Updated November 2025

The Malian Sahara is home to several armed jihadist and separatist militias.
But most attacks and massacres occur in the Sahel (see below) as far west as Kayes.
Trans-Africa overlanders avoid Mali and go via Guinea.

Money
Malian CFA XOF exchange rates

Price of fuel
Diesel from around 636 CFA/litre, more in remote towns. Petrol is 710 CFA.
World fuel prices.

Costs
More than you think, especially fuel.

Useful languages
French, Arabic, local languages

Visas
Needed by all except French. You could once just turn up and get a pass at some borders for 15.000 CFA (~€20) giving you a week to get a proper visa in Bamako free of charge. Don’t count on that now. You need to fill in a form and have 2 photos for up to 3 months, single-entry. 
No consulate in UK – nearest are:
487 ave. Moliere, Bruxelles or
Consulat du Mali 64 rue Pelleport, 75020 Paris.
Download visa forms. It can take up to 2-3 days from when they get it.

Mali consulate in Rabat (Morocco).
7, Rue Thami Lamdaouar
Rabat-Souissi
GPS N33 58.7′ W06 50.0′ a few doors down from the Mauritanian embassy
€60, 1 hour.

There is also a Mali consulate in Nouakchott
Ave de Palais des Congres
N18°06.48′ W15°58.73′
Two photos and photo copy of passport, 6500UM. Visas issued in as little as an hour.
And a consulate in Tamanrasset, Algeria, next to the Niger consulate, High Street south end (look for the flag as on the top of this page) but the route to Mali via Tessalit is about as closed or undesirable as it gets.

Border formalities
Buy laissez-passer (local ‘carnet’) and insurance (both cover the whole CFA currency zone).

Desert pistes
Even in the good years exploring the Sahara north of Timbuktu was never Mali’s highlight and now there’s no chance. This includes the 1000-mile trans-Saharan Tanezrouft piste, leading up to Reggane in Algeria.