Day 1
Our expert cultural tour guides will meet with you on your arrival at the Kotoka International Airport Accra, which is situated on the beautiful gold coast of Western Africa. Look out for our sign board when you leave the main terminal building after passing through customs. Make yourself known to your guides who will be accompanying you for the duration of your time in Ghana and they will take care of you from here.
After boarding our air conditioned vehicle, which will be your mode of transport for the duration of your tour, we transfer you to your hotel which is situated in Accra. Once we have checked you in, our experienced guides will offer you Akwaaba (welcome) and brief you on all aspects of your trip. You can enjoy your evening meal at the hotel restaurant whilst acclimatising yourself to Africa.
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Day 2
Your first full day in Ghana, after breakfast at our hotel, we set off for our tour of Accra, passing through the economic and administrative districts on our way to the National Museum. Almost all the displays here are ethnographic in nature and the museum gives us an excellent overview of West African culture. During our time here we also get the chance to view and purchase some wonderful examples of traditional crafts. Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant serving a selection of West African and continental dishes.
In the afternoon we pass by independence square and view the enclosed flame of African liberation, which was lit by Kwame Nkrumah himself in 1961. We continue the short distance to the Kwame Nkrumah memorial Park, final resting place of Ghana’s founder. Set in attractive gardens, there is an adjoining museum, which contains photos, artefacts and an insight into this incredible man’s life. Adjoining the park is the National cultural center, which is actually Ghana’s largest outdoor arts and crafts market selling traditional crafts from all over West Africa. After testing your bargaining skills we return to our hotel for our evening meal and to relax.
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Day 3
After breakfast we depart Accra and start our journey towards the Volt region of Ghana, passing over the magnificent Lake Volta en route. Before crossing the lake we visit the Shai Hills Reserve, an expanse of Savannah grassland and woodland with large numbers of olive baboons, antelopes, green and spot nosed monkeys. Formerly the home of the Shai people who were ejected by the British in 1892, Granite inselbergs dominate the landscape and house many active traditional shrines. We collect an armed guide and hike to the Obonu Tem caves searching for wildlife during our walk.
We continue our journey towards the Volta region stopping at a hotel in Akosombo for our lunch. The hotel is situated in a perfect location on the banks of the Volta overlooking this spectacular lake. After lunch we will embark on a tour of the Akosombo dam, an amazing piece of engineering producing power for the majority of the country. We then transfer to our hotel in Ho, capital of the Volta region of Ghana.
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Day 4
We set off after breakfast for the Wli (Agumatsa) Falls found in the Agumatsa wildlife sanctuary in the Volta region of Ghana. The Wli Falls are believed to be the highest in the whole of Western Africa, set in a beautiful location the surrounding flora and fauna make this an idyllic setting. On our arrival we will trek through the thick semi deciduous forest leading to the falls from Wli village. As we near the falls we can hear the sound of the enormous colony of bats found on the adjacent cliffs mixed with the powerful flow of the river. We can relax and enjoy a paddle in the pool beneath the waterfall before setting off to the town of HoHoe for our lunch.
The afternoon is spent with the locals from the village of Tafi Atome, a wonderful community protecting a population of endangered true mona monkeys. The community here perceive the mona monkeys to be sacred messengers from the gods and have been protecting the monkeys and their habitat for over 200 years. We learn more about the history behind their protection from the local traditionalists during our time in the village. We venture into the surrounding forests to see the endangered true mona monkeys that live here, during the walk our guide will identify the many medicinal plants which grow here and explain how the locals use them to make traditional herbal remedies.
The local ethnic group here are the Ewe’s, after an afternoon mixing with the villagers we transfer to our hotel.
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Day 5
After breakfast we depart Ho, our destination is Kumasi capital of the Ashanti region and home to the Asantehene, king of the powerful Ashanti Empire and its people. Our journey takes us through the beautiful Akwapim range, which offers outstanding panoramic views of Tema and Accra in the distance. At the top of the range we find the Aburi botanical gardens, set in a beautiful location and founded by the British in 1890. The gardens are home to a wide variety of indigenous and exotic flora, offering outstanding views to Accra on a clear day. As we walk around the gardens our guide will identify the many trees and plants found here, some with medicinal properties and explain how they benefit the locals.
A short distance from the gardens we find the relaxed and friendly Aburi craft village, where traditional African drums and crafts have been carved for generations. As we watch the skilled craftsmen at work it is worth noting that prices here are amongst the lowest in Ghana, making Aburi an ideal place to pick up some souvenirs.
We enjoy our lunch in Koforidua, capital of the Eastern region of Ghana before setting off on the final leg of our journey to Kumasi. On our arrival we check into our hotel and eat our evening meal around the pool, the rest of the evening is at leisure.
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Day 6
Kumasi is widely regarded as the cultural center of Ghana, with its many ancient craft villages within touching distance of the city. Today is dedicated to visiting these traditional villages, our first stop after breakfast is Bonwire famous as the birth place of Kente.
Bonwire produces some of Ghana’s finest Kente cloths, many designs of cloth are woven here and some are exclusive only to this region. We will interact with the community, learning about the history behind the many designs. As we walk through the village, we see highly skilled locals weaving outside their homes. The machines that the weavers use have not changed in design for centuries. During our time at Bonwire, we have the opportunity to buy excellent quality cloth at very reasonable prices before setting off for the village of Ntunso.
