West Africa Discovery (Ghana, Togo & Benin)

Depart on overnight flight(s) to Accra.

Upon arrival in Accra, the capital and largest city of Ghana, transfer to your hotel.  As guests’ arrival times may vary, no group activities or meals have been planned. The day is free to rest and relax after your overnight flights.

Overnight: Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra

Get your first taste of this diverse Atlantic Coast city on a full-day tour.

Founded in the 17th century by the Ga people, Accra played a vital role as the capital of the British Gold Coast starting in 1877; this role ended in 1957, when Ghana became an independent state and Accra was named its capital. Accra has since become a modern metropolis, with quickly expanding commercial areas developing alongside historic 19th-century colonial architecture. Begin with a tour of Jamestown, primarily a fishing community and one of the oldest districts in Accra. Here, brightly colored boats crowd the shoreline and makeshift shacks surround the iconic red-and-white-striped lighthouse of the 17th-century James Fort. Stop at a workshop that specializes in crafting “fantasy coffins.” These coffins can take the shape of almost any animal or object – birds, bugs, fish, mammals, tools, weapons, vehicles, and anything else one can imagine. Some are even designed to represent ancient proverbs or to evoke religious or magical meanings. The unique, handmade coffins originated in Accra and are now collected and displayed in museums worldwide. 

Continue to the W. E. B. Du Bois Center for Pan African Culture. It was here that the American sociologist spent his last years from 1961–1963 compiling the Encyclopedia Africana, a comprehensive encyclopedia about Africa and peoples of African descent; unfortunately, Du Bois passed away in 1963 at age 95 before he was able to complete the project. Then, visit Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park with its bronze statues and fountains that pay homage to Ghana’s first president. Lunch is included today; and tonight, gather for a welcome dinner at your hotel.

Overnight: Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra

Meals: B, L, D

This morning, travel via motorcoach to Lomé, the capital and largest city of Togo. This tiny nation boasts beautiful landscapes and especially hospitable people, but also holds a grim history: its coastal area, part of the infamous “Slave Coast,” harbored significant European slave trading outposts in the 16th–18th centuries. Interestingly, the city of Lomé is one of the few world capitals that borders another country (in this case, Ghana); upon crossing this border, stop for lunch together at a local restaurant before beginning a tour of the city. Visit the Palais de Lomé, which once operated as a residence for German and French governors and then as a colonial headquarters before falling into disrepair. Now, the grand white mansion has been restored and reborn as an African arts and culture center containing a unique collection of Togolese artifacts. Mid-afternoon, check in at your hotel and gather for dinner tonight at a local restaurant. 

Overnight: Hôtel 2 Février

Meals: B, L, D

Continue touring Lomé. Despite its small size, the city has been a regional center of commerce and culture for centuries. Its architecture, monuments, and culture reflect its German, British, and French colonial past – and altogether Togolese present. First visit the Grand Marché, the city’s vast and colorful central market to peruse the vibrant fabrics at the famous “Nana Benz” stalls, named after the Togolese businesswomen who were credited with positioning Lomé into a textile sale and distribution hub in the 1970s. Also for sale here: local produce, foods, wood carvings, Voodoo items, and a wide selection of other handicrafts. After time to browse and shop, continue to see the city’s colonial-period administrative buildings with their distinctly European-influenced architecture. This afternoon, experience a small group highlight as you participate in a cooking class at a local restaurant and learn about traditional Togolese cuisine. Enjoy the fruits of your labor for dinner. 

Overnight: Hôtel 2 Février

Meals: B, L, D

Today overflows with the bounty of West Africa’s rich cultural traditions as you travel between rural Togolese villages to experience firsthand a variety of Voodoo (or, more accurately, Vodun) ceremonies and practices. A long history of stigma and sensationalism has made Voodoo taboo to much of Western civilization; many associate the term with “black magic,” devil worship, and witchcraft. However, West African Vodun is a living religion followed by some 50 million people throughout primarily Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. In a remote Togolese village, attend a Vodun ceremony where the rhythmic drumming and chanting evokes the spirits who guide the Vodun practitioners. Continue to another Togolese village to learn about Vodun medicine practices from a local healer. Vodun medicine is based on the belief that the spirit governs the health of an individual, so the healer treats his patients with plants performs sacrifices to various shrines in his courtyard. Chat with the healer and his patients before resuming your journey to Benin, pausing en route for lunch together.

