Tour Overview
This tour is a blend of the history of slavery, culture, and adventure, apparent through the greenery and highlands in the towns and villages of Ghana. From Accra to Cape Coast, you will return towards the east of Ghana, to the Volta Region, and have peace and solitude with nature while engaging in wellness activities like hiking and being just out in nature. In our quest to promote sustainable tourism, you will engage in some social impact activities.
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. 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 - Aburi
Aburi Botanical Gardens & Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm
After breakfast, you will drive an hour from Accra to Aburi in the Eastern Region.
Your first stop will be the Aburi Botanical Gardens. Your tour guide will walk you through the gardens to learn about some plant species, their origin, and their specific uses. You will be taken through the history and the various lawns of the park as you get to connect with nature. Some of the trees were planted by some African heads of state and global leaders.
You will also visit the Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm, the first Cocoa Farm in Ghana, located in Akuapem Mampong, a town in the Eastern Region. You will learn about the history of Cocoa, how it got to the shores of Ghana, and be taken through the plantation process from sowing, harvesting, fermentation, and finally to drying. You will taste some fresh cocoa and also purchase some finished products from the cocoa plant, like the chocolate and locally made black soap.
Overnight Stay in Accra
Day 3 - Cape Coast
Assin Manso Slave River Site & Cape Coast Castle
Driving from Accra to Cape Coast this morning, En route, you would make a detour for a significant stop at the Assin Manso Slave River Site, an important part in 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.
Overnight Stay in Cape Coast
Day 4 - Cape Coast
Elmina Castle, Kakum National Park, Naming Ceremony & Drumming and Dancing
You will head for Accra from Cape Coast after breakfast on this day.
Before you leave, you will 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 trade of goods to human trade. This is where it all started.
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.
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 can 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.
Drive to Accra
Overnight Stay in Accra
Day 5 - Accra
Social Impact Activity
You have this day for some Social Impact Activities in Accra or the surrounding community. You will engage select communities in some talks, donations, or community development initiatives, all in our quest for a sustainable tourism impact. There will be an option to select what impact initiative you want to carry out, or we have that pre-designed for you.
Overnight Stay in Accra
Day 6 - Volta Region
Cedi Beads Factory & Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary
After breakfast, you will leave Accra for the Volta Region of Ghana.
En route, you will make a stop at the Cedi Beads Factory in Akosombo in the Eastern Region, where traditional beads are made from glass bottles. The bead makers will take you through the types of glass beads they produce, how they are made, and their various significance and uses. These beads can be found in other continents and museums across the world, like the Newark Museum of Art, Museum Liaunig, Museum of African Arts, and so on.
You will also visit the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary in the Volta Region. This is the home of generations of very friendly Mona monkeys. They are considered Sacred by the local people and are treated as members of the community. The monkeys are always ready to pose for the picture as long as you come along with glad tidings, Bananas.
Overnight Stay in the Hohoe, Volta Region
Day 7 - Hohoe, Volta Region
Mountain Afadja & Wli Waterfalls
Your first activity after breakfast is the Mountain Afadja. You will hike for about 2 hours to the top of the highest mountain in Ghana and back. With the help of a guide, you will walk through the rocky mountain trails through the trees to the top. You get to experience an adventure, engage in some wellness activity, and also see the lower towns and villages from above. Applaud yourself for wanting to take on this adventure and completing it.
Your next site is the Wli Waterfalls, the highest/ tallest waterfall in West Africa. This waterfall is the breathtaking view you get to see after walking and crossing nine bridges for about 45 minutes. This is an adventure you will love to embark on to relax, and not want to miss.
From here, you will drive from the Volta Region to your hotel in Akosombo.
Overnight Stay in Akosombo
Day 8 - Akosombo
Boat Ride on Lake Volta & Wellness Activity
After breakfast on your final day with us, you will have some moments to relax at the hotel and engage in some wellness activities, after the previous day’s hiking experience, like a spa and massage session, taking a walk in and around the hotel, reading a book or any act you consider wellness.
In addition to the wellness experience, you will embark on a boat ride on Lake Volta to relax while reconnecting with nature. You will see some islands on the river and also appreciate the beauty of the highlands surrounding the lake.
Overnight Stay in Accra
Day 9 - 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. It can host about 30,000 people and has 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 10 - 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.
