ACCRA

Accra - Upon arrival at Kotoka International Airport, a knowledgeable cultural tour guide will greet, assist, and transport you to your hotel in a private, air-conditioned vehicle. After checking in, the guide will provide an overview of what to expect during your stay in Ghana.

Additional activities today will depend on your arrival time and preferences.

ACCRA CITY TOUR

Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park - Discover the vibrant city of Accra, a mix of modern architecture and colonial-era buildings. This 120-year-old city offers numerous historical sites as we embark on a full day of sightseeing in both the old and new parts of town: Ga Mashie and the Jamestown area.

We will visit the renowned Aunty Muni’s Kitchen for a taste of “Waakye,” a popular Ghanaian dish made of cooked rice and beans served with tomato sauce and optional hot pepper sauce.

We will drive past Independence Square, where Ghana hosts many national ceremonies, on our way to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the final resting place of Ghana’s first president. The park features beautiful gardens and a museum with photos, artifacts, and insights into Dr. Nkrumah’s life.

Continue to Jamestown, one of Accra’s most historic neighborhoods, known for its lighthouses and Usher Fort, the first of which was built in 1871 by the British as a navigational aid for trading vessels. The original structure was replaced by a larger lighthouse completed in 1930, which is still operational today.

Our exploration concludes at the La Community, where we visit the Casket/Coffin Shop, known for its uniquely designed caskets reflecting the belief in life after death. The shop was founded by Seth Kane Kwei in the 1950s, initially making palanquins for tribal chiefs. The first fancy coffin was a palanquin shaped like a cocoa pod, used for a chief who died unexpectedly. This was followed by a coffin shaped like an airplane for his grandmother and a canoe for a chief fisherman, thus starting the fancy coffin industry.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

ACCRA-SHAI HILLS-AKOSOMBO

Shai Hills Resource Reserve - After breakfast, we head east to explore Ghana’s culture and nature. We will stop at TK Beads, experts in crafting beautiful traditional beads using ancient methods. The guide will explain the skilled bead-making process. Beads symbolize wealth and beauty in Ghana and are used during traditional events. After the demonstration, you can admire and purchase a variety of beads in the onsite shop.

We continue to the stunning Shai Hills Game Reserve, where rocky hills rise amidst large wooded grasslands. The hills contain cave systems significant to the history and culture of the Shai people. The reserve is home to 31 mammal species, over 175 bird species, and 13 reptile species.

Enjoy a scenic drive to the famous Akosombo Dam for a boat cruise on Volta Lake, exploring the cradle of Ghana’s hydroelectric power. The dam, located in the Akosombo gorge on the Volta River, led to the creation of Lake Volta, the world’s largest man-made lake, covering about 3.6% of Ghana’s land area.

Transfer to your hotel for check-in.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

HO (HOGBETSOTSO FESTIVAL)

Volta Region - Wake up to the serene lake and enjoy the mountain scenery. Depart for the Volta Region, crossing the Adomi Bridge, Ghana’s longest bridge, spanning the Volta Lake. The Volta Region is known for its scenic beauty, with rolling hills, valleys, green vegetation, rocky outcrops, and waterfalls.

Today is the climax of the Hogbetsotso Festival of the “Anlos Ewes,” an ethnic group in the Volta Region. The festival features a durbar of chiefs, who dress in colorful regalia and receive homage from their subjects. Enjoy dancing, singing, and merrymaking during the festival.

Return to the hotel for another night; the evening is at leisure.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

HO-WLI-NKWANTA

Wli Waterfalls - After a refreshing morning in the lush Volta Region and a hearty breakfast, depart early for Northern Volta.

Stop at Wli Waterfalls, the largest and highest waterfall in Ghana, divided into two sections with ice-cold water cascading from about 80 feet. The hike to the waterfall takes you through the Agumatsa Forest, crossing the river eleven times before reaching the stunning falls.

In the early afternoon, continue to Nkwanta. Time permitting, visit Sharee village.

Transfer to the hotel for check-in and overnight stay.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

NKWANTA-TAMALE-MOLE NATIONAL PARK

Mole National Park - After a satisfying breakfast, depart for Tamale in the Northern Region. Explore Tamale before heading to Mole National Park. Visit the Shea Butter Processing Centre (SeKaf Shea Butter Village) to learn about the importance of Shea Butter to the local community and its production process.

Visit the TAMA Products showroom to see products like the TAMA brand, Shea nuts, Shea oil, handcrafted Shea butter, and more. Alternatively, visit a local textile center to learn about weaving a smock (Fugu), a traditional textile used for festivals and ceremonies. You can purchase textiles if desired.

After lunch (on your own account), continue to Mole National Park.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

MOLE - MOGNORI-MOLE

Mognori - Experience the wildlife of Mole National Park with an early morning safari drive. The park is renowned for birdwatching, with over 200 bird species, colorful butterflies, and magnificent reptiles.

