Arrival, Akwaaba (Welcome), Collection from Airport and Transfer to Hotel.

Accra - Welcome to Accra! It’s time to unwind and embrace the moment as you step onto the motherland. This marks the beginning of a journey celebrating your culture and heritage. We are thrilled to welcome you home. Please look for the Ashanti African Tours sign as you exit the arrival hall. Our team will greet you with “Akwaaba” (welcome) and assist with any inquiries as we transfer you to your lovely hotel for check-in. After refreshing, we’ll gather for dinner to discuss the exciting journey ahead. You can choose to relax at your hotel or join us for an introduction to Accra’s vibrant nightlife.

National Museum, Black Star Gate, Independence Square, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, James Town, and Accra Nightlife.

National Museum of Ghana - This is an excellent starting point for our tours, as the museum’s ethnographic displays provide a comprehensive overview of West African culture. The exhibits feature artifacts from Ghana and other West African countries. The adjoining garden showcases sculptures that reflect West African traditions and customs, offering insights into the region’s history. The museum and nearby markets offer beautiful African fabrics for sale, and your guide can arrange for a tailor to take your measurements and create custom clothing for you.

Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park - We pass by the Black Star Gate, a symbol of freedom, and visit the nearby Independence Square (Black Star Square), Ghana’s main ceremonial grounds, where the flame of African liberation, lit by Kwame Nkrumah in 1961, is located. A short distance away is the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the final resting place of our founding father who led the Gold Coast to independence from the British in 1957. Set in beautiful gardens, the park includes a museum with photos, artifacts, and insights into this remarkable man’s life. For those interested in purchasing African fabrics and crafts, the National Cultural Center, Ghana’s largest outdoor arts and crafts market, is adjacent to the park.

James Town - Next, we explore James Town, one of Accra’s oldest suburbs, on a walking tour that highlights historical structures predating the colonial era. This visit provides a glimpse into life before independence during colonial occupation. The 30-meter-high lighthouse, built by the British in 1871, is noteworthy, and the colorful fishing boats on the beach are a delight to see. We continue to Fort James, built by the British as a trading post in 1673, which later joined the Dutch Fort Crêvecœur and the Danish Fort Christiansborg. Fort James gave its name to the Jamestown neighborhood in Accra. These areas offer a perfect picture of old Accra, distinguishing between British and Dutch influences. The tour wouldn’t be complete without seeing the Brazilian stone houses, built by freed enslaved Africans who returned from Brazil after the abolition of the slave trade.

Accra - After a wonderful time in Jamestown, we return to our hotel for dinner and to get measured for any custom outfits by our professional tailor and seamstress. It’s time to explore the best nightspots in Accra and have some fun.

DuBois Centre, Aburi Botanical Gardens, Craft Market, and Transfer to Kumasi

W.E.B. DuBois Center - Our first stop this morning is the DuBois Centre, the final resting place and former home of the prominent American Pan-Africanist Dr. William W. Burghardt DuBois. He led the Pan-African Congress between 1919 and 1927 and was a vocal anti-segregationist, speaker, and writer. The center now serves as a library and research institute for students of Pan-Africanism.

Aburi Botanical Gardens - Located atop the Akuapem hills, the Aburi Botanical Gardens offer a stunning setting with breathtaking views across Accra. The gardens feature a wide variety of indigenous and exotic flora. As we stroll through the gardens, your guide will identify the many trees and plants, some with medicinal properties, and explain how Ghanaians use them.

Aburi Crafts Village - A short distance from the botanical gardens is the relaxed Aburi craft village. Traditional African drums, sculptures, and other crafts have been skillfully made here for generations. Watching the craftsmen at work, you’ll find that prices here are among the lowest in Ghana.

Manhyia Palace, Cultural Center, Kejetia Market, Okomfo Anokye Sword, and Kumasi Nightlife

Manhyia Palace Museum - A day of exploring your culture and history begins with a visit to the Manhyia Palace, home of the Asantehene, King of the Ashantis, and ruler of the Asanteman Kingdom. The Palace Museum offers a fascinating journey through the history of the powerful Ashanti empire. Our tour provides firsthand insight into the legacies of the Ashantis and helps you understand the significance of Ashanti culture during your time in this region.

