Itinerary

1. Day 1: AKWAABA - ARRIVE IN ABIDJAN

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

2. Day 2: ABIDJAN CITY TOUR

   • Embark on a sightseeing of Abidjan after Breakfast. Serving as the capital, Abidjan is the biggest and most important city of Cote d'Ivoire. With a population of around 6,500,000 people, it is the second largest city in West Africa after Lagos. Today, Abidjan remains the economic and cultural capital of the country.
   • Visit the public zoo of Abidjan, where you will see many exotic animals.
   • Later depart for a 15 minutes’ drive to visit the Musée National of Abidjan which has a very large collection of over 20,000 objects, including wooden statues and masks, pottery, ivory and bronze. 
   • Afterwards, visit the “Trechville market” where you will have the chance to get all your souvenirs (jewellery, clothes, cloths, pagnes, and woodcrafts).

3. Day 3: GRAND BASSAM- TAKORADI

   • After breakfast, check out of your hotel and depart from Abidjan for a scenic drive to Takoradi with a stop at Grand Bassam. Visit the colonial city of Grand-Bassam, the former French settlement, and home to many colonial buildings.
   • You will also visit the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand-Bassam and the Côte d'Ivoire National Museum of Costume. 
   • Upon arrival in Takoradi, check into your hotel and relax.

4. Day 4: TAKORADI - CANOPY WALK WAY AND KAKUM RAIN FOREST– SLAVE DUNGEON EXPERIENCE (CAPE COAST CASTLE)

   • After breakfast, check out of your hotel and depart to Cape Coast and drive through the historic Denkyira Kingdom to Kakum National Park, one of West Africa’s surviving tropical rain forests. 
   • Choose between a 2 km nature walk through the rain forest to discover the wide variety of exotic flora and fauna species and the medicinal values they offer or take a walk on the canopy walkway hanging 40 meters above the forest ground.
   • After lunch on your own, embark on a tour of the infamous Forts, Castles, and Slave Dungeons of Ghana. History will unfold the story of the slave trade which the impact is still felt beyond the shores of Africa today.
   • Visit the Cape Coast Castle built by the Swedes in 1653 and was later taken over by the British.
   • Learn about the relationship between the western slave traders and the African tribes that made the trans-Atlantic slave trade possible. It is an opportunity to be up and close with history – to stand in the dark and stuffy dungeons, imagining the experience and conditions that millions of Africans endured. This castle also houses the West African Historical Museum. 

5. Day 5: SLAVE DUNGEON EXPERIENCE (ELMINA CASTLE) AND FISHING VILLAGE TOUR – DRUMMING AND DANCING WORKSHOP

   • After breakfast, visit Elmina Castle, also known as St. George’s Castle, which was built by the Portuguese in 1482.
   • Learn about the relationship between the western slave traders and the African tribes that participated in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
   • Witness the dark and stuffy dungeons local people were forced to endure before being sent on a long and perilous passage across the Atlantic. To see the truth of these conditions in person is a powerful reminder of the inhumanity of the slave trade. 
   • Explore Elmina ­after having lunch on your own, , a fishing village that’s both picturesque and gritty, charming and though-provoking. What better way to appreciate it than to immerse oneself in its main industry – fishing.
   • Meet with local fishermen to learn the intricacies of their trade and the challenges they face in their day-to-day work.
   • Next, meet the fish mongers in the village who will demonstrate the various stages of smoking the fish in earthenware ovens. This is a unique way to experience one of Ghana’s oldest and important trades.

6. Day 6: ELMINA – ASSIN MANSO – KUMASI CITY TOUR

   • After breakfast, check out of your hotel and drive through the forest zone to Kumasi, the seat of the Ashanti Empire to explore the legends of the famous Ashanti people, whose legacies are still evident today.
   • Stop at the former slave in Assin Manso. Visit the site of “Donkor Nsuo”, the former Slave River and market, as well as the final transit point for a large number of enslaved Africans.  This is the final resting place for two ancestors whose mortal remains were returned from the USA and Jamaica and re-interred there. 
   • Continue to Kumasi where you will visit the Manhyia Palace Museum to obtain firsthand information on the legacies of the Ashanti kingdom. A regal history that dates back to 1700 is told with relics and artefacts.
   • Enjoy a drive through the city with monuments dedicated to the memory of the great Ashanti people.  Your city tour on this day will also include a visit to the famous Kejetia market, the National Cultural Centre which features the Prempeh II Jubilee museum and various studios of the brass makers, potters and batik makers.

