10 Day Ghana Cultural Tour

Day 1                          ARRIVE IN ACCRA
Arrive in Accra, Ghana. Transfer from airport to your hotel. Welcome drink and orientation. 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. This 132-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 on your own 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. 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 the impact of which is still felt beyond the shores of Africa today. Visit the Cape Coast Castle built by the Swedes in 1653 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.  Later, 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 nestled below the Elmina Castle, full of pirogues preparing to go to sea offers one of West Africa’s best picture perfect opportunities.  Overnight at hotel in Elmina

Day 4                           KAKUM NATIONAL PARK/ POSUBAN
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. Spend the remainder of the afternoon at the beach after a visit 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.  Overnight at hotel in Elmina

Day 5                                                        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. Overnight at hotel in Kumasi.

Day 6                                                ASHANTI 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. Overnight at hotel in Kumasi.

Day 7                           AKOSOMBO
Depart hotel for a scenic drive to Akosombo in the Eastern Region.  Check in at hotel. Later, depart for a tour of Akosombo Dam.  Overnight at hotel in Akosombo.

Day 8                           VOLTA RIVER BOAT CRUISE (Saturdays and Sundays only)
Breakfast at hotel. Depart to Akosombo Port to cruise on the largest man-made lake in the world, the Lake Volta. Aboard the “Dodi Princess” you will dance to the sweet sounds of live highlife music played by the cruise boat resident band. Enjoy the calm of the lake and bask in the beauty of the mountain scenery and surrounding. Lunch will be served on board.  Return to Accra in late afternoon.  Overnight at hotel in Accra.

Day 9                                                        NAMING CEREMONY*, SHOPPING
After breakfast, depart for a scenic drive to a beautiful village located on the lower course of the splendid Volta River. You will have the opportunity to pay a courtesy call on the paramount chief and elders amidst traditional drumming and dancing by the villages and also participate in a naming ceremony, where you will be given a traditional African name. Other activities include a demonstration of pottery making which is the main occupation of the women in the village.

Return to Accra, where you will spend the remainder of the day at leisure or shopping. depart for a visit to Ghana’s unique shopping spots. Visit Aid to Artisan Ghana (ATAG) and SunTrade for crafts and Mawuli Okudzeto for beautiful unisex African clothing and the Accra Shopping Mall for a shopping spree! For those who would prefer to relax, they can check into their hotel and spend the day relaxing by the swimming pool soaking up the African sun. 

DAY 10                                                 FAREWELL / 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.