10 DAY FORTS AND CASTLE TOUR

Net Cost: $ 1264.5
(Per Person Land Package Only)

DAY 1                                                      ARRIVE IN ACCRA 
Arrive in Accra, Ghana. Transfer from airport to your hotel. Welcome drink and orientation. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel in Accra.

DAY 2                                                     ACCRA CITY TOUR
After breakfast depart hotel for a sightseeing city tour of Accra. You will drive through the administrative and economic districts of Accra, the capital of Ghana. This128-year-old city has a blend of colonial and modern architecture that summarize her history.  You will visit the W. E. B. Dubois Center for Pan African Culture, Independence/ Black Star Square and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. After lunch in a local Ghanaian restaurant, you will end your tour at 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. Dinner and overnight at hotel in Accra.

DAY 3            CAPE COAST CASTLE & ELMINA CASTLE
Depart for a drive to the Central Region to tour 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.  After lunch, 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 view of the colorful harbor nestle below the Elmina Castle, full of pirogues preparing to go to sea offers one of West Africa’s best picture perfect opportunities.  Dinner and overnight at hotel in Elmina

DAY4    KAKUM NATIONAL PARKS / FORT ST. JAGO
             
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 30m (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, visit Fort St. Jago built by the Dutch in 1665 on St. George Hill. It is from this vantage point that the Dutch launched their successful land attack on Elmina Castle in 1637.  The fort was built primarily to provide military protection to the Elmina Castle and to serve as a disciplinary institution for European convicts.  Overnight at hotel in Elmina. 

DAY 5      FORTS IN SEKONDI / TAKORADI CITY TOUR
Breakfast at hotel. Depart for a drive along the coast to Secondi, Takoradi in the Western Region. Check into your hotel and visit Forts St. Sebastian and Orange at Shama and Sekondi built as a Dutch lodge in 1526 and 1640 respectively. After lunch, drive through the city of Takoradi to experience the bustling Market Circle environment, the harbor and visit the woodcarvers’ village where one can find a vast selection of the best quality wood products you will find anywhere. O vernight at Busua Beach Resort .

DAY 6                                     FORT APPOLONIA / FORT METAL CROSS
Departure after breakfast for a drive to Beyin. Visit Fort Appolonia one of the less-travelled forts where you will get the real feel of the haunting history. It was built by the British in 1770 and was later bombarded in 1873. The fort was reconstructed between 1962 and 1968 by the Ghanaian government. After the tour return to your hotel and have lunch. After lunch, visit Fort Metal Cross at Dixcove built by the British in 1697 and was later taken over by the Dutch. Overnight at Busua Beach Resort .

DAY 7                                                            KUMASI CITY TOUR
After breakfast at your hotel, check out and depart for a drive through the forest zone to Kumasi, the seat of the Ashanti Empire to explore the legends of the famous Ashantis, whose legacies are still evident today. After lunch, visit 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 artifacts. 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.  Dinner and overnight at hotel in Kumasi.

DAY 8                                                      ASANTI CRAFT VILLAGES
This day is devoted to visiting the three famous craft villages in Ashanti -  Ahwiaa, the wood carvers’ village, Ntonso, the home of Adinkra and Bonwire, the Kente weaving village.  You will have the opportunity to see how African crafts are made and to buy directly from the artisans who make them.  Dinner and overnight at hotel in Kumasi.

DAY 9                                                              KUMASI – ACCRA
Depart for a drive through the forest zone to Accra. Check into your hotel and have lunch at a local Ghanaian restaurant. After lunch, spend the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight at hotel in Accra.

DAY 10                                                               DEPARTURE
After breakfast, spend the remainder of the day packing and taking care of any last minute shopping. After checking out of hotel, transfer to airport for check-in and final departure back home.