HISTORICAL & CULTURAL TOUR OF GHANA, 12 DAYS

ARRIVAL IN ACCRA

On arrival at Kotoka International Airport, our expert Cultural guide will meet, assist and transfer you to your hotel in our private air-conditioned vehicle.

Once you have checked in, your guide who will be with you throughout your stay, will brief you on what to expect during your time in Ghana

ACCRA

Experience the bustling city of Accra today which is a blend of modern building and old structures that exited during the colonial times. This 120 years old city has a number of historical things to offer as you set off after a sumptuous breakfast at your hotel, passing through the economic and administrative districts.

Our first visit will be to W.E.B Du Bois Centre honoring the life of the prominent Pan-Africanist who chose to live and work in Ghana.

We shall continue to Independence Square where you will see the enclosed flame of African Liberation, which was lit by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in 1961. The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, final resting place of Ghana’s first president. Set in attractive gardens, there is an adjoining museum, which contains photos, artifacts and an insight into Dr. Nkrumah’s life. Adjoining the park is the National Cultural Centre, which is Ghana’s largest outdoor arts and crafts market selling traditional crafts from all over West Africa.

Our day’s visit ends at Jamestown Community-One of Accra’s most historic neighborhoods where history resides on every corner. Best known for its lighthouses (the first of which was constructed in 1875 by the British) as a navigational aid for trading vessels sailing through the Gulf of Guinea. The original structure was ruined but a larger and more improved lighthouse completed in 1921 is still functioning today.

You may visit “Brazil House” and learn about the seven Afro-Brazilian families who returned to settle in Ghana in 1836. Familiar Brazilian/Portuguese last names such as De Souza, Palmares, Azumah, Amorin, Da Costa, Santos, De Medeiros and Olympio are abundant in this section of Accra

ACCRA-AKOSOMBO

After breakfast, we will check out of our hotel and head further East to Akosombo. Enroute we will the Teshie Casket/Coffin Shop where uniquely designed caskets are made and this reflects the people’s belief in life after death.

The shop was started by Seth Kane Kwei in the 1950s, almost by accident. He made palanquins, also known as Litters or Sedan Chairs that are used to carry tribal chiefs at traditional festivals. One chief, who had ordered a palanquin shaped as a cocoa pod, died unexpectedly before the festival, so he was buried in the palanquin. Soon after that his grandmother who had planned her first overseas trip by flight died before the trip and she too was buried in a coffin shaped like an airplane. “The third fancy coffin was for a chief fisherman who was buried in a canoe.  Thus the fancy coffin industry was started.

We shall continue to Aburi Mountains where we visit the Botanical Gardens which has both aesthetic and educational experience. Look out for Rita Marley’s compound when coming up the Mountain.

How about trying your bargaining skills at the Koforidua Beading Market. Visit the Woodcarving Village for shopping before heading to Akosombo.  Upon arrival, check in to your hotel or resort

AKOSOMBO-KROBO ODUMASE-AKOSOMBO

After a refreshing night along the splendid Volta River, we will have a scenic drive to a small village called Krobo Odumase to witness firsthand experience of beads making from specially crafted glasses- Cedi Beads Factory. We will have the opportunity to design our own beads using the traditional Krobo technique.

The bead-making craft has a long history in Ghana. Beads have been used in ceremonies of birth, coming of age, marriage, or death for the past 400 years. You will watch and participate in the whole bead-making process from beginning to end.

We shall return to the hotel/resort and enjoy a 40 minutes to 1 hour river cruise on the Volta River.

The rest of the evening is free

AKOSOMBO-EJISU-KUMASI

We will drive through the forest zone to Kumasi, the seat of the Ashanti Empire to explore the legends of the famous Ashantis, whose legacies are still evident today.

Upon reaching Ejisu, we will continue to the three craft villages of the surrounding lush countryside which is a sharp contrast of the modern day Kumasi city.

Adanwomase will be our first craft village where we’ll see how the famous Kente Cloth is handmade on looms in a time-honored tradition passed down through generations. See the Kente styles and the opportunity to make purchases. We may pay a courtesy call to the paramount chief of this community amidst drumming and dancing or see their cocoa farms.

We will continue to the village of Ntonso where Artisans hand-stamp patterns on Cotton cloth to make Adinkra Textiles. Black-on-Black and Black-on-Red Adinkra Cloth is worn for funerals and other solemn occasions; learn how the Black Dye is made in the village from the bark of trees and creates your own Adinkra sash to take home. You may also purchase large pieces of the Adinkra Cloth handmade in the village.

Our final village will be The Woodcarving Village of Ahwiaa, known for the talented craftsmen who fashion Royal stools, walking sticks and Fertility Dolls from wood; with the opportunity to purchase hand carved items of all kinds.

KUMASI

After a good breakfast at the hotel, we shall further explore the Kingdom which is rich in culture and traditions. Today will mark a well celebrated Festival of the Ashanti Empire.

