoy haggling at the lively old city market before stopping at the artisanal centre to watch the expert artisans at work, as well as pick up some unique souvenirs, such as the world-famous Tuareg silver jewellery.
• Early morning departure for Niamey. We will stop en route at Koure Giraffe Reserve, the only giraffe reserve in West Africa. Here you will hopefully have the chance to observe the majestic giraffes in their natural environment.
• After quality time with these gentle creatures, we will continue to Niamey.
• Visit the Grand Mosque in the morning, a gorgeous building with green minarets and tiled domes. Afterwards, we will check out the artisanal market.
• Depart for the airport to catch our flight to Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou—a flight you must book for yourself, but we can assist you.
• Arrive in Ouagadougou after a one-hour flight. This thriving city is the cultural, economic, and political capital of Burkina Faso.
• Drive to the unique village of Tiebele, located in the country's southwest region. The Kassena civilization once called this region home. They first settled in the area in the 15th century and are the oldest ethnic group of Burkina Faso. Tiebele now boasts stunning wall paintings and colourful windowless traditional houses called 'sukhalas.'
• Visit the royal compounds of Tiebele, the former residence of the community chief. Here we will see women decorating their homes in the traditional artistic style and watch a traditional dance in the evening.
• Drive back to Ouagadougou in the morning. In the capital, we will see displays of the traditional costumes and ancestral statues of Burkina Faso's ethnic groups at the National Museum.
• Stroll around the Grand Market later in the day, seeing vast arrays of West African textiles and souvenirs. Afterwards, we will head to the five-metre bronze monument of Thomas Sankara, the assassinated revolutionary leader regarded as the African Che Guevara.
• Drive west to Bobo Dioulasso, the second largest city of Burkina Faso, filled with rich culture and architecture. We will visit the Old Mud Mosque, built from local mud and wood in 1983 and an outstanding example of Sahel-style mud architecture.
• Wander through the streets of Bobo Dioulasso’s old town before visiting the Houet Museum. The museum is in a French colonial building and contains artefacts from the Bobo, Fulani and Senufo communities.
• Visit the old Kibidwe artisan’s district, where we can see the traditional blacksmiths, potters and the process of dyeing cloths—a glimpse into the city's authentic life. We will also visit the historic railway station.
• Free time in the afternoon before meeting up to watch some live music in the evening.
• Drive back to Ouagadougou, where we will have lunch at the Hotel Liberte and day-use of the hotel.
• Back in Ouagadougou, we will visit the Cathedral, built in the 1930s with mud brick and one of the largest in West Africa. We will also visit the Village Artisanal for a final chance to pick up some handicrafts and souvenirs made by local expert artisans.
• The tour ends this afternoon, and you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight.