10 Day Pilgrimage and Culture Tour in Ivory Coast and Ghana

Arrive in Abidjan. Transfer from airport to your hotel. Check into your hotel and relax for the rest of the evening. Overnight at Hotel in Abidjan - 3/4 star (Meals Included: Breakfast)

After breakfast, embark on a sightseeing tour of Abidjan. Serving as the capital, Abidjan is the biggest and most important city of Cote d'Ivoire. With a population of around 6,500,000 people, it is the second largest city in West Africa after Lagos. Today, Abidjan remains the economic and cultural capital of the country. You will visit the public zoo of Abidjan, where you can see many exotic animals.

Later depart for a 15 minute drive to visit the Musée National of Abidjan which has a very large collection of over 20,000 objects, including wooden statues and masks, pottery, ivory and bronze. Afterwards, visit the “Trechville market” where you will have the chance to get all your souvenirs (jewellery, clothes, cloths, pagnes, and woodcrafts).

Overnight at Hotel in Abidjan - 3/4 Star (Meals Included: Breakfast)

After breakfast, depart your hotel and drive to Yamoussoukro, the administrative capital of Côte d'Ivoire and home to the late president Felix Houphouët Boigny. Visit the Basilica of “Оur Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro”, constructed between 1985 and 1989.

After lunch on your own, explore the city of Yamoussoukro, home to the Presidential Palace, which is now used by relatives of the late president Felix Houphouët Boigny. You might be able to approach the estate by crossing а small bridge across an artificial lake, teeming with dozens of crocodiles. They are fed in the late afternoon, providing а guaranteed safe close-up view of this ferocious reptile. Drive back to Abidjan.

Overnight at Hotel in Abidjan - 3/4 Star(Meals Included: Breakfast)

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and depart from Abidjan for a scenic drive to Takoradi with a stop at Grand-Bassam. Tour the colonial city of Grand-Bassam, the former French settlement, and home to many colonial buildings.
You will also visit the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand-Bassam and the Côte d'Ivoire National Museum of Costume. Upon arrival in Takoradi, check into your hotel and relax.

Overnight at Hotel in Takoradi - 3/4 star (Meals Included: Breakfast)

feet above the forest floor. Choose between a 2km nature walk through this forest to discover the wide variety of exotic floral species and the medicinal values they offer or take a walk on the canopy walkway.

Afterwards, embark on a tour of the infamous Forts, Castles and Slave Dungeons of Ghana. History will unfold the story of the slave trade of which's impact is still felt beyond the shores of Africa today. Visit the Cape Coast Castle built by the Swedes in 1653 and later taken over by the British. This castle also houses the West African Historical Museum established by the Smithsonian Institute in collaboration with the Ghanaian Government in 1994.

Overnight at Hotel in Cape Coast - 3/4 star (Meals Included: Breakfast.)

Early morning after breakfast, depart your hotel and 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. The colourful harbour nestled below the Elmina Castle, full of pirogues preparing to go to sea offers one of West Africa’s greatest photo opportunities.

Later in the afternoon, embark on a guided walking tour of Elmina, which was the first point of European contact in Sub-Saharan Africa. It was once the most cosmopolitan city in Tropical Africa.

Climb the Jago Hill to Fort Saint Jargo, a station used by the Dutch as a post to snatch the Elmina Castle from the Portuguese. You will be thrilled by the various Colonial Dutch Cemeteries as well as the colorful Asafo (Fante Traditional Soldiers) posts with their philosophical symbols.

Overnight at Hotel in Cape Coast/Elmina - 3/4 Star (Meals Included: Breakfast)

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 legacy is still evident today. En route, stop at Assin Manso. Visit the site of “Donkor Nsuo”, a 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 Manhyia Palace Museum to obtain firsthand information on the legacy of the Ashanti kingdom. A regal history that dates back to 1700 is told with relics and artefacts. 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 brass makers, potters and batik makers.

Overnight at Hotel in Kumasi - 3/4 Star (Meals Included: Breakfast)

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and depart to Accra. En route, visit the Besease shrine, a world heritage site. The Besease Shrine is a traditional fetish shrine near the town of Ejisu. Each of these shrines is 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. Upon arrival in Accra, check into your hotel.

Overnight at Hotel in Accra - 3/4 Star (Meals Included: Breakfast).

After breakfast, depart for a sightseeing tour of Accra. You will drive through the administrative and economic districts of Accra, the capital of Ghana. This 137-yearold city has a blend of colonial and modern architecture that summarizes her history. You will visit the W. E. B. Dubois Centre for Pan African Culture, Independence/Black Star Square and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.

End your tour at the Arts Centre where you will have an opportunity to use your bargaining skills to shop from an open-air market for artefacts from Ghana and West Africa.

Overnight at Hotel in Accra - 3/4 Star (Meals included: Breakfast)

After breakfast, spend the day doing last minute shopping and touring the city of Accra. Later in the day, transfer to the airport for check-in and final departure back home.