With an experienced safari guide, enjoy sightings of African Bush Elephants, African Buffalo, Olive Baboons, Hyenas, Red-flanked Duikers, Roan Antelopes, Warthogs, Vervet Monkeys, Hartebeests, and Bushbucks.

In the afternoon, visit Mognori Eco-village, located about 15km from the park. Explore the village on a community walk, enjoy drumming and dance performances, or take a canoe safari on the Mole River.

After visiting Mognori, see the Larabanga Mosque, the oldest Sudanese Mosque in West Africa, and the Mystic Stone.

Relax by the pool overlooking the park’s waterhole. Enjoy a refreshing dip in the pool at your lodge or motel.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

MOLE-KINTAMPO-BOABENG FIEMA-KUMASI

Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary - Depart for Kumasi, traveling through the Gonja lands to Kintampo to visit Kintampo Waterfalls. You may also visit the Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, home to sacred Mona and Colobus Monkeys.

Upon arrival in Kumasi, time permitting, visit the central market, a major trading center for traders from across the country, before continuing to your hotel for an overnight stay.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

KUMASI & ASHANTI CRAFT VILLAGES

Manhyia Palace Museum - After a delicious breakfast, explore the heart of African culture. Visit the Manhyia Palace, the former residence of Ashanti Kings (Asantehene) until 1974, now a museum with treasures related to the Ashanti Kingdom. The Ashanti are the largest ethnic group in Ghana, historically ruling the region due to their organized society. At Manhyia Palace, disputes are settled according to ancient customs, with the King having the final say.

Continue to the three craft villages around Kumasi:

• Ahwiaa, the woodcarving village, known for craftsmen who create Royal stools, walking sticks, and Fertility Dolls. Purchase hand-carved items of all kinds.
• Ntonso, where artisans hand-stamp patterns on cotton cloth to make Adinkra Textiles. Learn how Black Dye is made from tree bark and create your own Adinkra sash. Purchase large pieces of handmade Adinkra Cloth.
• Adanwomase, where Kente Cloth is handmade on looms in a tradition passed down through generations. See Kente styles and make purchases.

Transfer to your hotel.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

KUMASI-ELMINA

Elmina Castle - After breakfast, depart for Cape Coast & Elmina. En route, visit Assin Manso, where the “Donkor Nsuo (Slave river)” is located. See the burial site of two former slaves from the U.S. and Jamaica, re-interred in August 1998 during Ghana’s first Emancipation Day celebration. Visit the ‘Slave River’ where captured Africans were washed before being confined in slave castles.

Arrive in Elmina and visit Elmina Castle, built by the Portuguese in 1482, also known as St. George’s Castle. This was the first European structure in Sub-Saharan Africa. The colorful harbor below the castle, full of pirogues preparing to go to sea, offers one of West Africa’s best photo opportunities.

Transfer to your hotel.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

ELMINA-KAKUM NATIONAL PARK-ELMINA

Kakum National Park - Depart early for a drive through the historic Denkyira Kingdom to Kakum National Park, one of West Africa’s remaining tropical rainforests. Covering over 360 sq km, Kakum is home to over 40 large mammals, 400 bird species, and many butterflies, flora, and fauna. The canopy walkway, with seven bridges extending 330m and hanging 30m above the forest floor, is a popular attraction. Choose between a 2 km nature walk to discover exotic floral species and their medicinal values or walk on the canopy walkway.

Return to Elmina with a stop in Cape Coast. Visit Esi’s Kitchen to explore West African cuisine. Learn to create authentic Ghanaian dishes using African cooking techniques, such as Jollof rice, Red Red, Ampesi, or Peanut butter soup.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

ELMINA-ACCRA/DEPART

Cape Coast Castle - Enjoy a leisurely morning. Depart for Accra in the early afternoon, stopping briefly at Cape Coast to tour the infamous Forts, Castles, and Slave Dungeons of Ghana. Learn about the slave trade’s history and its lasting impact. Visit Cape Coast Castle, built by the Swedes in 1653 and later taken over by the British. The castle houses the West African Historical Museum, established by the Smithsonian Institute and the Ghanaian Government in 1994.

Arrive in Accra late afternoon and drive through the Arts & Crafts Market to test your bargaining skills with vendors. Transfer to the airport for your onward flight home.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

• Experienced tour guide
• Hotel accommodation in the indicated properties
• Meeting and assistance upon arrival and departure
• Meals as indicated
• Transportation in private vehicle
• Round-trip airport/hotel transfers
• Breakfast included
• Admission to all listed sites

• Visas and international Flights
• Travel insurance
• Gratuity for drivers and guides
• Meals not listed
• Personal expenses

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.