One last Vodun highlight for today: a Zangbeto dance performance at a remote Beninese village. The dancers, the mysterious “guardians of the night,” play significant roles in their communities, acting as protectors and spiritual mediators; however, their identities are unknown to the public. Wearing large wooden masks and clothed in colorful dyed straw, the Zangbeto rise up to 10 feet in the air during their acrobatic dances, mimicking the movements of a snake as they perform rituals meant to guard the village from evil spirits and malicious people. Following this fascinating experience, reach your hotel in Ouidah late this afternoon. Have time to rest before having dinner together tonight.

Overnight: Casa del Papa Resort & Spa

Meals: B, L, D

Once an active slave-trading port, today Ouidah memorializes its ignoble past with a series of monuments along its infamous Slave Route, a trail that more than one million kidnapped Africans walked before boarding ships that would take them to America to be sold as slaves. Travel the route this morning and end at the Door of No Return, a massive memorial arch featuring haunting engravings of rows of slaves trudging across the beach towards a waiting ship. 

After this sobering experience, continue to the Temple of Pythons, a Vodun shrine built around an iroko tree believed to be some 600 years old. Here, clay buildings house coils upon coils of highly worshipped (and docile) royal pythons, considered sacred creatures in the Vodun religion. Have lunch together at a local restaurant before heading to nearby Lake Nokoué, where you board a motorboat and cruise to the “floating” town of Ganvie, the largest lake village in Africa. Ganvie’s colorful huts hover above the surface of the water on teakwood stilts while villagers paddle between them in dugout canoes – a unique way of life that has not changed much since their ancestors fled here to escape the slave trade in the 18th century. As you float through the village, learn how its 25,000 residents live: children row to school and play on sandbars, men fish from docks and canoes, and women sell their goods at the “floating market.” Late this afternoon, return to Ouidah and your hotel. Enjoy dinner together tonight.

Overnight: Casa del Papa Resort & Spa

Meals: B, L, D

It’s a travel day today as you depart Ouidah, cross back through Togo, and return to Ghana – about six hours of driving in total.  En route, stop in Togo at the fishing port town of Aného, set amidst tranquil scenery between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Togo. Once known as “Petit Popo,” Aného held various roles throughout history, first as a refugee town in the 17th century after the Ane people fled from attacks from the Denkyira nation; then, as host to a prominent Portuguese slave market; and finally, as capital of German Togoland from 1885–1887 and of French Togoland from 1914–1920. While here, visit three 19th-century churches: the Aného Protestant Church, the Cathédrale Saint Pierre et Paul, and the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Aného. Cross the border into Ghana and reach Akosombo and your hotel late this afternoon. Lunch is included today, and dinner tonight is at the hotel.

Overnight: The Royal Senchi Hotel and Resort

Meals: B, L, D

Witness a sampling of Ghana’s remarkable scenic beauty on this morning’s boat excursion on the Volta River, known as the furthest northern site of Portuguese exploration during the colonial era. Cruising around bends for which the river was named (volta is Portuguese for “twist” or “turn”), pass the rolling hills and deep valleys of the Volta Region, stopping at the fishing villages dotting the shores to meet the locals and learn about life in rural Ghana. Return to your hotel in time for a late lunch; the remainder of the day is at leisure to relax and enjoy the hotel’s amenities.  Tonight, reconvene for dinner together.

Overnight: The Royal Senchi Hotel and Resort

Meals: B, L, D

Today, experience the rich cultures of the diverse ethnic groups within the Volta Region. Begin with a visit to a Krobo tribe artisan community known for crafting traditional handmade glass beads. Ghanian Krobo glass beads were once symbols of status, wealth, and success, often worn by royalty and members of high society. These beads were even used as currency and in trade with Europeans. The Krobo craftspeople have passed down their unique bead-making techniques for centuries; bear witness to their artistry before having the opportunity to create your own bead to take home. Return to your hotel for a late lunch and an afternoon at leisure, with dinner together tonight.

