Accra, Elmina & Kumasi (09/04 - 09/12)
Akwaaba (Welcome)! Ghana is a place where you will reconnect with the cultural and spiritual practices of your Ancestors and have an opportunity to immerse yourself in the dynamic cosmopolitan capital city of Accra and the rich cultures of the Ghanaian people. Join us on this 9 day experiential journey as we venture to Accra, Elmina and Kumasi.
DAY 01 - SEPT. 04th ARRIVE IN ACCRA, GHANA D
Arrival in Accra, Ghana and transfer to the hotel. Enjoy a welcome drink at the hotel and participate in an orientation session. Remainder of the day at leisure. Dinner included at the hotel.
Accommodation: Overnight in Accra at Lancaster Hotel - (2 Nights)
DAY 02 - SEPT. 05th CITY TOUR, NATIONAL MUSEUM & ARTS CENTER B, D
After breakfast, depart for a sightseeing tour of Accra, the Capital of Ghana and the country’s most populous city. Travel through the administrative and economic districts of Accra, see the Artiste Alliance Gallery, the W.E.B. Du Bois Center for Pan African Culture, the University of Ghana, and the Independence/Black Star Square. Learn about important events in Ghana’s history and the country’s first president who helped lead Ghana to independence. The tour continues to The National Museum of Ghana, the largest and oldest of the six museums under the administration of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board. End the day’s tour at the Arts Center, where guests can sharpen their bargaining skills to shop for goods from Ghana and West Africa in an open-air market. Return to the hotel, dinner included.
DAY 03 - SEPT. 06th CANOPY WALKWAY AND KAKUM RAINFOREST B, D
SLAVE DUNGEON EXPERIENCE (CAPE COAST CASTLE)
After breakfast, check out of the hotel and depart to Cape Coast. Drive through the historic Denkyira Kingdom to Kakum National Park, one of West Africa’s surviving tropical rain forests. Choose between a 2 km nature walk through the rain forest to discover the wide variety of exotic flora and fauna species and the medicinal values they offer or take a walk on the canopy walkway hanging 40 meters above the forest ground. After lunch (on your own), embark on a tour of 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 where you would learn about the relationship between the western slave traders and the African tribes that made the trans-Atlantic slave trade possible. It is an opportunity to be up and close with history – to stand in the dark and stuffy dungeons, imagining the experience and conditions that millions of Africans endured. This castle also houses the West African Historical Museum. Check in to the hotel, dinner included.
Accommodation: Overnight in Elmina at Ridge Royal Hotel - (2 Nights)
DAY 04 - SEPT. 07th FISHING VILLAGE TOUR & SLAVE DUNGEON (ELMINA CASTLE) B, D
After breakfast, explore Elmina, a fishing village that’s both picturesque and gritty, charming and thought provoking. What better way to appreciate it than to immerse oneself in its main industry – fishing! Meet with local fishermen to learn the intricacies of their trade and the challenges they face in their day-to-day work. Next, meet the fishmongers in the village who will demonstrate the various stages of smoking the fish in earthenware ovens. This is a unique way to experience one of Ghana’s oldest and important trades. After lunch on your own, visit Elmina Castle, also known as St. George’s Castle, which was built by the Portuguese in 1482. Here, learn about the relationship between the western slave traders and the African tribes that participated in the transatlantic slave trade. Here participants will witness the dark and stuffy dungeons local people were forced to endure before being sent on a long and perilous passage across the Atlantic. To see the truth of these conditions in person is a powerful reminder of the inhumanity of the slave trade. Return to the hotel, dinner included.
Optional - Join the group for “kasa” (talk time). Kasa provides an opportunity to learn more about Ghanaian culture or simply talk to each other and share impressions of the tour experience. Kasa discussions are led by your tour guide. This is an optional activity .
DAY 05 - SEPT. 08th ELMINA – SLAVE RIVER - ASSIN MANSO – KUMASI CITY TOUR B, D
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and 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. En route, stop at Assin Manso. Visit the site of “Donkor Nsuo”, the former Slave River and market, the final transit point for a large number of enslaved Africans. This is the final resting place for two ancestors whose mortal remains were returned from the USA and Jamaica and re-interred there. Continue your drive to Kumasi where you will visit the Manhyia Palace Museum, where you will obtain first-hand 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. Check in to the hotel, dinner included.
Accommodation: Overnight in Kumasi at Lancaster Hotel - (2 Nights)
DAY 06 - SEPT. 09th ASHANTI CRAFT VILLAGES B, D
This day is devoted to visiting the three famous Ashanti craft villages. After breakfast, depart for Ahwiaa, the woodcarvers' 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. Evening at leisure, dinner included at the hotel.
DAY 07 - SEPT. 10th KUMASI – BESEASE SHRINE – ACCRA B, D
After breakfast, check out of the hotel and depart for Accra. En route to Accra, stop on the way 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 gods. Continue back to Accra. Upon arrival, check into your hotel. Dinner included at the hotel. Accommodation: Overnight in Accra at African Regent Hotel - (2 Nights)
DAY 08 - SEPT. 11th LIVING HERITAGE CEREMONY (TORGORME VILLAGE) B, L
After breakfast, travel to a beautiful village located on the lower course of the splendid Volta River. You will pay a courtesy call on the chief and elders amidst traditional drumming and dancing by the villagers. The group will participate in a naming ceremony of recognition, where a Ghanaian name is given to participants, and a gift presented as part of celebrating a new identity as a Ghanaian and a member of the local community. Lunch included today. Return to Accra afterwards.
DAY 09 - SEPT. 12th DEPARTURE FROM ACCRA, GHANA B
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Rest of the morning and afternoon at leisure. Later in the evening, the group will be picked up and transferred back to the airport for your return flight home.
Pricing & Inclusions (Land only; airfare NOT included):
● 8 Nights hotel accommodation as per itinerary based on twin share
● Transfers and transportation by private, air-conditioned coach with driver/guide
● Arrival meet & greet guide assistance; departure guide assistance
● Sightseeing and admissions as per the itinerary
● Local taxes on accommodation and sightseeing tours, based on current rates
● Meals as indicated on itinerary (B-full breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner) subject to group terms
$4,085 per person based on double occupancy (twin share)
$5,260 for single room occupancy
Note: A minimum of 10 paying passengers is required to receive the group discount & perks.
Note: A $100 pp reservation fee is required to hold your overall space.
Note: Additional deposit may be required by the hotel subject to availability.
Note: Balance due no later than 90 days prior to arrival (June 05, 2024).
Note: Deposits are refundable up to 121 days (May 5, 2024) before departure, less $200 per person administrative fee.
Note: June 05, 2024 - passenger manifest and all flight details needed by the tour operator.
TO BOOK THIS TRIP, PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION BELOW!
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