10 Day Forts and Castles Tour

Arrive in Accra, Ghana. Transfer to your hotel where you will receive welcome greetings and an orientation. Depending on time of arrival, you will be welcomed with cultural drumming and dancing. Overnight at your hotel.

Lodging: Hotel in Accra
Meals:

After breakfast, embark on a sightseeing city tour of Accra. You will drive through the administrative and economic districts of Accra, the capital of Ghana. This city is well over 100 years old and 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, the place where Dr. Dubois (an American academic and civil rights champion) spent the last two years of his life working on a Pan-African encyclopedia under the invitation of the first Ghanaian president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

Next, you will visit Independence/ Black Star Square and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, significant landmarks in the city which are of immense historical and cultural value. Lunch will be on your own in a local Ghanaian restaurant. The Accra tour will end with a visit to the Arts Center, where you will have an opportunity to use your bargaining skills to shop for artifacts from Ghana and West Africa in an open-air market. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Lodging: Hotel in Accra
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, depart for a drive to the Central Region to explore the infamous forts, castles and slave dungeons of Ghana. On this tour you will experience the physical history of the slave trade, the impact of which is still felt beyond the shores of Africa today. Visit the Cape Coast Castle, which was built by the Swedes in 1653 and later taken over by the British. The castle also houses the West African Historical Museum, established by the Smithsonian Institute in collaboration with the Ghanaian Government in 1994.

After lunch, visit the Elmina Castle built by the Portuguese in 1482 as St. George's Castle. This castle was the first European structure built in Sub – Saharan Africa. Spend a moment admiring the colorful harbor nestled just below Elmina Castle. Full of pirogues preparing to go to sea, this site offers one of West Africa’s greatest photo opportunities. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Lodging: Hotel in Elmina
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast at your hotel, depart to explore the historic Denkyira Kingdom, particularly Kakum National Park. Kakum is one of West Africa’s surviving tropical rain forests, spanning over 360sq km and filled with diverse and dense vegetation. A blend of true rainforest and semi deciduous forest, Kakum is the home to over 40 large mammals, 400 bird species and an array of butterflies, flora and fauna.

The most popular attraction in the forest is the canopy walkway which is made up of seven bridges extending 330m and hanging 40m above the forest floor. You will be given the choice to walk the canopy or enjoy a 2km nature walk through the forest to discover the wide variety of exotic floral species and the medicinal values they offer.

After lunch, visit Fort St. Jago, built by the Dutch in 1665 on St. George Hill. It is from this vantage point that the Dutch launched their successful land attack on Elmina Castle in 1637. The fort was built primarily to provide military protection to the Elmina Castle and to serve as a disciplinary institution for European convicts. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Lodging: Hotel in Elmina
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. Depart for a drive along the coast to Sekondi and Takoradi in the Western Region. Visit Fort St. Sebastian and Fort Orange at Shama and Sekondi. These Forts were built as Dutch lodges in 1526 and 1640 respectively, and were used to store gold, palm nuts and slaves before being shipped to Europe.

In the afternoon, drive through the city of Takoradi to experience the bustling market circle environment, the harbor, and a woodcarvers’ village where you will find a vast selection of the best quality wood products available anywhere. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Lodging: Hotel at Busua Beach
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Depart after breakfast for a drive to Beyin. Visit Fort Appolonia, one of the less-travelled forts where you will get a real feel of the haunting history of the slave trade. The fort was built by the British in 1770, bombarded in 1873 and reconstructed between 1962 and 1968 by the Ghanaian government. You will also visit Fort Metal Cross at Dixcove which was built by the British in 1697 and later taken over by the Dutch. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Lodging: Hotel at Busua Beach
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and depart for a drive through the forest zone to Kumasi, the seat of the Ashanti Empire. Explore the legend of the famous Ashantis at the Manhyia Palace Museum. There you will get a sense of a day in the life of an Ashanti ruler (Asantehene). At the museum, you will also obtain firsthand information on the legacies of the Ashanti kingdom, a regal history that dates back to 1700 and is told with relics and artifacts.

Next, enjoy a drive through the city of Kumasi to view monuments dedicated to the memory of great Ashanti people. End the day’s tour at the National Cultural Center, featuring the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum and the studios of various potters, brass and batik makers. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Lodging: Hotel in Kumasi
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

This day is devoted to visiting the three famous craft villages in the Ashanti Region: Ahwiaa (the woodcarvers’ village), Ntonso (the home of Adinkra) and Bonwire (the Kente weaving village). You will have the opportunity to see how West African crafts are made and buy directly from the artisans who make them. After lunch, depart for a drive through the forest zone back to Accra. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Lodging: Hotel in Kumasi
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Depart for a drive through the forest zone to Accra. Upon arrival, check in at your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Accra.

Lodging: Hotel in Accra
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Spend the day at leisure or last minute shopping. Early evening transfer to the airport for check-in and departure.

Meals: Breakfast