Glorious Ghana

Arrive in Accra, Ghana and after the clearance of the immigration, you are kindly requested to proceed to collect your luggage. You will be met by your guide and then transferred by coach from the airport to your hotel. Check into your hotel. Welcome, drink and orientation. 

After breakfast, you will be met by your guide for a city tour of Accra. You will drive through the administrative and economic districts of Accra, the capital of Ghana. This 139-year-old city has a blend of colonial and modern architecture that summarizes its history. This refers us to the Christiansburg Castle in Osu, which originally belonged to the Danish before being sold to the Dutch. You will visit the W. E. B. Dubois Centre for Pan African Culture, Independence/ Black Star Square and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. Then again, continue your tour by visiting the Arts Centre where you will have an opportunity to use your bargaining skills to shop from an open-air market for artifacts from Ghana and West Africa.

After breakfast, check out of the hotel in Accra and depart for Cape Coast. Upon arrival 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. This castle also houses the West African Historical Museum established by the Smithsonian Institute in collaboration with the Ghanaian Government in 1994. 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 colourful harbour nestled below the Elmina Castle, full of pirogues preparing to go to the sea offers one of West Africa’s greatest photo opportunities.

After dinner participates in Kasa (Talk Time) - An opportunity to learn more about Ghanaian culture or simply talk to each other and share information about the experiences you are having on the tour. (This activity will be led by the tour guide). 

Early morning departure for a drive through the historic Denkyira Kingdom to Kakum National Park, one of West Africa’s surviving tropical rain forests. Extending over 360sq km, Kakum is the home to over 40 large mammals and 400 bird species as well as many species of butterflies, flora and fauna. The most popular attraction is the Canopy walkway which is made up of seven bridges extending 330m, hanging 100 feet above the forest floor. Choose between a 2 km nature walk through this forest to discover the wide variety of exotic floral species and the medicinal values they offer or take a walk on the canopy walkway. After lunch, continue the tour to the 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.

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and drive through the forest zone to Kumasi to the seat of the Ashanti Empire to explore the legends of the famous Ashanti’s, whose legacies are still evident today with a stop at Assin Manso, visit the site of “Donkor Nsuo”, the former Slave River and market, 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.

Afterwards, continue your drive to Kumasi. Upon arrival, visit the Manhyia Palace Museum to obtain first-hand 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. End the day’s tour at the National Cultural Center which features the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum and various studios of the brass makers, potters and batik makers.

This day is devoted to visiting the three famous Ashanti craft villages. After breakfast depart for
Ahwiaa, the wood carvers’ village, Ntonso, the home of Adinkra cloth, and Bonwire, the Kente weaving village. You will have an opportunity to see how African crafts are made and to buy directly from the artisans who make them.

After dinner on your own, participate in Kasa (Talk Time) - An opportunity to learn more about Ghanaian culture or simply talk to each other and share information about the experiences you are having on the tour. (This activity will be led by the tour guide).

After breakfast, check out of your hotel. En route to Accra stop on the way at Besease shrine a world heritage site. The Besease Shrine is a traditional fetish shrine, near the town of Ejisu. Each of these shrines is a home for a particular spirit, called obosom that mediates between mortals and the supreme god Nyame. Observe the unique architecture and experience the mode of ancestral worship to the ancient.

After your tour, drive to Accra and check in to our hotel. Tonight we will enjoy a special farewell dinner.

After breakfast, check out your hotel to visit the School of the Deaf in Tema. Over here, the students have put their disability aside and keep the African traditional cultural performances alive. Take part in this African art which is a part of the Ghanaian culture and see how these unique students express themselves through this art, music, cultural dancing and painting. During your visits you can also have the opportunity to learn about sign language or play football or other forms of interaction with the students. After lunch on your own, Transfer to airport for check-in and final departure back home.