10 Day Togo, Ghana and Benin Cultural Tour

DAY 1                          AKWAABA - WELCOME
Arrive in Accra, Ghana..  Transfer from airport to your hotel. Depending on time of arrival, you will be welcomed with cultural drumming and dancing. 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                         KAKUM NATIONAL PARK / CAPE COAST CASTLE
Breakfast at hotel. 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 40m above the forest floor. 

You can opt to have lunch on your own at Hans Cottage Botel while watching the resident crocodiles and busy weaver birds. Later, 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 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. 

DAY 4                                    KUMASI CITY TOUR
After breakfast check out and depart your hotel for a scenic drive through the forest zone to Kumasi, seat of the Ashanti Empire to explore the legends of the famous Ashantis, whose legacies are still evident today.  Upon arrival visit Manhyia Palace Museum, the home and office of former Asante’s kings. A regal history that dates back to 1700 is told with relics and artifacts. Visit Fort St. George built by Nana Osei Tutu Kwamena in 1820 with the assistance from the Dutch and now serving as the Military Museum. Later, enjoy a drive through the city to see the many 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 5                                    ASANTI CRAFT VILLAGES
This day is devoted to visiting the three famous Ashanti craft villages. After breakfast depart for Ahwiaa, the wood carvers’ village, Ntonso, the home of Adinkra cloth and Bonwire, the Kente weaving village. You will have an opportunity to see how African crafts are made and to buy directly from the artisans who make them.  Later, depart for a scenic drive through the forest zone to Accra.  Overnight at hotel in Accra.

Day 6                                                 ACCRA – LOME, TOGO
Depart Accra to Lome.  Upon arrival, check in and embark on an insightful tour of the city.  Visit Grand Marche, Marche des Feticheurs, Musee National, Place de I’ Independence.  Overnight at hotel Lome, Togo.

Day 7                         LOME - OUIDAH - COTONOU
Breakfast at hotel.  Depart for a visit to Ouidah, the cradle of African Traditional Religion, en-route to Cotonou. Tour the temple dedicated to the sacred Python, which is believed to give vitality and protection; you will also pay a visit to the sacred forest which houses many shrines dedicated to various deities. Visit the historical Museum of Ouidah located in an old Portuguese fort built in 1721. This Museum portrays Benin's role in the Atlantic Slave Trade. Later, visit the Port of No Return; a monument built by the Benin Government to commemorate the Africans that were taken from the Dahomey Empire during the Slave Trade. Continue the journey northwards to Cotonou. overnight at your hotel in Cotonou

Day 8                                 COTONOU – GANVIE

Make a sensational visit to Ganvie (the village on water), commonly referred to as the Venice of West Africa. Witness first hand, the people of Ganvie carrying out their daily routine as vendors in dugout canoes pile high with wares, transacting commerce with one another and with tourists. You will enjoy shopping on the floating market and taking a relaxing canoe ride on the waterways of this exotic 300-year-old village.  Later, drive through the multicolored center of the administrative and commercial capital of Benin to view it’s many statues and monuments.   Overnight at hotel in Cotonou. 

Day 9                                     COTONOU– ACCRA
After breakfast, depart Cotonou for Accra via Lome. Stop over at Lome for lunch and then continue to Accra.  Overnight at hotel in Accra. 

DAY 10                          DAY AT LEISURE / DEPARTURE
Today is reserved as your day at Leisure or for any last minute shopping. Early evening transfer to airport for check-in. Departure back home.