7. Day 7: ASHANTI CRAFT VILLAGES

   • After breakfast, checkout of your hotel and drive back to Accra. 
   • Enroute stop at the three famous Ashanti craft villages, Ahwiaa, the wood carvers’ village, Ntonso, the home of Adinkra cloth, and Bonwire, the Kente weaving village.
   • Have an opportunity to see how African crafts are made and to buy directly from the artisans who make them. Continue your drive to Accra afterwards.

8. Day 8: SHAI HILLS AND VOLTA LAKE CRUISE AT ROYAL SENCHI RESORT

   • Get ready for a scenic drive to the Shai Hills Game Reserve. This is a site that combines nature conservation, cultural interest and archaeological sites with rich scenic beauty.
   • Trek through the savannah plains where you might get to see some of West Africa’s notable game: antelope, bushbucks, kobs, baboons, monkeys and many bird species, including the crested eagle.
   • ­ Visit the Obonu Tem and Se Yo caves which serve as home to many animals, including a colony of bats. The bravest among the group will also have the opportunity to go into the caves, follow the sun and emerge at the peak of the hill! These caves were once home to the Shai people’s ancestors and used by their king until the late 19th century. The area was defensible in times of war thanks to the large stone rocks, overhangs and tunnel-like cave openings. Learn about the various artifacts that have been found on this site.
   • ­ Afterwards, visit the Royal Senchi Resort, which is situated in one of the most beautiful locations in Ghana on the banks of the famous Volta River in the Eastern Region of Ghana and about 90 minutes’ drive from the capital city Accra. The hotel allows for easy access to a lush green 35-acre conservation nature park - home to rare butterfly and bird populations.
   • Spend the day relaxing at this resort and embark on an hour boat ride on the Volta River which will provide an opportunity to see the Adomi Bridge.
   • Return to Accra after the days’ activities.

9. Day 9: ACCRA CITY TOUR

   • After breakfast, depart for a sightseeing tour of Accra, the Capital of Ghana.
   • 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. In addition, it’s the country’s most populous city.
   • Travel through the administrative and economic districts of Accra. Also, see 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 Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, dedicated to the legacy of Ghana's first President, Kwame Nkrumah, and his role in African independence. The tour includes visits to Nkrumah's mausoleum, a museum showcasing his life, his personal residence, the eternal Flame of African Liberation, and beautifully landscaped gardens.
   • Learn about Nkrumah's early life, political career, and Pan-African vision.
   • 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. On display, you will see fabrics of different materials, designs, colors and textures to purchase from.

10. Day 10: ACCRA – LOME CITY TOUR

    • After breakfast, check out of your hotel for Togo. 
    • Upon arrival, head straight for a city tour of Lome.
    • Drive by the Musée National (National Museum), as well as the Place de I’ Independence (Place of Independence, where the Independence Monument is situated).
    • Visit Grand Marche (Grand Market) and Marche des Feticheurs (Fetish Market).

11. Day 11: LOME – OUIDAH

    • After breakfast, check out and depart for a visit to Ouidah, the cradle of African Traditional Religion, en-route to Cotonou. Tour the temple dedicated to the sacred Python, which is believed to give vitality and protection; you will also pay a visit to the sacred forest which houses many shrines dedicated to various deities. 
    • Afterwards, visit the Port of No Return, a monument built by the Benin government to commemorate the Africans that were taken from the Dahomey Empire during the Slave trade. 
    • Continue the journey northwards to Cotonou. Check in at hotel and relax.

12. Day 12: DAY AT LEISURE

    • After breakfast, enjoy this day at leisure relaxing at the hotel.

13. Day 13: COTONOU – GANVIE

    • After breakfast, depart your hotel and embark on 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 routine as vendors in dugout canoes pile high with wares, transacting commerce with one another and with tourists. 
    • Enjoy shopping on the floating market and taking a relaxing canoe ride on the waterways of this exotic 300-year-old village. After lunch on your own, drive through the multicoloured centre of the administrative and commercial capital of Benin to view its many statues and monuments.

14. Day 14: FAREWELL- DEPARTURE

    • After breakfast, spend the day shopping and doing last minute packing. 
    • At noon, check out of the hotel and transfer to airport for check-in and final departure back home.