Day 1: Accra
Upon arrival in Accra, meet your guide & drive to the hotel. Check in & begin a brief orientation about Ghanaian culture & your time in Ghana. Afterward, you can enjoy a traditional dinner at the hotel & settle in for the evening.
Day 2: Accra
Begin your sightseeing tour of Accra with a drive to the administrative & economic districts, where you can observe a blend of colonial & modern architecture. Your guide will explain the timeline of these buildings & their significance in the city’s history. Afterward, you will visit the W.E.B. Du Bois Center & a few memorials like the Black Star Square, Nkrumah Memorial Park & the Osu Castle. Dr. Du Bois was an African American activist & author who dedicated his last two years of life to write the Encyclopedia Africana. Enjoy lunch at a local “chop-bar” followed by a tour of the city’s art center, an open-air craft market where you can barter for local goods. Return to the hotel for dinner & spend the evening at your leisure.
Day 3: Accra – Elmina
Check out of the hotel & begin the drive to Elmina, a coastal city best known as the first point of contact in Sub-Saharan Africa. The first stop of the day is the Cape Coast Castle. This fortress was built in 1653 & is home to the West African Historical Museum. You will learn about its origins - built by the Swedes, later taken over by the British & eventually made into one of Africa’s many “slave castles”. Then, visit another famous fortress, the Elmina Castle, constructed in 1482. Here, many slaves were kept in harsh conditions & often tortured before being shipped to the New World. Return to your hotel for dinner. The rest of the night is free to do as you please.
Day 4: Elmina – Posuban
Depart for Kakum National Park & spend the morning exploring Ghana’s flora & fauna. The park is full of dense rainforest & home to over 40 animals & 400 different species of birds. You can choose to walk along the canopy bridge or through the forest to see the park’s unique plant life. The rest of the afternoon can be spent on the beach near the Posuban Military Shrine, where the Asofo soldiers prepare for battle. Check in to your hotel & enjoy dinner.
Day 5: Posuban – Kumasi
Today, you will learn about the Ashanti people & their vibrant history. First, you will visit the Manhyia Palace Museum where you can learn about the legend of this ethnic group’s namesake & get a first-hand look at the life of an Ashanti king. The afternoon will start with a tour of Kumasi to visit a variety of monuments, followed by a tour around the National Culture Center. The center also features the Jubilee Museum as well as a variety of pottery studios where you can meet local craftsmen & watch them work. Afterward, check in to your hotel, enjoy dinner & retire for the evening.
Day 6: Kumasi
Drive east to the small town of Akosombo where you will spend the afternoon at the Akosombo Dam. This hydroelectric dam is over 2,000 feet wide & towers to about 375 feet. It provides enough electricity to power Ghana & a few neighboring countries. Check in to your hotel & enjoy a traditional dinner before retiring for the evening.
Day 7: Akosombo – Accra
Spend your day floating across Lake Volta on a river boat cruise! Volta is the largest man-made lake in the world & is home to the Akosombo Dam. On the ship, you can dance to music, eat a delicious lunch & relax as you take in the surrounding mountainous landscape. That afternoon, you will return to Accra where you will check in to your hotel & enjoy dinner.
Day 8: Accra
On your last full day in Ghana, you can enjoy breakfast at the hotel & drive to a village nestled along the Volta River. Your guide will instruct you on how to respectfully greet the village chief & elders upon arrival. Here, you will experience the rural Ghanaian way of life, which includes an exciting time of music & dance with the villagers. You can even participate in a special ceremony where you will be given a traditional African name! Members of the village will share what their average day entails. You can also observe local female artisans at work & learn about their lives as they create intricate pieces of pottery.
Then, return to the city to shop around Accra’s many markets, stores & malls. Or you can head to the beach & enjoy the crystal blue waters of the South Atlantic Ocean. Return to your hotel & enjoy the rest of the evening.
Day 9: Accra
Enjoy a hearty breakfast, pack up & check out of the hotel. You can spend a few hours around the city before transferring to the airport & preparing for departure.