Fascinating Ghana

We are met at the airport and transferred to our hotel for check-in. After a Welcome drink and orientation from our guide we have the rest of the day at leisure.

Accommodation: 2 Nights

After breakfast, we will be met by our guide for a city tour of Accra. We will drive through the administrative and economic districts of Accra, the capital of Ghana. This 139-year-old city has a blend of colonial and modern architecture that summarizes her history. We will view the Christiansburg Castle in Osu, which originally belonged to the Danish before been sold to the Dutch. Later we will visit the W. E. B. Dubois Centre for Pan African Culture, Independence/ Black Star Square and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. Later we continue our tour with a visit to the Arts Centre where we will have an opportunity to use our bargaining skills to shop from an open-air market for artefacts from Ghana and West Africa.

After breakfast, we check out of our in Accra and depart for Cape Coast. Upon arrival, we embark on a tour of the infamous Forts, Castles and Slave Dungeons of Ghana. History will unfold the story of the infamous slave-trade and its ongoing impact on distant shores to this day. We will also 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. 

Later we 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. The colourful harbour nestled below the Elmina Castle, full of pirogues preparing to go to sea offers one of West Africa’s greatest photo opportunities. 

After dinner participate in KASA (Talk Time) - An opportunity to learn more about Ghanaian culture or simply talk to each other and share information about the experiences you are having on the tour. (This activity will be led by the tour guide).

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 made up of seven bridges extending 330m, hanging 100 feet above the forest floor. We can 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, we continue the tour to the Posuban Military Shrine where the Asafo companies, (Fanti traditional soldiers), prepare spiritually for war. These shrines are wonderful examples of how art continues to be used in the daily lives of Ghanaians.

After breakfast, we check out of our hotel and drive through the forest zone to Kumasi to the seat of the Ashanti Empire to explore the legends of the famous Ashanti’s, whose legacies are still evident today. We stop at Assin Manso and visit the site of “Donkor Nsuo”, the former Slave River and market and the final transit point for a large number of enslaved Africans. This site is the final resting place for two ancestors whose mortal remains were safely returned from the USA and Jamaica and re-interred here. Afterwards, we continue our drive to Kumasi. Upon arrival, visit the Manhyia Palace Museum to obtain firsthand information on the legacies of the Ashanti kingdom. A regal history that dates back to 1700 reveals itself through a fascinating display of relics and artefacts. 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 featuring the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum and various studios of the brass makers, potters and batik makers

Accommodation: 2 Nights

This day is devoted to visiting the three famous Ashanti craft villages: Ahwiaa, the wood carvers’ village, Ntonso, the home of Adinkra cloth, and Bonwire, the Kente weaving village. We will have an opportunity to see how African crafts are made and to buy directly from the artisans who make them. 

After dinner on your own, participate in KASA (TALK TIME) - An opportunity learn more about Ghanaian culture or simply talk to each other and share information about the experiences you are having on the tour. (This activity will be led by the tour guide).

After breakfast, we check out of our hotel and head back to Accra. En route to Accra we stop at Besease Shrine, a world heritage site. The Besease Shrine is a traditional fetish shrine near the town of Ejisu. Each of these shrines is a home for a particular spirit, called Obosom that mediates between mortals and the supreme god Nyame. Observe the unique architecture and experience the mode of ancestral worship to the ancient. After our tour, we drive to Accra and spend the rest of our day at leisure.

After breakfast, we check out of our hotel to visit the School of the Deaf in Tema. Here, the students have put their disability aside by keeping African traditional cultural performances alive. We will see how these unique students express themselves through art, music, cultural dancing and painting, all integral components of Ghanaian Culture. During our visit. we will also have the opportunity to learn about sign language or play football or other forms of interaction with the students. After lunch on our own, we transfer to airport for check-in and final departure back home.