The ancient village of Ntunso is where adinkra cloth and symbols originate. These traditional symbols all have meanings and are carved from calabash shells. The adinkra symbols are then printed onto traditional cloth using natural dyes made from the bark of certain local trees. Adinkra cloth has been adorned by the Ashanti’s for more than 4 centuries and pre dates kente cloth. Even today most Ashanti’s will wear adinkra cloth for funerals, festivals and other important occasions. During our time here we have the opportunity to make our own strip of adinkra cloth using symbols with personal significance.
After lunch we visit the village of Sokoban Krofrom where traditional brass casting has been the main source of income for the community for generations. A wide selection of items ranging from beads and jewellery to traditional statues are made here. The methods used to produce these wonderful brass works has not changed and during our time here we see a demonstration of the skilled process. After visiting some of the stores selling a wonderful selection in the village we return to our hotel for our meal, the rest of the evening is at leisure.
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Day 7
We begin the day with a visit to Kejetia market. Found in the heart of the city, Kejetia is the largest outdoor market in the whole of Western Africa. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience everyday life for the people in this great city and pick up a few bargain souvenirs. The market is a labyrinth of stalls nestled closely together, and a hive of activity. Some stall holders sleep here in the evenings as trade rarely stops. After testing your bargaining skills we start our journey towards Elmina in the central region of Ghana. The town of Elmina was given its name by the Portuguese due to the abundance of Gold found in Ghana, translated Elmina means The Mine. Gold is of such importance to Ghana today and historically, with this in mind, we stop for lunch en rote in the mining town of Obuasi.
Ghana is the world’s second largest exporter of Gold and Obuasi is home to Ghana’s largest Gold mine. As we drive through the town we can see the scale of the gold production that is going on here. After lunch we continue our journey to Elmina stopping at Cape Coast. On our arrival we visit Cape Coast castle, designated a world heritage site by UNESCO the castle is a thought provoking monument to a harrowing period in the regions history. We will spend the afternoon on an emotional journey touring this castle which held more enslaved Africans captive than any other in the region, viewing the dungeons and the infamous “Door of no return”. There is a magnificent historical museum inside, which explains the whole history of the castle and Cape Coast itself, as well as a souvenir shop which sells literature on all of Ghana’s forts and castles, as well as the cultural history and traditions of Ghana.
After our tour we check into our beautiful beach front hotel in Elmina, enjoy our evening meal and relax.
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Day 8
Firstly we will visit Kakum National Park in the morning, after breakfast, Africa’s only rainforest canopy walkway. This is a truly beautiful, tropical guinea rainforest and the canopy walkway is sure to be a highlight of your time in Ghana. The walkway consists of a series of 7 bridges, attached to 7 emerging trees, 40 metres above the rainforest floor. Prepare to take a deep breath as you walk the suspended bridges. You will marvel at the outstanding views that stretch for miles across this breathtaking rainforest, as you rest on the tree platforms between the bridges. We are sure you would agree that this is an exciting excursion never to be forgotten. We return to the park headquarters where we find an excellent information centre that offers a very informative overview of the parks flora and fauna. Over 40 different mammal species have been recorded within the park, which includes forest elephants, leopards and 6 primate species to mention just a few. A short distance from Kakum we find traditional palm oil producers and a coco farm. Ghana is the world’s second largest producer of coco and many Ghanaians rely solely on the income it brings from their small farms. During our time here we see how the farmers produce the palm oil and harvest the coco whilst interacting with the friendly locals in the village. On our way to Hans Cottage we stop off to witness traditional palm wine tapping and even get to sample the local brew.
We stop for lunch at Han’s cottage Botel near Kakum, Han’s is built over a lake containing Nile crocodiles and set in a beautiful location surrounded by tropical guinea rainforest. It is an original and comfortable establishment, which is teeming with bird life and an excellent place to enjoy lunch before setting off for an afternoon of relaxation at one of Ghana’s most beautiful beaches. Before our arrival we pass through the wonderful fishing town of Elmina.
We enjoy the sights of the many colourful fishing boats bringing their daily catch into the harbour and take this opportunity to mix with the locals at the nearby market. A short distance from the market we visit the boat builders, still building colourful fishing boats using traditional tools and methods spanning centuries. We arrive at Brenu beach for a well deserved afternoon of relaxation, our surroundings are perfect, golden sands with coconut trees for as far as the eye can see. There is a traditional fishing village well worth a visit nearby before we settle down for our early evening meal at a local restaurant on the beach. We enjoy our meal and reflect on a wonderful tour whilst watching the sun set over the beautiful gold coast of Western Africa. This is a wonderful way to spend your final evening with us before we return to Elmina and your beach front hotel.
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Day 9
Sadly your final day with us in Ghana, after a leisurely breakfast we set off for Accra. If time permits on our arrival we may have the opportunity to pick up any last minute souvenirs as we visit Ghana’s largest arts and crafts market. We then enjoy an early evening meal before your transfer to the airport and departure after an unforgettable 9 day tour.
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All our tour prices include
Collection
Transportation in and around Ghana
Accommodation
All meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks
Mineral water
Park entrance fees
All guide fees
Excursion costs
Professional care and attention
Prices do not include
Flights (can be arranged for UK travellers)
Travel Insurance
Ghana entry visas