Prempeh II Museum - A visit to the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum at the National Cultural Centre in Kumasi is essential. Located in one of Kumasi’s oldest suburbs, Bantama, it offers an excellent overview of Ashanti history and houses many wonderful ancient artifacts.

Kejetia Market - Kejetia Market is reputed to be the largest outdoor market in West Africa. Visiting here provides a fantastic opportunity to experience everyday life in this vibrant city and do some shopping. The market is a maze of stalls nestled closely together, bustling with activity. Some stallholders even sleep here at night as trade rarely stops.

Okomfo Anokye Sword Site - The Okomfo Anokye sword is located on the grounds of the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi. Okomfo Anokye was a powerful priest born in 1600 in the Eastern Region of Ghana who helped the Ashanti King Osei Tutu I defeat the powerful Denkyera kingdom. After the victory, legend has it that the Golden Stool of Ashanti descended from the sky and landed on Okomfo Anokye’s lap, which he presented to the Ashanti King. He then planted the sword into the ground as a symbol of unity between the Ashantis and Nzema people of Western Ghana. The sword remains in the ground to this day and has resisted all attempts to remove it, including by the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali during his Pan-African visit to Ghana in 1964.

Kumasi - This evening, you have the option to explore Kumasi and enjoy the city’s vibrant nightlife. Alternatively, you can relax at your hotel.

Ancient Kente and Adinkra Villages, Ashanti Traditional House, and Relaxation

Adanwomase - Adanwomase is the birthplace of Ghana’s rich, colorful Kente cloth. The village produces some of Ghana’s finest Kente cloth, with many designs woven here. We spend quality time walking through the community, interacting with skilled weavers whose families have been producing Kente for generations. During our visit, we learn about the history behind the various designs and observe weavers using traditional looms that have remained unchanged for centuries. It’s a great place to purchase quality Kente at reasonable prices.

Kumasi - After lunch, we return to our beautiful hotel, with the afternoon and evening free for relaxation.

Assin Manso, Cape Coast Castle, and Transfer to Elmina

Assin Manso Ancestral Slave River Park - An emotional stop at Assin Manso, a significant town along the enslaved African trade route where many ancestors from northern Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Niger were marched barefoot in shackles toward the coast. The town surrounds the Ndonkor Nsuo (Slave River), where enslaved Africans were checked for fitness and bathed before being transported to Cape Coast for shipment to the Americas. Our ancestors walked hundreds of miles from Northern Ghana in shackles and chains. Upon reaching Assin Manso, they were bathed and rested before continuing the final 32-mile march to the dungeons of Cape Coast or Elmina Castles, where they remained for up to six weeks before being shipped like cargo to the Americas. In 1998, two free (formerly enslaved) Africans were returned to Cape Coast Castle, symbolically passed back through the “Door of No Return,” and transported to Assin Manso for re-interment.

Cape Coast Castle - Our afternoon is dedicated to honoring our ancestors at Cape Coast Castle, arguably the most significant edifice remaining along the West African coastline. This emotional, thought-provoking monument commemorates a harrowing period in the region’s history. We spend quality time on an educational and spiritual journey, visiting all corners of the castle that held more enslaved Africans captive than any other in West Africa. Located below the governor’s place of worship and castle church, the dungeons housed up to 1,300 African men, women, and children in atrocious conditions until they were taken through the infamous “Door of No Return” to waiting ships. An informative museum explains the entire history of the castle and Cape Coast itself, and a shop sells literature on Ghana’s forts and castles, as well as the cultural history and traditions of Ghana.

Elmina - After checking into our beautiful beachfront hotel, the remainder of the day is free time. Dinner will be enjoyed on the beachfront, overlooking the stunning Gold Coast of West Africa—a time for reflection on the day’s experiences.

