Africa > Mali > Getting There
By air
All international flights arrive at Modibo Keïta International Airport (BKO), 15 kilometres south of central Bamako. The airport is named after Mali's first president.
The best-connected route is from Paris. Air France runs seasonal direct flights from Charles de Gaulle; Corsair operates year-round flights from Paris Orly. Between them, there are usually several departures a week. From elsewhere in Europe you will typically connect via Paris or connect within Africa.
Within West Africa, Air Senegal, Air Côte d'Ivoire, and regional carriers connect Bamako to Dakar, Abidjan, Ouagadougou, and other regional hubs. These connections are useful for onward travel but schedules change frequently — book and reconfirm.
Domestic airports at Mopti, Gao, and Timbuktu receive internal flights from Bamako. Service has been irregular due to security conditions; check current availability.
By land
Overland entry into Mali carries significant risk. Most Western governments advise against it. Armed groups have attacked vehicles on major routes, and road conditions are poor.
The most viable land crossing historically was from Senegal via Kayes, on the railway line from Dakar. The Dakar–Bamako railway is functional but slow and unreliable; the journey takes two to three days. The road from the Senegalese border to Kayes is paved but security has deteriorated.
Border crossings from Burkina Faso in the south, and from Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire in the southwest, were used by travellers historically. All should be considered high-risk at present. The routes through the north — from Algeria, Niger, or Mauritania — are effectively closed to independent travellers due to jihadist activity.
If you are travelling overland despite the risks, go with a local guide who has current intelligence, travel in convoy where possible, and avoid night driving.
Visas
Mali does not issue visas on arrival. You must obtain a visa before travelling. Applications are made at Malian embassies and consulates abroad. Note that Mali has expelled French, Danish, and other Western diplomatic missions since the 2021 coup; check whether your country's embassy is still operational in Bamako, and whether Mali maintains a diplomatic presence in your country.