 First, we shall visit Manhyia Palace, the official residence of Ashanti kings (Asantehene) until 1974, now a museum containing treasured items relating to the Ashanti Kingdom. This is where we obtain firsthand information on the legacies of this unified monastery.

Join the celebration of Akwasidae Festival; the pomp and pageantry of the Ashanti Kingdom. The King riding in a palanquin and adorned with all his gold ornaments comes out to receive the homage of his sub-chiefs and people, it is a spectacular sight to watch the colorful canopies and umbrellas, the skillful drummers, dancers, horn-blowers and praise-singers at these regular festivals, held in honor of their ancestral spirits.

This evening we will have the opportunity to visit the ancient Ejisu Ashanti Shrine, a World Heritage Site where people visit for healing, consultations, problems relating to spiritual attacks and many more. Witness the traditional practices of the Ashanti people.

KUMASI & ITS VICINITY

Kumasi has quite a collection of British colonial buildings and it is the heart of the Ashanti culture. We enjoy a drive through the city with monuments dedicated to the memory of the great Ashanti people on our way to visit the Okomfo Anokye sword site, an important symbol of Ashanti unity that marks the spot where the golden stool “descended from the sky” and has been in place for 300 years.  Legend says the Ashanti kingdom would collapse should the sword ever be removed.

We will also visit the village of Sokoban Krofrom where traditional brass casting has been the main source of income for generations. Wide selections of items ranging from beads and jewelry to traditional statues are made here. The methods used to produce these intricate brass works have not changed in centuries and during our time here we will see a demonstration of the skilled process

Return to Kumasi for another night.

KUMASI-ELMINA

Today, we depart for yet another adventure of Coastal lands of Ghana- Elmina & Cape Coast. Enroute, we shall visit Lake Bosomtwe, the largest Natural fresh water body filled with rainwater in Ghana.

If you are looking for peace and serenity; an encounter with nature, then you will be delighted with this Lake. A walk on the beach gives you the opportunity to meet and interact closely with the local fishing folks giving an insight into their way of life.

After lunch you will take a 30 minutes boat ride on the lake to explore this scenic view.

We continue to Elmina with a 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.  A visit to “the Slave River or “Donkor Nsuo” offers the chance to see the place where captured Africans were washed before being confined in the Slaves Castles to await shipment to the Americas and Caribbean.

Arrive in Elmina late evening and check in your hotel.

ELMINA-CAPE COAST-ELMINA

Morning at leisure.

Kotokoraba” the cradle of Cape Coast. The Kotokoraba “market “is the economic hub of the region, with major trading stores located around it. The market has existed for many decades, and was a major trading site during pre-independence era. It serves as a major point for all trade in the region and it is hotspot for economic activity as most major activities in the city takes place in and around the area.

Starting late afternoon  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 we visit the boat builders, still building colorful fishing boats using traditional tools and methods spanning centuries

ELMINA & CAPE COAST CASTLES

Today we will 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. You will 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”. There is a significant historical museum inside, which explains the history of the castle and of Cape Coast itself. You can purchase literature on Ghana’s forts and castles, as well as the cultural history and traditions of Ghana.

Later you may visit Elmina Castle another World Heritage site.

Late afternoon you will go through the “Fihankra” ceremony.

Fihankra is a ceremony which seeks to reconnect people of African descent, who have been lost due to the transatlantic slave trade, to the motherland. This ceremony reconnects returnees with the cultural and spiritual ties that had been denied them for centuries. The final part of Fihankra includes a naming ceremony. (only for minimum group size of 8)

ELMINA-KAKUM NATIONAL PARK- ACCRA

After breakfast, you will check out of your hotel for a visit to the Kakum National Park, Ghana’s most famous parks. Take a brief walking tour on the forest floor where you will learn how our ancestors lived in the forest. See birds, butterflies and perhaps catch a glimpse of the forests over 40 species of mammals including monkeys and the reclusive forest elephant. Proceed to the canopy walk. Kakum is home to Africa’s only aerial walkway through the tree canopy, 1000 foot long and even-bridge walkway with viewing platforms that reach heights over 150 feet above the ground.

You will stop briefly at Abandze, the ancestral home of Louis Armstrong, the famous American Jazz Musician.

OR

Visit 'Global Mama's' –an inspiring non-profit and Fair-trade organization, assisting women in Ghana to become economically independent. During this visit you can learn about the challenges and successes of running these kinds of projects. Get crafty and turn your hand to learning about the traditional West African art of Batik making.

Arrive in Accra late afternoon.

ACCRA – DEPARTURE

Today is at leisure but with the assistance of your driver and guide, decide on your excursions and activities. Visit the sites in Accra and vicinity that you have not yet seen.

You may enjoy a visit to the famous Oxford street in Osu (Global Mamas Shop, Woodin Shop and other local stalls with very colorful and beautiful African wear, beads and accessories).

OR

Visit Makola Market which is the biggest open market in Accra. This fascinating market has been compartmentalized into various sections to make shopping easy for buyers. You will have the chance to walk through this unusual busy market and even get the chance to bargain for stuff you would like to purchase.

You will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight home.