Tour Overview
This Cultural Renaissance Tour is a line-up of activities put together as a catalyst of reconnecting the people in the diaspora to their roots and home. You will get on a trip of cultural reawakening and reconnection with your visits through Kumasi, Cape Coast, Accra and the western Region of Ghana. You will get to engage in several wellness activities and participate in some community engagement and social impact initiatives as you travel.
Sankofa - Return and represent your ancestors where they could not have the freedom to.
Day 1 - Accra
Arrival
Upon arrival at the airport, a ZayVoyage by SARI Representative will pick you up at the Kotoka International Airport and drop you off at your hotel, amidst drumming and dance welcome. The guide will assist you with check-in, take you through your itinerary, and answer any questions regarding your stay in Ghana.
Overnight Stay in Accra
Day 2 - Accra
Accra City Tour
After breakfast, you will have a late morning pickup to start an Accra city tour
Your first stop will be the WEB DuBois Memorial Centre, the home of the Father of Pan Africanism. Dr. W.E.B. DuBois was invited by the first president of Ghana to edit the Encyclopedia Africana. He completed just four episodes for eight African countries before his death. The site contains his personal belongings, gifts he received, books he authored, and the ones he brought to Ghana. There is a Mausoleum for him and his wife on the site as well.
Your next stop is the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, where the first president of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, stood to declare the independence of Ghana. The site has a museum which houses his personal belongings; from the items he used while in School, gifts he received, items he used during his presidency, and some books he authored. The site also houses the mausoleum where he and his wife were buried.
You will make a stop at the Arts and Crafts Market to purchase some Ghanaian-made and inspired arts and crafts to take as souvenirs back home. You will get some already-made African dresses, shirts, wood-works and carvings, paintings, traditional fashion accessories, some Ashanti Kente and Northern Smock fabrics, among many other things. The sellers will be persuasive in their bid to get you to look at the wares since there are various stalls with similar items.
Your final visit will be the Independence Square, also known as the Black Star Square. It is a vast area built for national gatherings in 1961 by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana, that can host about 30,000 people. It has other monuments like the Independence Arc, the Monument of Liberation, and the Independence Gate. This site is bordered by the ocean, Accra Sports Stadium, and the Osu/Christiansborg Castle.
Overnight Stay in Accra
Day 3 - Kumasi
Bonwire Kente Weaving Village & Ntonso Adinkra Craft Village
After breakfast, you will leave Accra for Kumasi, the land of cultural heritage and immersion.
You will detour en route to visit the Bonwire Kente Weaving Village. This village is the home of kente production in the Ashanti Region. You will be among experienced weavers who make different designs, colours, and variations of kente clothes suitable for various occasions. You will get to try your hand at the loom and attempt to weave some kente strips.
From there, you will continue to the Ntonso Adinkra Craft Village. Artisans curate different symbols that represent principles, beliefs, and attributes of life, put together as Adinkra symbols. These symbols are carved and used as designs and prints on the local kente fabrics or plain clothes. These designs are worn for special occasions and are currently used for contemporary cultural expressions.
Overnight Stay in Kumasi
Day 4 - Kumasi
Kumasi City Tour
From the hotel, you will take a drive through the famous Kejetia Market, the Largest open market in West Africa
Your first stop is the Manhyia Palace Museum, the historical building where kings have ruled and heritages have been preserved. A walk through this palace will give you a vivid understanding of the hierarchy of chieftaincy, the kings who have ruled the Ashanti Kingdom, and how the Asantes have fought to keep the kingdom alive and together. Feel a part of the Asante people and reflect on their struggles.
Next, you will visit the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum, in the Centre for Arts and National Culture. Located at the centre of business in Kumasi, the museum is a building that has been set up to pass on the heritage of the Asantes through artifacts, pictures, and demonstrations. This projects the legacies of the King, Prempeh II, his struggles and contributions in building the Asante kingdom.
Your final stop for the day is the Okomfo Anokye Sword Site, where the immovable sword planted by the high priest of Asante, Okomfo Anokye, can be found. This sword is said to be the reason for a unified Ashanti Kingdom. Once removed, the Kingdom is allegedly bound to collapse or fall apart. The sword has been in its place for centuries, and every attempt to take it out has proven futile.
Overnight Stay in Kumasi
Day 5 - Cape Coast
Assin Manso Slave River Site & Cape Coast Castle
Drive from Kumasi to Cape Coast.
