ARRIVAL IN COTONOU

Cotonou - ARRIVAL IN COTONOU
WELCOME!!! WELCOME TO COTONOU, BENIN!!!
Upon arrival at Cotonou Cadjehoun International Airport, proceed through immigration, collect your luggage, and clear customs. Exit to meet our expert cultural tour guide, who will assist and transfer you to your hotel in a private air-conditioned vehicle. Check in and refresh. After checking in, your bilingual (English/French-speaking) guide, who will accompany you throughout your stay, will brief you on what to expect during this trip. The rest of the evening is at leisure.

Overnight at Best Western Nobila or similar

COTONOU & SURROUNDINGS

Cotonou - After a leisurely morning, embark on a city tour of Cotonou before departing for Accra. Visit the following sites: The ‘Esplanade des Amazones’, a public square featuring the ‘Amazon’, a 30-meter high statue honoring the world’s only all-female army. The Remembrance Square showcases the city’s historic splendor, including the Mathieu Garden, the former home of the late President Mathieu Kerekou, now a fragrant floral area for visitors. Also, visit the statue of the Wassangari warrior Bio Guéra on horseback. After lunch (on your own account) at a local restaurant, return to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight at Best Western Nobila or similar

COTONOU-OUIDAH-COTONOU

Cotonou - This morning, travel to Ouidah, a former slave trading post and the birthplace of Voodoo. This unforgettable visit includes the Voodoo Museum, the Sacred Forest (Kpasse Forest), the Cathedral, and the Temple of the Pythons. Continue to the common grave site, the tree of forgetfulness, and the “Gate of No Return”. There may be a welcome reception from Dagbo Hounon, high priest of the voodoo cult.

Late afternoon, return to Cotonou for overnight.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner.
Overnight at Best Western Nobila

OUIDAH – GANVIE – LOME

Ouidah - One of the highlights of any trip to West Africa is Ganvie, the African Venice. In ancient times, people sought refuge on Lake Nokoue from the feared Dahomey warriors, who were forbidden by belief to fight on water. The Ganvie people developed a unique lake culture and lifestyle, making them famous. Our boat cruise takes us along tranquil waterways and fish farms to the lake community of Ganvie. Discover these stilt-built dwellings, small floating markets, and various aspects of local daily life. After lunch (on your own account), proceed to Lome, Togo’s capital. Check-in and relax. The rest of the evening is at leisure.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight at Hotel Sarakawa or similar

LOME & SURROUNDINGS

Lome - Today, visit the slave house in Agbodrafo. From there, travel by shared boat to Togoville, a red-earth village that was the homeland of many slaves taken to Haiti, who were members of the voodoo cult. Here, find magic remedies and voodoo charms used to cast powerful spells. Sample some potent herbal teas prepared by a village herbalist.

Upon returning to Lome, Togo’s capital, enjoy a panoramic sightseeing tour of the city’s main features such as Independence Square, National Museum, Craftsmen village, Central market with traditional articles, the fishing harbor, Fetish market with sacred magic products, and the Grand Marche where pearls are sold.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner.
Overnight at Hotel Sarakawa or similar

LOME -TAFI- HO

Lome - Highlights: · Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary After a well-deserved breakfast, check out of the hotel for departure to Accra. At the Togo & Ghana border, complete immigration formalities before crossing into Ghana. Follow the coast dotted with Ewe villages, tranquil lagoons, and tropical vegetation. Visit Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, where the endangered but playful true Mona monkeys are considered sacred and protected. Walk on a well-cleared trail and view the monkeys in their natural habitat. Continue to Akosombo, arriving late afternoon. Transfer and check in to your hotel. Dinner at the hotel.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner.
Overnight at Volta Serene Hotel or similar

HO – AMEDZOFE -HO

Amedzofe - Visit Amedzofe and go hiking on Mount Gemi after breakfast. Today, hike up the mountain to a lovely waterfall in the valley. The 4-meter-tall large cross on the top of Mt. Gemi was constructed by German missionaries in the 1930s, along with a church and a bell tower situated on one of the highest points in the village.

A nice visitor center with a small gift shop is located in the center of the village across from the main square and market to get a few souvenirs.

Continue to the Wli Waterfalls (after lunch). Wli Waterfalls, the largest and highest waterfall in Ghana, is divided into two sections with ice-cold water flowing from about 80ft. En route to the waterfall, hike through the Agumatsa Forest, crossing the same river eleven times before reaching the breathtaking falls. Drive back to the hotel for overnight.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight at Volta Serene Hotel

HO – TAFO- KUMASI

Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary And Cultural Village - After a leisurely breakfast, depart for Kumasi, the seat of the Ashanti Empire, to explore the legends of the famous Ashantis, whose legacies are still evident today. Stop at the Cocoa Research Institute. Examine and touch cocoa pods, learn how cocoa beans are processed into chocolate and other by-products like cocoa liquor, black soap, and cocoa pomade. Before leaving for Kumasi, enjoy a hot cocoa beverage and a bite of Ghanaian Chocolate. Research and Development (R & D) in the areas of utilization i.e., processing, storage, and development of by-products from fresh cocoa pod residues, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, cashew apple, cashew kernel, Shea fruit, and butter. Upon arrival late afternoon, enjoy a drive through the city with monuments dedicated to the memory of the great Ashanti people. Check into your hotel and prepare for dinner.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner.
Overnight at Lancaster Kumasi

KUMASI

Kumasi - After a leisurely breakfast, visit the Ashanti Craft villages starting with the woodcarving village of Ahwiaa, known for talented craftsmen who fashion royal stools, walking sticks, and fertility dolls from wood. Purchase hand-carved items.

