Panafest 2025 – Pilgrimage, Homecoming and Atonement Experience

Ghana, West Africa

Panafest 2025 – Pilgrimage, Homecoming and Atonement Experience

per person

Journey to Salaga where the descendants of slave raiders will seek atonement from descendants of the enslaved in a symbolic ritual. This PANAFEST package takes you through a poignant reflection of the past, present and eager anticipation of the future of Africa through celebrations of art, music, film and dance.

Embark on a profound journey through Ghana’s historical and cultural landscapes with our 10-day Pilgrimage, Atonement, and Homecoming Experience. This tour is meticulously designed to provide an immersive experience into the rich heritage, offering opportunities for reflection, cultural connection, and personal growth. A significant experience is the Atonement ceremony where descendants of slave raiders in Salaga, a town in Northern Ghana known for capturing Africans, seek forgiveness from descendants of enslaved Africans through an emotional ceremony. As part of the tour, you will also experience Panafest, a world renowned pan- African biennial cultural event that promotes and enhances unity among Africans and people of African descent.
  • Destination
  • Included
    Airport Transfers
    Breakfast
    Entry Fees
    Personal Guide
  • Not Included
    5 Star Accommodation
1
July 24, 2025 - AKWAABA – WELCOME

Arrive in Accra, Ghana where you will be met at the airport by your guide and chauffeur and transferred to your hotel for check in.

Overnight at Lancaster Accra Hotel or similar

Meals Included: Dinner at the Hotel.

2
July 25, 2025 - ACCRA CITY TOUR

After breakfast, depart for a sightseeing tour of Accra, the Capital of Ghana. Experience the city’s highlights during this Accra orientation. The capital of Ghana since 1877, Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region. In addition, it’s the country’s most populous city. Travel through the administrative and economic districts of Accra. Also, see the W.E.B. Du Bois Center for Pan African Culture and the Independence/Black Star Square. Learn about important events in Ghana’s history and the country’s first president who helped lead Ghana to independence.

Continue your tour to The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, dedicated to the legacy of Ghana's first President, Kwame Nkrumah, and his role in African independence. The tour includes visits to Nkrumah's mausoleum, a museum showcasing his life, his personal residence, the eternal Flame of African Liberation, and beautifully landscaped gardens. Learn about Nkrumah's early life, political career, and Pan-African vision. End the day’s tour at the Arts Center, where participants can sharpen their bargaining skills to shop for goods from Ghana and West Africa in an open-air market. On display, you will see fabrics of different materials, designs, colors and textures to purchase from.

Overnight at Lancaster Accra Hotel or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast and Group Lunch 

3
July 26, 2025 - ACCRA – TAMALE

Depart for a morning flight to Tamale (Flight time 1 hr). Upon arrival in Tamale, you will be picked up from the airport and transferred to your hotel.

Overnight at Mariam Hotel or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner at the Hotel.

4
July 27, 2025 - TAMALE - RECEIVE ATONEMENT AT SALAGA AND NAMING CEREMONY

Depart for a scenic drive to Salaga, one of the towns used as a major slave market during the slave trade. Meet with the traditional leader and tour the site where the slave trade started in the former Gold Coast. In Salaga, you will find families whose ancestors were slave raiders, slave chains and shackles are still kept in some of the family homes. The atonement will be sealed by villagers washing the feet of participants as an act of humility and a plea for forgiveness. This ceremony, designed by the villagers themselves, is a symbolic apology for the acts of their ancestors. Continue to the market site where the slaves were sold, known as the “Salaga Slave Market.” Lay a wreath at the grave site commemorating those who did not survive the slave trade.

Then amidst traditional drumming and dancing by the villagers, participate in a naming ceremony where you will be given a traditional African name. The day will end with joyous celebration, including traditional drumming, dancing and a healing feast that includes the sharing of food between the descendants of the slave raiders and of the slaves who were taken to the new world. Drive back to hotel in Tamale for overnight. Overnight at Mariam Hotel or similar Meals Included: Breakfast and Packed Lunch.