Kakum National Park, Traditional Naming Ceremony, and Celebration

Kakum National Park - Africa’s world-famous rainforest canopy walkway awaits us as we head to Kakum National Park, a semi-deciduous upper Guinea rainforest. This incredibly beautiful tropical rainforest features a canopy walkway that is sure to be a highlight of your time in Cape Coast. The walkway consists of seven bridges attached to seven emerging trees, 40 meters above the rainforest floor. Prepare to take a deep breath as you walk the suspended bridges. You’ll marvel at the outstanding views that stretch for miles across this breathtaking rainforest as you rest on the viewing platforms attached to the emerging trees between the bridges. We return to the park headquarters, where an excellent information center offers a highly informative overview of the park’s flora and fauna. Over 40 different mammal species have been recorded within the park, including forest elephants, leopards, and six primate species, to name just a few.

Cape Coast - Traditional Naming Ceremony. We visit a local village to pay a courtesy call on the chiefs, queen mothers, and elders. As tradition dictates, they begin with the pouring of libation to officially welcome you home to the land your ancestors were forcibly taken from, where your heritage and culture live on. Drumming and dancing surround us as you gain an in-depth understanding of traditional village life in Ghana. The time has finally arrived for you to receive your true African name during your personal traditional naming ceremony in your honor. Chiefs and elders of the community officially welcome you as they lead you through the ceremony, which has been performed by your ancestors throughout history. You will finally have the chance to receive your African name based on the day of the week you were born or the numeric order of your siblings. This would have been your name if you were born in Ghana and holds emotional significance for many when they receive it.

Cape Coast - Naming ceremony nightlife celebration. After your naming ceremony, we return to your beachfront hotel to freshen up, relax, and enjoy dinner before heading into town for an evening of celebration. If you requested outfits to be made on day two by our professional tailor and seamstress, they would have been delivered to you. Tonight is the perfect time to wear them for the first time. This is a significant day in your journey of connection, as you now know your African name. We celebrate at the best nightspots in Cape Coast.

Elmina Castle and Accra for Departure

Elmina Castle - On our way to Accra, we pass through the fishing town of Elmina. During our time in Elmina, we visit the Castle of St. George, the oldest extant colonial building in sub-Saharan Africa, dating back to 1482. This castle is rich in history and played a significant role during the tragic transatlantic slave trade era. Inside, an informative museum focuses on local history. The castle now stands as a silent monument to the pain and suffering our ancestors endured and has been designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO. After an informative tour, we visit the local fishing market and walk a short distance to see the boat builders in this community. Almost all the fishing boats used in this bustling fishing community are traditional wooden boats. Their design has remained unchanged for centuries, as have the tools and methods used to build them.

Accra - Our journey continues, and upon arrival back in Ghana’s capital, Accra, we enjoy an early evening meal. This provides an ideal opportunity to say our goodbyes and reflect on a wonderful time together before we transfer you to the airport for your international departure or to a pre-arranged location in Accra. You are now part of the Ashanti African Tours family, and we hope to see you again.

• 24/7 expert local guide
• Full office support available 24/7
• Traditional naming ceremony included
• Comprehensive excursion fees covered
• All-inclusive dining: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Unlimited mineral water provided
• Comfortable in-vehicle air conditioning
• Professional experienced driver
• Convenient airport transfers
• Full fuel provision with unlimited mileage
• Safety ensured with public liability and professional indemnity insurance
• Accommodation arrangements included

• Visa
• International flights
• Soft and alcoholic drinks

Embark on a tour that celebrates cultural heritage, both traditional and contemporary, in Ghana. This educational and spiritual journey offers a chance to reflect and trace the footsteps of ancestors, fostering a connection to the African motherland. Enjoy fun and thrilling experiences as you embrace Ghana’s music, cuisine, and fashion. Immerse yourself in the vibrant and welcoming culture and traditions at each location visited daily, and relish the lively nightlife in the evenings. A traditional naming ceremony will be organized in your honor, allowing you to receive your African name, determined by your birth day or sibling order, as per tradition. Booking directly with a local, award-winning Ghanaian company like ours guarantees the best experience of Ghana at the most competitive price.

If you cancel at least 3 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.