When it comes to African rivers, the Congo and the Nile tend to split time in the spotlight. But the Niger — the 3rd longest river on the continent — deserves just as much attention. Bubbling up from the highlands of Guinea, and flowing out into the Atlantic Ocean via the massive Niger Delta, the Niger River passes through five countries and covers over 4,000 kilometers.

Over the past several years, we have been fortunate to explore roughly a third of the river in parts of Guinea and Mali. In this post, we will explore some of the highlights of our travels along with tips and advice if you want to take a trip of your own.

From Bamako to Guinea

Bamako is a sprawling metropolis, and it is the first major city that the Niger winds through after emerging from its source in the Guinean highlands. If you start your trip in Bamako and head to Guinea, the river gets progressively cleaner as you go — the current flows from west to east and the lack of big cities between the source and Bamako means far less trash and pollution on this segment of the river.

Heading west from Bamako, you will first come across the massive flotillas of sand boats. These wide wooden boats get tied to a mothership before heading upstream with a large crew prepared to dive into the water to collect sand from the bottom of the river by hand. It is quite a sight to see the different fleets of boats, with their colorful flags and paintings adorning the sides of the boat.

Further up the river, artisanal gold miners jockey for position in the shallow waters. Between Djoliba and Bankoumana, you will hear a steady din, an orchestra of low horsepower motors pulling up sand from the bottom of the river so that it can be sifted for gold. The noise can be quite irritating to be honest, but it’s also an interesting window into the world of artisanal gold mining, which is a big part of Mali’s informal economy.

Further south of Bankoumana, you will regularly encounter fishermen and small riverside fishing villages. If you are doing a multi-day trip, you can easily camp on the banks of the river in many places or in the villages themselves. Just make sure to address yourself to the village chief beforehand. You should also always travel with a guide who knows the river well.

Want to take a boat trip to Guinea?

We can help you organize boat trips on the Niger between Bamako and Guinea. We have our own river boat, and we work with guides and a boat driver that know the river extremely well. Just send us a message on the contact page if you are interested.

If you do plan on crossing into Guinea, make sure that you already have your Guinean visa in your passport (you cannot get it on the border). The border is not clearly marked, and if you do not have the visa, it is best to stay well clear of it. The Guinean soldiers will fleece you without thinking twice.

We should also mention that paperwork for watercraft can be complicated. We’ve tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to get some kind of matriculation for our boat or at least the motor. That said, we have enough contacts on the Guinean side now that crossing with our boat is not a problem.

Once into Guinea, you can continue all the way down to Siguiri, or even further if the river is nice and full. It is during the months immediately following the rainy season that the river is at it’s fullest on the Guinea side. October and November are generally great months if you are trying to take the river far into Guinean territory.

If you want to go all the way to the source, you won’t be able to do so on the river (it gets too narrow and shallow long before then), but you can take the back roads and hire a local guide to get there. The source can be found near the border of Sierra Leone.

Going the other direction

Unfortunately, you cannot take a boat north from Bamako itself. There is a considerable amount of rapids and rocks near Bamako’s third bridge that make it impossible. However, you can leave from Koulikouro, which is just slightly east of the capital. From Koulikouro, you can travel all the way north to Timbuktu and Gao without once stepping foot on land.

Unfortunately, as of this writing (December 2022), we do not advise trips from Koulikoro to parts north in Mali due to the rapidly changing security situation.

It’s hard to imagine West Africa without the Niger. In addition to being an attraction to visitors, the river plays a vital role for so many in the Sahel. We are blessed to be able to explore it as tourists and travelers.

If you need any additional guidance when it comes to planning a river trip, don’t hesitate to contact us.