Mopti

Culture and History

Mopti is one of the main ports in Mali, and a good gateway for many of the country's most impressive attractions such as Djenné, Timbuktu, and Dogon Country.

Travel to Mopti - Visa Requirements

Point Afrique offers cheap flights (starting from 220 euro for a single flight) from Paris or Marseille to Mopti.

There are regular buses between Mopti and the nearby city of Sevare, as well as to the capital Bamako. As Sevare is on the main Road you may find it easier to travel there then catch a local bus to Mopti.

When the rivers are high, you can travel by boat to Mopti from both Timbuktu and Djenné.

Domestic flights also operate from Bamako and Timbuktu to Mopti.

Tours and Getting around Mopti

The centre of Mopti is compact enough that you should be able to walk everywhere. Taxis are, however, available.

Mopti tourist attractions and sightseeing

The mosque itself is less interesting than others in Mali. Unless you're Muslim you're not allowed inside - but you can pay 500CFA to some local kids who will let you climb onto their roof and take panoramic photos of the city.

Mopti city tours

Take a trip on a pinasse to one of the nearby Bozo villages.

Arrange a trip up river in a pinasse to Timbuktu.

Satimbé Travel can arrange tours to Dogon Country with private transport. Be prepared to negotiate heavily on price.

Avoid Ashraf Tours at all costs. You stand to be ripped off big time. Ashraf Tours is reliable and they do what they promise. You pay for that, ok, but otherwise you are stuck with some guides which are interested in one thing : get the most money out of the less.

Avoid acquiring guides at Bar Bozo. While the bar is a fine place for a meal and the de-facto meeting place amongst travelers, there also is a less-than-savory element which will try to engage you for trips in a boat, to Dogon Country, or any other tourist-related interest.

Stay Safe

Mopti is full of people who want to sell you souvenirs and tours to various places, including river trips. Many are extremely persistent and will not take no for an answer - getting rid of them is something which you will get better at with time.

Ignore those who offer to act as your bodyguard during daylight. Mopti is not that dangerous!

Mopti souvenirs and shopping

If you fancy it, you can buy a slab of salt from the harbour.

Mopti Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

• Hotel Ya Pas De Problem, off Blvd de l'Independence. Excellent restaurant on the roof of this hotel. Try the Capitaine Frit (4000CFA). 
• Restaurant Sigui, Blvd de l'Independence. This place has decent food, reasonable prices and a balcony with a nice view of the Niger. It is, however, frequented by many of Mopti's irritating potential guides and souvenir sellers. 
• Restaurant Bozo(has a good view across the harbour and serves cold beers, expect to get hassled by vendors even when you are inside.), (On the Eastern side of the port inlet, it's clearly visible on this small headland).  

Mopti cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging

• Hotel Ya Pas De Problem(Y'a pas de problème), BP 16,Mopti Mali(off Blvd de l'Independence), ☎ +223 7601 07 92(yapasdeproblemehotel@yahoo.fr), [1]. Has dormitories and private rooms at reasonable prices, as well as a swimming pool and an excellent restaurant.4000 CFA to 25000 CFA.  

• Hotel le Fleuve, Rue 86. North of the city centre, this place offers decent rooms with air conditioning and hot water for 20000CFA, as well as cheap meals. 

• Bissap Café, zone commerciale (on the harbor), BP 89, Mopti, ☎ 21 43 13 53, [2]. Best place to eat... and very peacefull because only the customers are allowed to go in. Little bit more expensive than others 

This page was last edited by João Leitão. Based on work by Carl Baker, Alex, Colin Jensen, Michele Ann Jenkins and Kasper Souren, Wikitravel user(s) Jonboy and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license