10 Day Footprint Tour
For Reduced Group Reservations Contact Us:
Email: travelafrica@landtours.com

Important Note to Client:

** Please note that this itinerary and costing will have to be customized to suit which ever birth region/village you may have traced your roots to.

Day 1                            ARRIVAL IN GHANA
You will be met at the airport by representatives of Land Tours and transferred to your hotel. Where you will be served a chilled welcome drink as you are given a brief orientation of your tour program. Relax and overnight in your hotel.

Day 2                            ACCRA CITY TOUR
After a hearty breakfast, depart for a sightseeing tour of Ghana’s capital city, Accra. Your drive will take you through the administrative and economic districts of the city capital. This 130-year-old city has a blend of colonial and contemporary architecture that symbolizes the cultural mix of the city.
Some points of interest during your tour are the W. E. B. Dubois Center for Pan African Culture – This is the center where Dr. Dubois (an academic and civil rights champion) spent the last 2 years working on a Pan-African encyclopedia under the invitation Dr. Nkrumah. You will be given a guided tour through his research library. The pinnacle point of the tour is the visit to the Independence Black Star/Square and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park – the square marks the point where three ex-military men tried to present grievances to the colonial governor and were shot during a peaceful demonstration; to the east of the square you will also get a view of the present presidential seat at the Osu Castle (formerly Christiansborg Castle). On the other hand the Nkrumah Memorial Park was created as a grand memorabilia of the founder of Ghana, pointing the way forward.
For lunch you will be given the opportunity to sample some local Ghanaian cuisine at one of our famous “chop bars” – local restaurant. A favorite for most tourists is the “fufu”, a starchy meal with a dough-like consistency.
After lunch, visit the Arts Centre – a large arts and crafts market where you can find handicrafts from all over Ghana and West Africa; here you will have the opportunity to use your bargaining skills.
Your tour will end with a visit to the Coffin Makers Shop at Teshie (a suburb of Accra). Here you will get the chance to see how different coffins are carved by hand into various forms, representative of the occupation, interest or hobby of the deceased. After a long day return to your hotel to relax.

Day 3                            FAMILY REUNION
This morning after going through Ghana’s middle belt, en-route you will pass through Ghana’s main forest zone to “Ejisu” a town in the Ashanti Region. On arrival you will be taken to meet the village Chief – a person who holds the leadership position for the village, nothing major takes place in the village without the approval of the village Chief. The Village Chief then adopts you into a family; making the necessary introductions between you and your “Abusuapani” - Family head. With your new introduced family, you will be given a narration of your family history along with folk stories (Anansesem) so you can be better informed of your roots and cultural heritage.

Later, depart for a tour of the village, ending up at the Paramount Chiefs Palace; where you will then be introduced as one of the village citizens. After this long and emotional day return to your hotel for a goodnights rest.

Day 4                                                         NAMING CEREMONY
This day will be spent in celebration by reclaiming your real and true African name. You will be led in a procession to the Paramount Chief’s Palace grounds where the whole village has already assembled with the Paramount Chief ready to perform the special naming ceremony which begin after a round of hearty welcome and speeches. Participating in the naming ceremony are no less than a few hundred locals.

The naming ceremony, a spiritual and memorable experience begins with the drumming of the “frontomfrom” drums and dancing performed by the local-village dancers who will also extend an invitation to the group to participate in the unique cultural dance. After which your family head and elders of your village will jointly select a name for you after a great personality in your family or community.

Day 5                                                 KUMASI CITY TOUR / ASHANTI CRAFT VILLAGES
After breakfast, visit the Manhyia Palace Museum – to get the sense of a day in the life of an Ashanti ruler (Asantehene), and to also 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.  Your next stop is the National Cultural Center; this features the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum and various studios of the brass makers, potters and batik makers. After your tour depart for a drive to Elmina City located in the Central Region, en-route visit the Craft Villages - Ahwiaa, which is known for its woodcarving and Bonwire which specializes in “Kente” weaving. Continue on to your hotel in Elmina for some much needed rest.

Day 6            CAPE COAST AND ELMINA SLAVE CASTLES
Today’s tour will highlight the infamous Forts, Castles and Slave Dungeons of Ghana. Here you will experience the physical evidence of the slave trade whose impact is still felt beyond the shores of Africa today.

Visit the Cape Coast Castle built by the Swedes in 1653; which 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 also known as St. George's Castle.  This castle was the first European structure built in Sub – Saharan Africa. Be mindful of the colorful harbor which nestles below the Elmina Castle, full of pirogues preparing to go to sea, this sight offers one of West Africa’s greatest photo opportunities.

On return to your hotel participate in “KASA” (Talk Time) as everyone shares his or her experience about the tour so far and their life experiences. Overnight at hotel in Elmina.

Day 7                            KAKUM NATIONAL PARK
After a hearty breakfast, and following check-out formalities depart to explore the historic Denkyira Kingdom particularly Kakum National Park, one of West Africa’s surviving tropical rain forests. Extending over 360sq km of diverse and dense vegetation, a blend of true rainforest and semi deciduous forest. 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 40m above the forest floor.
You will be given a choice between a 2km nature walk through the forest to discover the wide variety of exotic floral species and the medicinal values they offer or be even more daring and take a walk on the canopy walkway.
After your day hike, you have the option of having lunch at the Kakum Rainforest Café which sells a variation of snacks to local Ghanaian meals.
After lunch depart for your return drive to Accra. On arrival go through check-in formalities and overnight in Accra.

Day 8                               ABURI BOTANICAL GARDENS/ KOKROBITEY (Sundays Only)
After breakfast, depart for a drive to Aburi Botanical Gardens - this eco-paradise created in 1890 is home to a variety of tropical and sub-tropical plants and trees. The oldest tree on the grounds is older than 155 years old, which has survived through the British Colonial Era. You can opt to have lunch on the grounds of the garden, which has served as a beautiful picnic location to many a tourist.
After lunch, your tour will take you to the wonderful Woodcarvers’ Village, a great place to pick up that special souvenir from your trip.
On your return to Accra pay a visit to the Kokrobitey African Arts and Music Academy and experience a wonderful traditional dance performance by some of Ghana’s best drumming and dance ensembles. They will soothe and excite you with their music, entertain you with their dance and thrill you with their acrobatic stunts.
After an exhilarating day, return to the hotel for relaxation and overnight.

DAY 9                                               DAY AT LEISURE
After breakfast, spend the remainder of the day at leisure in preparation towards your journey back home. You can opt to do some last minute shopping on this day. Overnight at hotel in Accra.