Overnight: The Royal Senchi Hotel and Resort

Meals: B, L, D

A six-hour drive this morning brings you to Kumasi, Ghana’s second largest city, the historical and spiritual capital of the Ashanti Empire (c. 1670–1902), and the modern home of the Ashanti people. Once the most powerful kingdom in Africa, the Ashanti Empire ruled most of Ghana, as well as parts of Togo and the Ivory Coast. Today, it survives as the Asante Kingdom, a constitutionally protected traditional state that holds influence in the Ghanaian government to this day. Upon arrival in Kumasi, visit the Centre for National Cultural to view the ancient Ashanti relics on display and to explore its authentic reproduction of a historic Ashanti house. Check in at your hotel this afternoon; enjoy lunch and dinner together today.

Overnight: Oak Plaza Suites

Meals: B, L, D

Begin with a tour of the Manhyia Palace Museum, housed within the former private residence of Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh I, the thirteenth king (c. 1870–1931) of the Ashanti Empire. The museum contains a unique collection of Ashanti artifacts, including gold and jewels worn by former members of the Ashanti court. After lunch at a local restaurant, travel to an Ashanti village to learn about their traditional handicrafts, including clothing and textiles, such as the kente cloth once worn by Ashanti royalty; and wood sculptures, often representing deities and spirits from the Vodun religion. 

Later, engage in a fascinating cultural outing to meet local Akan people at their village and learn about the traditional Akan naming ceremony. The Akan people receive at least five different names throughout their lifetimes, each of which align with various rites of passage: birth, adulthood, marriage, eldership, and returning to the land of the ancestors (death). This evening, the elders and women of the village honor the group with a naming ceremony to receive personalized Akan names. 

Overnight: Oak Plaza Suites

Meals: B, L, D

Saying goodbye to Kumasi this morning, head south to the former Gold Coast, where about 40 forts and castles were built to facilitate gold trading and the capture and sale of slaves. The destination: Elmina, a picturesque fishing town and the very first European settlement in West Africa. Stop first at nearby Cape Coast Castle, a “slave castle” used to harbor over 500,000 enslaved Africans between 1662–1867. This castle was the last stop on the Atlantic slave trade route, earning it the nickname of the “gate of no return.” Now a UNESCO Word Heritage site, the building has been transformed into a museum documenting the history of the slave trade. Afterwards, check in at your hotel. Have lunch and dinner together today.

Overnight: Coconut Grove Beach Resort

Meals: B, L, D

Venture into nature this morning on an outing to Kakum National Park, just a few miles inland from Elmina. Have the opportunity to view the rainforest from the sky on the Kakum Canopy Walkway, one of just three canopy walkways in all of Africa, featuring seven suspension footbridges totaling 1,150 long and hanging some 150 feet above the ground. 

Return to Elmina to visit 15th-century Elmina Castle, another significant stop on the Atlantic slave trade route. This UNESCO World Heritage site exists as the first trading post built on the Gulf of Guinea and as the oldest European building in existence south of the Sahara. Here, slave-catchers from all over West Africa convened to trade with the Portuguese, exchanging captives for valuables such as textiles and horses. Also visit Elmina’s Posuban shrines, elaborate structures with unusual statues rooted in Fante tribal culture. These shrines play a significant role in Ghanaian communities, acting as religious sites and as locations for activities, funerals, festivals, and more. 

Tonight, celebrate your journey through West Africa at a farewell dinner.

Overnight: Coconut Grove Beach Resort

Meals: B, L, D

Return by motor coach to Accra where day rooms are available until this evening. Depart for the airport to board overnight flights to the U.S. 

Please note: Depending on flight schedules, some guests may depart for the U.S. the following morning on Day 15, in which case an overnight stay at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel would be included.

Day Room: Movenpick Ambassador Hotel 

Meals: B

Arrive in the U.S. today and connect with flights home.