The next stop is the village of Ntonso, where artisans hand stamp patterns on cotton cloth to make Adinkra textiles. The third village is Bonwire, where the famous Kente Cloth is handmade on looms in a time-honored tradition passed down through generations. Observe the various Kente weavers creating colorful Kente cloth in various styles and try your hand at this special process.

Complete the day’s tour at the Manhyia Palace Museum, the official residence of Ashanti Kings (Asantehene) until 1974, now a museum containing treasured items relating to the Ashanti Kingdom.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner.
Overnight at Lancaster Kumasi or similar

KUMASI-ASSIN MANSO-ELMINA

Assin Manso - Highlights:
· Assin Manso Slave River
· Elmina Township

Today, depart for another adventure in the coastal lands of Ghana - Elmina & Cape Coast. En route, stop at Assin Manso, the burial site of two former slaves from the USA and Jamaica, whose remains were re-interred in August 1998 during Ghana’s first Emancipation Day Celebration. Visit “the Slave River” or “Donkor Nsuo” to see where captured Africans were washed before being confined in the Slave Castles to await shipment to the Americas and Caribbean.

Arrive in Elmina, enjoy the sights of the many colorful fishing boats bringing their daily catch into the harbor, and take the opportunity to mix with the locals at the nearby market. A short distance from the market, visit the boat builders, still constructing colorful fishing boats using traditional tools and methods spanning centuries.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner.
Overnight at Ridge Royal Hotel or similar

CAPE COAST & SURROUNDINGS

Cape Coast Castle - Highlights:
· Elmina/St. George’s Castle
· Cape Coast Castle

Today, visit Cape Coast Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The castle is a thought-provoking monument to a harrowing period in the region’s history. Take an emotional journey through the castle, which held more enslaved Africans than any other in the region, viewing the dungeons and the infamous “Door of No Return”. Inside, a significant historical museum explains the history of the castle and Cape Coast itself. Purchase literature on Ghana’s forts and castles, as well as the cultural history and traditions of Ghana. Next, visit Elmina Castle, another World Heritage site.

Return to the hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner.
Overnight at Ridge Royal Hotel or similar

ELMINA – KAKUM – ACCRA

Elmina - This morning, visit Kakum National Park, one of Ghana’s most famous parks. Take a brief walking tour on the forest floor; see birds, butterflies, and perhaps catch a glimpse of the forest’s over 40 species of mammals, including monkeys and the reclusive forest elephant. Proceed to the canopy walkway. Kakum is home to Africa’s only aerial walkway through the treetops, a 1000-foot-long and seven-bridge walkway with viewing platforms that reach heights of over 150 feet above ground.

Return to Accra after lunch (on your own account). Transfer to your hotel; dinner at the hotel.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner.
Overnight at Accra City Hotel or similar

ACCRA

Accra zoo - Our day tour begins with a visit to the W.E.B DuBois Centre, honoring the life of the prominent Pan-Africanist who chose to live and work in Ghana. Continue on a scenic drive through the principal streets of Accra and view the Flagstaff House (Ghana’s White House) on the way to the Ghana National Museum. Visit the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the final resting place of Ghana’s first president, driving past Independence Square where you will see the enclosed flame of African liberation, lit by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in 1961. Experience firsthand African shopping at the Accra Arts and Crafts Centre for authentic African arts, crafts, and wear. After lunch (on your own account), make a picturesque stop at the Independence Arch and the Black Star Square. Complete the day’s exploration with a visit to the La Township to see uniquely-designed special caskets at Teshie and Nungua.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner.
Overnight at Accra City Hotel or similar

ACCRA-DEPART

Accra - Today is at leisure until you are transferred to the airport for your onward flight.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast

• Assistance upon arrival and departure
• Daily breakfast
• Bottled water provided daily
• Guidance from an experienced tour guide
• Private vehicle transportation
• Hotel stays at indicated properties
• Round-trip airport/hotel transfers
• Admission to all listed sites

• Visas and Round trip international flight
• Travel insurance
• Gratuity for driverand guide
• Meals not listed
• Personal expenses

Explore Ghana, Togo and Benin on this 14 day in-depth tour. Start in Accra, travel to Cape Coast visit the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Cape Coast Castles. Visit Kumasi the capital of Ashanti Kingdom of Gold: Ho, Wli Fall in the Volta Region. In Togo visit the Lome Central Market, Lake Togo and Ouidah the birthplace of Vodoo. Visit Ganvie “ the Venice of Africa’ in Benin.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.