Best of Ghana - 8 Days

On arrival at Accra's Kotoka International Airport, you can make your own way to the hotel. Enjoy some time to relax and maybe head out to explore before an included dinner.

We set off on a guided tour of Accra, passing through the city’s economic and administrative districts en route to the National Museum. This is an excellent place to begin, as the displays offer a fascinating introduction to West African culture. The adjoining garden is home to sculptures that reflect the region’s traditions and customs.

Next, we pass by the Black Star Gate, a powerful symbol of Ghana’s independence, before visiting Independence Square (Black Star Square), the country’s main ceremonial grounds. Here you will find the Flame of African Liberation, first lit by Kwame Nkrumah in 1961.

We then explore the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the final resting place of Ghana’s founding father, who led the Gold Coast to independence. Nearby, you may wish to browse the National Cultural Centre, Ghana’s largest open-air arts and crafts market. Lunch will be enjoyed at a local restaurant offering a variety of West African and continental dishes.

In the afternoon, we visit the Brazilian stone houses, built by formerly enslaved Africans who returned from Brazil and settled in Accra, then we head to the heart of the community overlooking the ocean. If your visit coincides with a local event, you can enjoy an evening of vibrant entertainment. Otherwise, you will visit one of the nearby gyms to see young athletes and professionals in training - a glimpse into everyday life in Accra.

As night falls, we experience Jamestown by night, dining at a local bar and restaurant at the heart of the community. This is the real Accra - lively, welcoming, and full of character. After your meal, you may return to the hotel to relax or continue exploring the city’s energetic nightlife.

Accra - Koforidua - Kumasi. Our first visit of the day is the DuBois Center, the former home and final resting place of the American Pan-Africanist Dr William W. Burghardt DuBois. He led the Pan-African Congress between 1919 and 1927 and was a vocal anti-segregationist, writer, and influential thinker.

Next, we visit TK Beads, where artisans create beautiful African beads using traditional methods. It's then time to leave Accra, as we head north towards the Ashanti Region. We continue into the Akuapem Hills, enjoying sweeping views across Accra and Tema as we ascend the range. At the top, we stop at the Aburi Botanical Gardens. Set in peaceful surroundings, the gardens feature a wide collection of indigenous and exotic plants, with clear-day views stretching back towards Accra.

Lunch will be taken in Koforidua, the capital of Ghana's Eastern Region, before we continue on to Kumasi, arriving in the early evening.

We begin our Kumasi city tour at Manhyia Palace, home of the Asantehene, King of the Ashantis and ruler of the Asanteman Kingdom. The palace complex includes a vibrant craft market, and during our unhurried visit you can explore the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum.

According to Ashanti tradition, after the defeat of the Denkyera, the Golden Stool is said to have descended from the sky and landed on the lap of Okomfo Anokye, who presented it to the Ashanti King as the spiritual symbol of the nation.

In the evening, enjoy a meal at one of the local bars or restaurants where live bands often perform, creating a lively and memorable atmosphere.

After breakfast, we visit the last physical remains of the Asante Empire as we explore the traditional Asante buildings, now recognised by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. These historic structures include 10 active temples, built with bamboo, wood, mud and thatched roofs.

We continue to the traditional villages of Adanwomasi and Ntonso. Our first stop is Adanwomasi, the birthplace of Ghana’s richly coloured kente cloth. The community produces some of the country’s finest kente, with many designs unique to the region. We spend quality time here walking through the village and meeting skilled weavers whose families have produced kente for generations. During our visit, learn about the meaning behind various patterns and watch weavers working on traditional looms that have remained unchanged for centuries. A notable example of kente’s cultural reach is the “Clinton Kente”, named in honour of former US President Bill Clinton after his visit to Ghana.

Next, visit the village of Ntonso, the ancient home of Adinkra cloth and its symbolic motifs. These traditional symbols each carry specific meanings and are carved into stamps used to print onto cloth. The printing is done with natural dyes made from the bark of local trees, a method that has been used for more than four centuries and predates kente. During our time here, you may create your own small piece of Adinkra cloth using symbols that hold personal significance.