 After dinner participate in KASA (TALK TIME) - An opportunity to learn more about Ghanaian culture or simply talk to each other and share information about the experiences you are having on the tour.  (This activity will be led by the tour guide).

5
July 28, 2025 - TAMALE – KINTAMPO – KUMASI

Depart for a drive to Kumasi with a stop at the former slave markets of Kintampo and Assin Bono. Enjoy this scenic but haunting drive through the land where the slave trade took place. Notice the change in climate and terrain, which has a direct bearing on the population of Africans that the slave traders targeted. Visit the Kintampo Waterfalls to experience the cool, invigorating atmosphere created by nature and savour the breathtaking view of the cascading waterfall. Continue the drive to Kumasi.

Overnight at Lancaster Kumasi Hotel or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner.

6
July 29, 2025 - KUMASI CITY TOUR – ASHANTI CRAFT VILLAGES

This day is dedicated to exploring the legends of the famous Ashanti Empire, whose legacies are still evident today. You will visit Manhyia Palace Museum, to obtain firsthand information on the legacies 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 Centre which features the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum and various studios of the brass makers, potters and batik makers.

After lunch on your own, you will visit the three famous Ashanti craft villages. Depart for, Ntonso the home of Adinkra cloth, and Bonwire, the Kente weaving village. You will have an opportunity to see how African crafts are made and to buy directly from the artisans who make them.

Overnight at Lancaster Kumasi Hotel or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch.

7
July 30, 2025 - KUMASI – ELMINA

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and depart to Elmina. Upon arrival, check into your hotel and relax.

Overnight at Ridge Royal Hotel or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch at the Hotel.

8
July 31, 2025 - MEMORIAL AT ELMINA CASTLE – REVERENTIAL NIGHT

Visit the Elmina Castle. Another infamous castle and slave dungeon, Elmina was built by the Portuguese in 1482 as St. George's Castle.  This castle was the first European structure built in sub-saharan Africa. Explore the grounds and rooms full of haunting history. Stroll down to the beach for a memorial ceremony where each pilgrim will throw bread into the waters in remembrance of ancestors. A wreath with a candle will be solemnly pushed out to sea as a respectful moment of silence is observed in remembrance of those who died in the middle passage.

After dinner, you will have the opportunity to participate in “Reverential Night.” There will be candle light processions and a vigil to commemorate the Africans who died in the slave trade.  There will also be a moving ceremony and re-enactment of the slave passage through the “Door of No Return,” followed by a midnight declaration of Emancipation Day. This is the highlight of the Panafest celebration.

Overnight at Ridge Royal Hotel or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner at the Hotel.

 

9
August 1, 2025 - EMANCIPATION DURBAR AT ASSIN MANSO – ACCRA

Drive through the former slave route to Assin Manso, the final transit point for enslaved Africans before being shipped off to the new world. You will have the opportunity to visit the slave dungeons as well as the final resting place for two ancestors whose mortal remains were returned from the USA and Jamaica and re-interred in Ghana. The Emancipation Day Celebration is opened with a Grand Durbar of Traditional Chiefs and people of the Central Region. Witness this grand, colorful and spectacular event that showcases the pomp and pageantry of Ghana's traditional rulers, dressed in rich Kente and adorned in glittering gold jewelry. Discover the African rhythm in you as you dance to the beat of the 'Fontomfrom' drums.

Overnight at Lancaster Accra Hotel or similar

Meals Included: Breakfast and Farewell Dinner.

10
Aug 2, 2025 - FAREWELL/DEPARTURE

After breakfast, visit the Arts Center, where you will have an opportunity to use your bargaining skills to shop for artefacts from Ghana and West Africa in an open-air market.  Early evening transfer to the airport for check-in and departure.

(Late checkout not included).