En route, you will make a significant stop at the Assin Manso Slave River Site, an important part of the history of slavery. This is where the slaves took their last bath after their long journey, shaved their beards, and were made to look presentable and ready for sale. They were branded based on who they belonged to before they were dispatched to the castles and awaited shipment. This is a very emotional and historically significant site for especially those from the diaspora
From there, your next visit is to the Cape Coast Castle, the youngest of the three slave castles in Ghana, yet the most significant in the history of slavery. It was built at the peak of slavery to accommodate more slaves who were taken through the door of no return to the “new world”. This is a very significant site in the Emancipation Day celebration, as the remains of two descendants of our ancestors who were taken through the door of no return were brought back symbolically through that door of no return. This is to signify the welcome of all diasporans to Ghana and the continent of Africa on behalf of our ancestors who did not get the chance to.
You will have a Naming Ceremony, Drumming and Dancing experience. A naming ceremony is an important part of Ghanaian society that gives each individual an identity. With your name, we are able to tell your day of birth, order of birth, your tribe, and sometimes even the circumstances surrounding your birth. Be ready and excited to receive your True African Name.
Overnight Stay in Cape Coast
Day 6 - Western Region
Boat Ride & Nzulezu Village of Stilt
From Cape Coast, you will drive your way to the Western Region
You will be visiting the Nzulezu Village on stilts. Before you get to the village, you will cruise on a local boat ride on the Amazuri River to Nzulezu. You will be taken through their history and how they found themselves on water. Through a walking tour of the village, you will learn how their houses are built and maintained, their school and how they are managed, and about their religious life as well.
You will have some community engagement at Nzulezu and engage in some Social Impact Activities for the community. This is a way of giving back, encouraging and empowering them to be more and do more for themselves.
Overnight Stay in the Western Region
Day 7 - Western Region
Hotel Relaxation & Wellness Activity
You will have this day to relax at the hotel, read a book, take a walk around the hotel, visit the beach, have a massage/ spa session, or engage in any wellness activity or experience you like.
Overnight Stay in the Western Region
Day 8 - Cape Coast
This morning, you will leave the Western Region for Cape Coast
You will make a stop at the Bisa Aberwa Museum, meaning “ask the old lady” Museum. This contemporary museum was put together to reflect the role of our grandmothers in transferring our history and culture to the younger generations through storytelling and folklore. You will learn the history, various leaders, and different eras in the story of the growth of Ghana.
You will drive back to Cape Coast
Overnight Stay in Cape Coast
Day 9 - Cape Coast
Social Impact Activity & Kakum National Park
To start your day, as part of our social impact initiative, you will engage the students of Cape Coast School for the Deaf and Blind. You will give donations and talk with the students to motivate them and make them feel included and seen in society.
You will first visit the Kakum National Park, the second largest national park in Ghana, home to various plant and animal species. Here, you will take about a 20-minute hike through the national park towards the Canopy walkway constructed in 1995 by 2 Canadians and 6 Ghanaians. You will take a 350-meter-long walk on a suspension bridge, 11 to 40 meters above the ground. You will see the forest from above and appreciate nature amid chirping birds and some butterflies.
Overnight Stay in Cape Coast
Day 10 - Accra
Elmina Castle
You will head for Accra from Cape Coast after breakfast on this day.
Before you leave, you will first visit the Elmina Castle, the oldest European building below the Sahara, built in 1482 by the Portuguese. This slave dungeon was initially built as a warehouse to store trade goods that were bartered between the Europeans and Africans. These warehouses were later converted to dungeons to keep slaves when the attention was shifted from the trade of goods to human trade. This is where it all started.
Drive back to Accra
Day 11 - Accra
Hotel / Beach Relaxation & Accra Nightlife
You have this day to relax, read a book, walk around the hotel, go to the beach, have a massage/ spa session, or engage in a wellness activity.
This evening, you will have an Accra Nightlife experience. You will visit a nightlife spot to enjoy good contemporary and highlife music, with good food and drink. Enjoy the night and reflect, as this is your last night in Ghana.
Drive back to Accra
Day 12 - Accra
Departure
This is the day for your final departure from the shores of Ghana back home.
Depending on your time of departure, you will have some time for last-minute shopping and packing. Our guide will be at your hotel to pick you up for the Kotoka International Airport for your final departure.