After lunch, we visit the village of Sokoban Kro, where brass casting has been the main livelihood for generations. Here you see a demonstration of the traditional casting process and have the chance to browse a wide selection of brass items, including beads, jewellery and sculptures.

This evening you have the option of enjoying a meal at your hotel or heading into the city to dine at one of Kumasi’s restaurants. Ashanti funerals are significant cultural events that can draw large crowds, and live music is common across the city. If you prefer, you can explore Kumasi’s nightlife at one of the local bars after your meal.

Kumasi - Assin Manso - Cape Coast - Elmina. Leaving Kumasi, we travel south towards Elmina in Ghana’s Central Region. Our first stop is Assin Manso, a significant and emotional site on the route used during the enslavement of Africans. Enslaved men, women and children from northern Ghana, Burkina Faso and Niger were forced to march hundreds of kilometres barefoot and in shackles to this point. The town surrounds the Ndonkor Nsuo (Slave River), where enslaved Africans were inspected and bathed before continuing the journey to Cape Coast for shipment to the Americas. Many arrived in poor health, and after a short rest they faced the final 32-mile walk to the dungeons of Cape Coast or Elmina Castle, where they could be held for up to six weeks before being transported across the Atlantic.

This afternoon is dedicated to honouring the ancestors at Cape Coast Castle, one of the most significant historical monuments on the West African coastline. We spend quality time exploring the castle, including the governor’s church above the dungeons where up to 600 Africans were held at any one time in brutal conditions before passing through the “Door of No Return” to the waiting ships. There is also an opportunity to pay our respects at a local shrine in the end dungeon, where a tunnel once led directly to the door.

The castle’s museum provides a detailed and educational account of its history and that of Cape Coast. A small shop offers literature on Ghana’s forts and castles, as well as cultural and historical texts. Today, many African Americans have returned to their ancestral homeland, establishing businesses and homes in Cape Coast and Elmina, where we spend the night.

Elmina - Kakum National Park - Elmina. We begin by heading to Kakum National Park, a semi-deciduous Upper Guinea rainforest and home to Africa’s world-famous canopy walkway. This lush, tropical environment protects the original habitat that once provided food and resources for local communities before the area became a national park.

The canopy walkway features seven suspended bridges linked by viewing platforms, each attached to towering emergent trees 40 metres above the forest floor. Prepare to take a deep breath as you step onto the walkway. The views stretch for miles across the rainforest, and the platforms offer a welcome pause to take in the scenery. More than 40 mammal species have been recorded here, including forest elephants, leopards and several primate species.

After lunch, we travel to a nearby village for your official Naming Ceremony. On arrival, we pay a courtesy call on the chiefs, queen mothers and community elders. As tradition requires, the ceremony begins with the pouring of libation to welcome you home to the land of your ancestors. Drumming and dancing fill the air as you gain a deeper understanding of village life and the cultural traditions that have been preserved for generations.

The time then arrives for your personal naming ceremony, conducted by the chiefs and elders. You will receive your true African name, chosen according to the day of the week you were born or your position among your siblings. This is often a deeply moving moment, as many visitors feel a strong connection to the name they are given and the heritage it represents.

Back in Elmina, you may choose to head into Cape Coast to enjoy one of the town’s popular night spots, complete with live music, dancing and the chance to reflect on this memorable day. If you prefer a quieter evening, relaxing at your hotel is equally welcome.

Elmina - Accra. Your guide and driver will collect your bags from your room and load them into the vehicle as we begin our journey back to Accra. On the way, we pass through more of Elmina, stopping to visit St George’s Castle, the oldest surviving colonial building in sub-Saharan Africa, built by the Portuguese in 1482. The castle played a major role during the trans-Atlantic slave trade and today houses an informative museum focused on local history.

After the tour, you can visit the local fishing market and walk a short distance to meet the traditional boat builders. Almost all the fishing boats used in Elmina are wooden and crafted using methods and tools that have changed very little over the centuries.

We then continue our drive back to Accra, where you'll be dropped off and can make your own way to the airport or your next destination.