Mali
Bamako travel guide
Bamako is a city in Mali, home to about 4,228,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- BKO13 km · Modibo Keita International Airport
- Currency
- XOFWest African CFA franc
- Time zone
- Africa/Bamako
- Language
- Bambara, Bobo, Bozo
About
About Bamako
Bamako is the capital and largest city of Mali with a 2022 population of 4,227,569. It is located on the Niger River, near the rapids that divide the upper and middle Niger valleys in the southwestern part of the country, and the city is surrounded on all sides by the Koulikoro Region.
Bamako has been continuously inhabited by humans since prehistoric times. In 1883 it was conquered by French troops, and in 1908 became the capital of French Sudan. The city has only a few paved main roads (goudrons), the rest of the city's roads are unpaved, and get dusty during the dry season (November to May) and muddy during the rainy season, offering breeding grounds for malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The city can be hard to navigate through due to the lack of road signs, the complicated layout of the streets and the one way system in the city.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Bamako
See
- Mali National Park
- Bamako Botanical Gardens
- Bamako Zoo
- Point G Hill
- National Museum of Mali
- Muso Kunda Museum of Women
- Grand Mosque of Bamako
- Sacred Heart Cathedral
- Monument of Independence
- BCEAO Tower
- Monument de la Paix
- Tower Of Africa
Do
At the end of each January, Bamako hosts the finish line to the gruelling trans-Sahara rally, the Budapest-Bamako. Hundreds of rally cars and motorcycles arrive in the city on the last Sunday of January.
- Casino de l'Amitie a Bamako
- Cultural Palace Hamadou Hampaté Ba
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Bamako
Bamako has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 40 °C; August is the wettest, with about 266 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Bamako: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Modibo Keita International Airport (BKO), about 13 km from the city centre in a straight line.
BKO · Modibo Keita International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Bamako
Drink
The Evasion Jazz Club can be pretty cool on Fridays and Saturdays. The Hippo d'Or (close to Hippodrome) is also a nice place for enjoying non-stop live music on Fridays and, even more, on Saturdays. There is a big casino near the Hotel L'Amitie. Ibiza, Blyblos and Terrace are still the hippest places to dance and drink. For some less seedy drinking establishments, try No Stress & Jet Set (formerly Privledge), which both have pool tables as well. Bla Bla and its twin in Badalabougou are known to get pumping on weekends. Crazy Horse has some good food and is well priced.
Stay safe
In Bamako you have a high chance of encountering the police. You should always at least carry a copy of your passport and visa. It is often not sufficient to just show your driving license and this might lead to a ride to the police office - if you're not prepared to bribe your way out. Notice that the police often stops taxis. If the price of the 'ticket' seems high (more than, say, CFA 5,000 for a minor offence), ask to go to the police station. There you can get an official receipt which shows the true price of the offence. Many locals consider it a moral issue to pay proper fines rather than grease the pockets of corrupt police.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Bamako: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Bamako?
Bamako has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 40 °C; August is the wettest, with about 266 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Bamako?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Modibo Keita International Airport (BKO), about 13 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Bamako?
West African CFA franc (XOF).
Nearby
Destinations near Bamako
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.