Photo: Kwame Nkrumah Memorial, Barry Williams

Arrive Accra; meet assist and transfer to Hotel.

Meal(s) Included: No

Overnight at Novotel Accra City Centre Hotel or Similar

This morning you will travel to the Volta Region and visit the Wli Waterfalls, the highest waterfall in Ghana. Hike through a dense tropical forest and cross the meandering Agumatse River at 11 places before you arrive at the waterfall.

This afternoon visit Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary where the endangered playful True Mona Monkeys are considered sacred and are therefore protected. Walk on well-cleared trails and view the monkeys in their natural habitat. In the evening, after checking into your hotel at Atimpoku you may enjoy a relaxing boat ride down the Volta River.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight at Volta Hotel or Similar

Depart to the breathtaking Shai Hills game reserve. Observe the beautiful range of rocky hills sitting in the midst of large wooded grassland. Several cave systems embedded in the hills have played an important role in local history, culture and tradition. The reserve is home to 31 species of mammals, more than 175 species of birds and 13 reptile species. Continue to Aburi Botanical Gardens. Aburi was established as an agricultural research station and convalescent home for the British Colonial Administration. The garden overlooks the coastal plain at an elevation of 1,200 – 1,500 ft. above sea level. You will learn about the cultural and medicinal importance of the trees in these gardens.

Later, tour the Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm, which is the first commercial cocoa farm in Ghana. You will touch the actual Cocoa pods. Cocoa is Ghana’s largest export and is used to blend some of the world’s finest chocolates. Continue to Kumasi arriving early evening.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight at Miklin Hotel Kumasi or Similar

Today you will visit Ashanti craft villages. Learn about woodcarving in the village of Ahwiaa, known for the talented craftsmen who fashion royal stools, walking sticks and fertility dolls from wood. You will have the opportunity to purchase a variety of hand-carved items.

Your next stop is the village of Ntonso, where artisan’s hand-stamp patterns on cotton cloth to make Adinkra textiles.  You will be shown how black dye is made from the bark of trees, and create your own Adinkra sash.  Later, visit Bonwire, where the famous Kente cloth is handmade on looms in a time-honored tradition passed down through generations. Observe the Kente weavers creating the traditional Kente cloth.

Your driver and guide will be available to assist with your evening activities.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight at Miklin Hotel Kumasi or Similar

In the morning, you may bargain at Kumasi Central Market (Kejetia Market), the largest open-air market in West Africa where more than 10,000 vendors sell just about everything imaginable.

Later, visit the Prempreh II Jubilee Museum, named for the former Asantehene (ruler of the Ashanti people), Nana Osei Agyeman Prempreh II. Exhibits include a replica of the famed Golden Stool, which is believed to have descended from the sky and is the spiritual symbol of the Ashanti people.

Early afternoon depart to Busua Beach Resort in the Western Region.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight at Busua Beach Resort or Similar

A day of adventure is ahead. In the village of Beyin walk through reeds to a dug-out canoe where you embark on a ride along the Amansuri Lagoon through lush vegetation to the village on stilts, Nzulezu. Interact with the villagers who live in their neighborhood built on stilts on Lake Tandane. 

Return to the mainland and travel to the Ankasa Forest Reserve for a walking tour of the pristine tropical rainforest. Learn about the many uses of the plants. You will discover an interesting plant that is found only in Ghana. The secret of this unique plant will be revealed to you. Visit the Bamboo Cathedral and relax at the serene bamboo groove before returning to your beachfront accommodation.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight at Busua Beach Resort or Similar

Photo: Elmina Slave Castle, Barry Williams

After breakfast, depart from Busua Beach to Cape Coast.  In Cape Coast you will visit Elmina Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site built in 1482. This castle was the first European structure in sub-Saharan Africa. After your visit to the castle, you will have a guided tour through the ancient town of Elmina.

This evening observe the preparations for overnight fishing as the colorful fishing boats are prepared for another night at sea.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight at Elmina Bay Resort or Similar

Kakum’s canopy walkway

Early morning drive to Kakum National Park, one of West Africa’s surviving tropical rain forests. Extending over 360sq km, Kakum is the home to over 40 large mammals and 400 bird species as well as many other species of flora and fauna. The most popular attraction is the Canopy Walkway, which is made up of seven bridges extending 330m, hanging 30m (100 feet) above the forest floor.

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

After lunch, the next leg of your journey is Cape Coast Castle and the Castle Museum. Cape Coast Castle is a restored UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was one of the departure points for Africans being sent to slavery in the Americas. The castle is home to the infamous Door of No Return.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight at Elmina Bay Resort or Similar

This morning you will return to Accra. En-route you will visit Fort Amsterdam at (Cormantin) and the village of Abandze, the ancestral home of Louis Armstrong, the famous American Jazz Musician.

Arrive in Accra early afternoon and visit the National Cultural Center which features a variety of Ghanaian art forms, followed by an excursion to the Arts & Crafts Market where you may test your bargaining and trading skills against the vendors.

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

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Included

• Meeting and assistance upon arrival and departure
• Roundtrip airport/hotel transfers
• Hotel accommodation in the indicated properties
• Transportation in private vehicle 
• Experienced tour guide
• Admission to  listed sites and events
• Meals indicated by  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner  

Not Included

• Cost of visa
• Meals not listed
• Travel Insurance
• Gratuity to driver and guide