Tour Overview
If an award were given for the country with the friendliest people in West Africa, Ghana would be a strong contender. Spend a few hours in the breezy capital at Accra, and you'll swear the wind and waves off the Gulf of Guinea have infused the land and people alike with equatorial warmth. Even Ghanaians might admit that Accra's not the most beautiful place, but it's theirs. For a country that's borne the brutality of colonization - from the stripping of its mineral wealth to the enslaving of its people - Ghana retains a remarkable sense of self. Its craftspeople have a long, rich cultural history to draw from, and their work is thick with that tradition - be it the colorful kente cloth of the Ashanti or any of the stools, icons, beads or baskets you'll find in the major markets. Even the leftover forts and castles, recalling five centuries of European influence, today seem less like Ghana's ghosts than players in her narrativeDay by Day Itinerary
Day 01: Accra, GhanaArrive Accra and transfer to your hotel for overnight.
Dinner
La Palm Royal Beach Hotel Day 02: Accra
Depart after breakfast to visit Aburi. Drive up the Akwapim ridge to Aburi in the Eastern Region. Enjoy a panoramic view of the townships of Ashiaman and Tema in the distance. Visit the Aburi Botanical Gardens established in 1890 as a convalescent home for the British Colonial officers governing the then Gold Coast now Ghana. The Aburi Botanical Gardens were designed for Scientific Research and Pleasure. It is a habitat for plants from all over the world. Over the years, the Garden has cultured a variety of tropical plants that attract many birds and butterflies. Return to Accra for a half-day city tour visiting the National Museum, Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Park, W.E.B. DuBois Center for Pan Africanism and the P.M.M.C. Jewellery shop. End at the Arts and Crafts market where you may try out your bargaining skills on the local vendors and to “shop till you drop."
Breakfast, Lunch
La Palm Royal Beach Hotel Day 03: Accra - Cape Coast - Elmina
Depart Accra for Cape Coast in the Central Region. Drive along the coast through several fishing villages and coconut tree-lined beaches. Arrive in Cape Coast and visit the Kakum National Park. Go on a morning walk of the “Kuntan Trail” with its countless trees with medicinal properties. For the young at heart experience the “Canopy Walk suspended 100 feet from the ground for a panoramic view of the flora and fauna of one of the remaining vestiges of the rain forest. After lunch visit the Cape Coast Castle built by the Swedes in 1652 and the West African Historical Museum. This Castle served as the seat of Government for the Gold Coast (Ghana’s Colonial Name) until 1877. Continue to Elmina Castle built by the Portuguese in 1482 and later used as an auction market for slaves for a comprehensive guided tour. See the Portuguese Church and the Governor’s quarters.
Breakfast, Lunch
Elmina Beach Resort Day 04: Elmina - Kumasi
Depart Elmina for Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region where you will notice a change in vegetation from coastal shrub to forest as you drive north. Arrive Kumasi mid-day, enjoy a city tour of; Manhyia Palace Museum, National Cultural Center, Prempeh II Jubilee Museum, Okomfo Anokye Sword, University of Science and Technology School of Art and Sculpture, and the Kumasi Central Market (the largest open-air market in West Africa.)
Breakfast, Lunch
Royal Basin Hotel Day 05: Kumasi - Mole National Park
This morning, you will depart for Mole in the Northern Region. Enjoy your drive past several rustic communities and savannah grasslands typical of the Sahelian region. This afternoon you will enjoy a game-viewing excursion in Mole National Park. Ghana’s largest wildlife park, it is home to about 600 elephants, baboons, monkeys, monitor lizards, bush-bucks, antelopes and other exotic animals. Transfer to your hotel for dinner and overnight. Your hotel is rustic in its accommodation but it provides a rare opportunity to live within a wildlife reserve for just one night.
Breakfast, Dinner
The Mole Hotel Day 06: Mole National Park - Kumasi
Enjoy a pre-breakfast game drive this morning. Return to Kumasi with a stop over at Buabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, Ghana’s most famous example of traditional African conservation and home to more than 200 Geoffroy’s Pied Colobus and 500 Campbell Mona Monkeys. For more than 150 years these primates have been protected by the local community and so Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary is the only place in Africa where one can easily view these species in their numbers. Walk along groomed trails and view the monkeys on the ground and in the canopy of trees. Enjoy a walking tour of the village where you can see monkeys interact with people and learn more about life in the village. Continue to Kumasi, stopping at Kintampo waterfalls en route.
Breakfast, Lunch
Royal Basin Hotel
Day 07: Kumasi - Accra
Depart for Accra today. En route you will visit a few Ashanti craft villages to observe craftsmen at work: Ahwiaa; woodcarvers producing Ashanti stools, fertility dolls and walking sticks. Ntonso-Adinkra; cloth and the tie-and-dye process, Bonwire-Kente; cloth weaving. After lunch, you will continue to Accra. Drive past several scenic villages and charming towns through the evergreen forests.
Breakfast, Lunch
La Palm Royal Beach Hotel Day 08: Accra - Volta Lake
Depart for Akosombo to join the Volta Lake Cruise on the Volta river in a motor boat. Cruise past scenic idyllic fishing villages and hamlets huddled close to the banks of the Volta river. Enjoy lunch on the Dodi Cruise Boat or at a restaurant overlooking the Volta River. Return to Accra this evening.
Breakfast, Lunch
La Palm Royal Beach Hotel Day 09: Accra - Depart
Enjoy the day free for last minute shopping and packing, farewell lunch at a Ghanaian restaurant. Transfer to the airport for check in and departure.
Breakfast, Lunch
( 
