Itinerary

1. Arrival to Cotonou

   • Arrive in Cotonou. Transfer from the airport to your hotel. Check into your hotel and relax for the rest of the evening.

2. Cotonou City Tour

   • Depart after breakfast from the hotel to the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Miséricorde, commonly known as Cotonou Cathedral. This is a Roman Catholic cathedral located near the Ancient Pont Bridge in Cotonou, Benin. It is noted for its distinct burgundy and white striped tiled architecture. Continue to the National University of Benin, the principal university in the country. The university was founded in 1970 as the Université du Dahomey. In 1975, the name was changed to Université Nationale du Bénin.
   • End the tour at the Dantokpa Market in Cotonou, Benin. It is one of the most important retailing areas in Benin, covering over 20 hectares. The market is also economically significant for the country, with a reported commercial turnover of over a billion CFA Francs a day.

3. Ouidah Voodoo Festival

   • For millions of Beninese, voodoo is an integral part of everyday life. It does not have a dark side and you cannot avoid the many voodoo dolls riddled with pins and nails. Ouidah is the spiritual capital of voodoo and was once a major slave- trading post. On this day, you will experience ceremonies and festivities that will take place on the beach near the monument dedicated to the Place of No Return and stand among thousands of voodoo believers and adherents to receive blessings from Quidah’s voodoo chief. This festival is dubbed one of Benin’s most colorful and spectacular events. The celebrations will also be filled with singing, chanting, dancing, beating of drums and drinking various spirits usually gin.

4. Ganvie

   • Devote this day to making a sensational visit to Ganvie (the village on water), commonly referred to as the Venice of West Africa. Witness first hand, the people of Ganvie carrying out their daily activities, as vendors in dugout canoes pile high with wares, transacting commerce with one another and with tourists. You will enjoy shopping on the floating market and taking a relaxing canoe ride on the waterways of this exotic 300-year-old village.

5. Grand Popo

   • Have breakfast at the hotel and after take a scenic drive to Grand Popo to tour the Finno-African cultural center called Villa Karo. This cultural center has been situated in Grand-Popo since 1999. Grand Popo emerged as a major town around the slave trade, but coastal erosion has now destroyed most of the old town. The town is now a center for voodoo and their main industry is fishing.

6. Lome City Tour - Accra

   • After breakfast, depart Togoville to Lome and visit the Grand Marche, Marche des Feticheurs, Musee National, Place de I’ Independence.

7. Accra City Tour

   • Experience the city’s highlights during this Accra orientation. The capital of Ghana since 1877, Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region. Travel through the administrative and economic districts of Accra. Also, see the Artiste Alliance Gallery, the W.E.B. Du Bois Center for Pan African Culture, and the Independence/Black Star Square. Learn about important events in Ghana’s history and the country’s first president who helped lead Ghana to independence.
   • Continue your tour to The National Museum of Ghana in the Ghanaian capital, Accra. It is the largest and oldest of the six museums under the administration of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board. The museum building was opened on 5 March 1957 as part of Ghana's independence celebrations.
   • End the day’s tour at the Arts Center, where participants can sharpen their bargaining skills to shop for goods from Ghana and West Africa in an open-air market.

8. Kakum National Park & Cape Coast Castle

   • After breakfast, depart early in the morning for a drive to Kakum National Park, one of West Africa’s surviving tropical rainforests. The most popular attraction is the Canopy walkway, which is made up of seven bridges extending 330m, hanging 30m (100 feet) above the forest floor. Enjoy a 2km nature walk through this forest to discover the wide variety of exotic floral species and the medicinal values they offer.
   • Later in the day, visit the Cape Coast Castle, which was built by the Swedes in 1653 and was later taken over by the British. Like Elmina Castle, Cape Coast Castle is a UNESCO world heritage site and a poignant memorial to the millions of Africans who were victims of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
   • This castle also houses the West African Historical Museum established by the Smithsonian Institute in collaboration with the Ghanaian Government in 1994.

9. Elmina Castle - Posuban Shrine

   • After an early breakfast, depart your hotel and visit the Elmina Castle built by the Portuguese in 1482 and is also known as St. George’s Castle. This castle was the first European structure built in Sub – Saharan Africa. The colorful harbor nestled below the Elmina Castle, full of pirogues preparing to go to sea offers one of West Africa’s greatest photo opportunities. See the slave dungeons and condemned cells where slaves who attempted to escape were incarcerated. View its utterly distinct architecture. Afterwards, continue the tour to Posuban Military Shrine where the Asafo companies (Fanti traditional soldiers), prepare spiritually for war. These shrines are wonderful examples of how art is used in the daily lives of Ghanaians.

10. Farewell

    • After a leisurely breakfast, spend the morning relaxing or packing for your return to Accra. Check out of your hotel at noon and depart for Accra. Upon arrival, have an early dinner on your own and transfer to the airport for departure back home.