ACCRA CITY TOUR

On your first full day in Ghana, after a sumptuous buffet breakfast at your hotel, we set off for the tour of Accra and its vicinity, passing through the economic and administrative districts. Independence Square where you will see the enclosed flame of African liberation, which was lit by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in 1961. The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park is the final resting place of Ghana’s first president. Set in attractive gardens, there is an adjoining museum, which contains photos, artifacts, and insight into Dr. Nkrumah’s life. Adjoining the park is the National cultural center, which is Ghana’s largest outdoor arts and crafts market selling traditional crafts from all over West Africa.

James Town—one of Accra’s most historic neighborhoods, where history resides on every corner. Best known for its lighthouses (the first of which was constructed in 1875 by the British) as a navigational aid for trading vessels sailing through the Gulf of Guinea. The original structure was ruined but a larger and more improved lighthouse completed in 1921 is still functioning today.

You may visit “Brazil House” and learn about the seven Afro-Brazilian families who returned to settle in Ghana in 1836. Familiar Brazilian/Portuguese last names such as De Souza, Palmares, Azumah, Amorin, Da Costa, Santos, De Medeiros, and Olympio are abundant in this section of Accra.

End the day with a visit to Teshie Nungua. We will visit a local casket-making shop to see a collection of caskets carved in the shape of different objects, depicting traditional beliefs in life after death. The “Fantasy Coffins” of Teshie Nungua have been featured in National Geographic and can be found in museums and galleries worldwide. There is the opportunity of enjoying the nightlife in Accra this evening.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

Overnight at Accra City Hotel or Similar

HO / TAFI ATOME/ WLI / NKWANTA

After breakfast, you will depart Ho for Nkwanta in Oti Region. Stop at Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, home to Mona and Patas monkeys found mostly in a small patch of forests. This small forest has survived fire and human disturbance to thrive as a sanctuary for the monkeys which are regarded as sacred by the villagers and are protected.

We will stop at Wli Waterfalls, the largest and highest waterfall in Ghana. Wli Waterfalls is divided into two sections with ice cold water flowing from a height of about 80ft. On route to the waterfall, you will hike through the lush greenery of the Agumatsa Forest Reserve where you will cross the same river eleven times before reaching the breathtaking falls.

Early afternoon, we continue to Nkwanta. Arrive early evening, check in and freshen up for dinner (on your own account).

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

Overnight at Gateway Hotel or Similar

TAMALE / BONGO / PAGA / TAMALE / MOLE

After Breakfast, depart to Bolgatanga and stop en route at Tongo, visit the chief’s palace where you will be afforded a traditional welcome. The next stop shall be at Paga where you will have the rare experience of riding a crocodile. These crocodiles are totems or sacred animals that live right in the middle of the village and are harmless.

We will drive about 3km west of Paga to visit Pikworo village which served as a slave collection outpost by Ghanaian traders who sold slaves to the French, the English, and the Dutch. With the help of a knowledgeable local guide, history will play vividly before you as you view the wide-open fields, the slave traders' watch “tower”, the mass grave cemetery, and the punishment stone where slaves were chained naked in the hot scorching sun.

We continue on a drive back to Mole National Park.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

Overnight at Zaina Lodge or Similar

MOLE/KUMASI

After breakfast, we depart for Kumasi. Stop just after the Mole Park, visit the Larabanga Mosque and mystery stone. We will also make a stop at Sumpini village, a unique Dagomba village to explore their culture and way of life.

Arrive in Kumasi; visit the central Market which serves as a major marketing centre for a number of traders from all over the country.

Time permitting see the Okomfo Anokye Sword, an important symbol of Ashanti unity that marks the spot where the Golden Stool is said to have descended from the sky and has been in place for 300 years. Legend says the Ashanti Kingdom would collapse should the sword ever be removed.

Meal(s) Include: Breakfast

Overnight at Lancaster Kumasi or Similar

KUMASI / ASSIN MANSO / ELMINA

Following breakfast, we depart for Cape Coast in Ghana’s Central Region.

This region has had the most significant effect on the lives of Africans in the diaspora. We will pass through small villages and arrive at Assin Manso, the burial site of two former slaves from Jamaica and the US whose remains were reinterred here in August 1998 during Ghana’s first Emancipation Day Celebration.

You will see the “Slave River:” where our ancestors were washed before confinement in the slave dungeons to await shipment to the Americas.

Arrive in Elmina 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.

Transfer to your hotel

Meals include: Breakfast

Overnight at Coconut Grove Beach Resort or Similar

ELMINA – CAPE COAST / ACCRA

After leisure breakfast, and check out, we depart for Accra. En route, visit the Cape Coast Castle which also houses the West African Historical Museum established by the Smithsonian Institute in collaboration with the Ghanaian Government in 1994. Cape Coast Castle is another restored UNESCO World Heritage Site. Proceed to Accra in the afternoon; visit the Osu Street market for souvenirs and later have dinner at a selected restaurant.

This evening you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight.

Meals Included: Breakfast