10 Day Ghana Independence Tour

Arrive in Accra, Ghana. Transfer from the airport to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome drink and brief orientation. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Lodging: Hotel in Accra
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After a hearty breakfast, depart for a sightseeing tour of Accra. Your drive will take you through the administrative and economic districts of Ghana’s city capital. Over 100 years-old, Accra has a blend of colonial and contemporary architecture that symbolize the cultural mix of the city.

You will visit the W. E. B. Dubois Center for Pan African Culture, where Dr. Dubois (an academic and civil rights champion) spent two years working on a Pan-African encyclopedia under the invitation Dr. Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana’s first
President). There you will be treated to a guided tour through Dr. DuBois’ research library. You will also make stops at Independence/Black Star Square and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.

The square marks the point where three ex-military men tried to present grievances to the colonial governor and were shot during a peaceful demonstration. Nkrumah Memorial Park was created to commemorate Ghana's founding father. To the east of the square you will also get a view of Osu (formerly Christiansborg) Castle, the previous seat of the Ghanaian Presidency.

For lunch, you will be given the opportunity to sample some local Ghanaian cuisine at one of our famous “chop bar” restaurants. After lunch, you tour will take you to the Arts Centre – a large arts and crafts market where you can find handicrafts from all over Ghana and West Africa. Be prepared to use your bargaining skills as you browse the many artisan stalls. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Lodging: Hotel in Accra
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, prepare for an early morning departure to participate in Ghana’s largest national spectacle and display of color. Taking place in Black Star Square on Independence Day, each government service will be represented in full ceremonial dress.

The army, navy, air force, police, firemen, special presidential forces and a selection of schools and colleges’ parade in front of the President, invited world leaders and 30,000 spectators. Accompanied by music provided by the military mass band, cultural dancers and school children from across the country, this celebration is a truly magnificent display of Ghanaian culture and pride. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Lodging: Hotel in Accra
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel then depart for the beautiful Aburi Botanical Gardens. This eco-paradise was created in 1890 for pleasure and scientific research. It is an exceptional habitat for plants and butterflies from all around the world.

After leaving Aburi, visit the impressive woodcarver’s village, a wonderful place to pick up that special souvenir from your trip. Following lunch, depart for a scenic drive through the Central Region. Check-in at your hotel in Elmina, where you will enjoy dinner and overnight.

Lodging: Hotel in Elmina
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, depart for a tour 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 and also known 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. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Lodging: Hotel in Elmina
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast depart for a scenic drive through the historic Denkyira Kingdom to 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 a breathtaking 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.

Participate in a naming ceremony, then enjoy lunch. After lunch, spend the remainder of the day relaxing at the beach soaking up the African sun. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Lodging: Hotel in Elmina
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Depart for a scenic drive through the forest zone to Kumasi, seat of the Ashanti Empire. En route, visit “Donkor Nsuo,” the final transit point for enslaved Africans in Assin Manso, the former slave river and market. Pay homage at the final resting place for two ancestors whose mortal remains were returned from the USA and Jamaica and re-interred in Ghana.

Continue the drive further north to Kumasi, where you will explore the legend of the famous Ashanti Empire 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.

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 Accra
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, spend the day leisurely or doing last minute shopping. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Lodging: Hotel in Accra
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, spend the day at leisure or preparing for your trip back home. Transfer to the airport for check-in and departure.

Meals: Breakfast