Depart the USA

Check into your hotel in Accra for dinner and your overnight stay. (D)

Depart for a full-day city tour of Accra. Our first visit is to the National Museum of History and Ethnography, which includes exhibits that reflect the heritage of Ghana throughout history and to the present. This museum houses a varied collection of Ghanaian artifacts. Drive through Old Accra. Here, you will see a contrast between Victorian, Dutch, and post-colonial architecture. You will drive past James Fort, built in 1673, Old Accra Square, and the post office. Drive by Ussher Fort, one of three European forts in Accra that have survived the times. Visit the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre for Pan African Culture, which is the final burial place and home of the prominent American and Pan-Africanist Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois, who led the Pan-African Congress between 1919 and 1927. It is currently a memorial place, and it also has a research library and gallery full of manuscripts. Lunch at a local restaurant. Visit the newly redeveloped Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Memorial Park Museum, which are in downtown Accra, the capital of Ghana. The memorial complex was dedicated in 1992 and is situated on the site of the former British colonial polo grounds where Ghana’s independence was declared in Accra. The mausoleum, designed by Dr. Don Arthur, houses the body of Kwame Nkrumah, who is regarded as the leading founding father of Ghana’s independence and is one of the founding fathers of the African Union. His Egyptian wife, Madam Fathia Nkrumah, is also buried in the mausoleum. The mausoleum is meant to represent an upside-down sword, which in Akan culture is a symbol of peace. It is clad from top to bottom with Italian marble, with a black star at its apex to symbolize unity. A skylight at the top of the mausoleum illuminates the grave. The mausoleum is surrounded by water, a symbol of life. Your last stop for the day is the arts and crafts market, where you can view a varied collection of Ghanaian handicraft souvenirs. This offers you an opportunity to try out your bargaining skills on the local vendors and to “shop till you drop.” Return to your hotel in Accra. Dinner is on your own this evening. (B, L)

Depart to Kumasi, the hub of the Ashanti ancient kingdom. Drive past several scenic villages, charming towns, and forests. Stop en route at a typical cocoa farming community to pay a courtesy call on the chief and his elders. This would provide a unique opportunity to meet and interact with the people. Learn more about village life in Ghana and share experiences. Spend time with a family of cocoa farmers where you will be given a tour through a model cocoa plantation and see the varied uses of cocoa, processed into wine, soap, butter, etc. Immerse yourselves in authentic Ghanaian traditions and culture. Learn traditional court etiquette. Witness libation pouring, drumming, and dancing in which you are encouraged to participate. You will undergo a traditional welcome and naming ceremony according to Akan tradition. Continue to Kumasi and arrive by evening. Check into your hotel and relax at the hotel’s poolside. (B, D)

ITINERARY

After breakfast, depart for a city tour of Kumasi, visiting the Manhyia Palace and the Palace Museum, which provide a good insight into Ashanti culture and traditions and the history of the Ashanti Kingdom, which is over 300 years old. It provides a good glimpse into the powerful ancient Ashanti Empire and its past kings. See the National Cultural Centre, the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum, the Okomfo Anokye Sword, 

and the Kumasi Central Market – the largest open-air market in West Africa. After lunch, visit a few Ashanti crafts villages, including Ahwiaa – the woodcarver’s village specializing in woodcarvings such as Ashanti stools, fertility dolls, and walking sticks. Visit Ntonso, which is noted for its indigenous artisans whose expertise lies in Adinkra textile printing, using traditional symbols that express the spiritual, moral, political, and socio-cultural philosophies of the Akan people. In the Ntonso Adinkra village, you can try your hand at creating your own designs. From here, we will visit Adanwomase, which is well known for its traditional Kente cloth weaving. Observe weavers exhibit their skills in producing the adorned clothes, some of which are preserved for the Ashanti Kings. You can have lessons and try your hands at Kente weaving and Adinkra stamping using centuries-old methods. Return to your hotel and relax by the hotel’s poolside. Dinner is on your own. (B, L) 

Enjoy breakfast. Depart Kumasi to Elmina in the central region. Stop at Assin Manso to visit the burial site of the remains of two ancestors exhumed from New York’s Wall Street & Kingston, Jamaica, and re-interred on Emancipation Day 1998. The Prime Minister of Barbados also brought in a third ancestor in November 2019 as part of the “YEAR OF RETURN” GHANA 2019. Visit the Donkor Nsuo (the Slave River), where the African captives were allowed to take their last bath in the waters of their native land. The European merchants branded their bodies for identification before marching them to the dungeons in Elmina and Cape Coast. Continue to Elmina. Note the change in vegetation from coastal savanna to forest zone as you drive northward across River Prah. Arrive in Elmina and check into your hotel. (B, D) 

After breakfast, depart to visit Cape Coast Castle, which was originally started by the Swedes in 1652. It served as the headquarters and seat of the British colonial government until 1877. Go on a comprehensive tour of the Castle, the slave dungeons where enslaved Africans were incarcerated, the West African Heritage Museum, and the negotiation hall where our ancestors were bargained for and sold. This UNESCO World Heritage Monument has been visited by several world personalities, including US President Barack and Michelle Obama, Steve Harvey, Boris Kodjoe, and Danny Glover. Visit Elmina Castle, the first and oldest European structure built of any substance on African soil. This was built by the Portuguese in 1482 and later used as an auction market for a comprehensive guided tour. See the slave dungeons and condemned cells where slaves who attempted to escape were incarcerated. View its utterly distinct architecture. Have lunch at a seaside restaurant on your own. After lunch, return to your hotel for rest and relaxation. (B, D) 

Depart after breakfast to Accra. Stop en route and visit the Kakum National Park. Take a morning walk on the Kuntan Trail, which has countless trees and plants with medicinal properties. Experience the Canopy Walk suspended 100 feet from the ground, which offers a panoramic view of the flora and fauna of one of the remaining vestiges of the rain forest. Lunch will be on your own at a local restaurant. Depart to Accra, driving along several fishing communities and coconut-lined beaches. Arrive in Accra early in the evening and check into your hotel. (B, D) 

Enjoy the day at leisure in Accra for last-minute shopping and packing. (B) 

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before transferring to the airport for your return. Most flight options back to the USA will require an overnight stay in the US before returning to your departure city. (B) 

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