Tour Description by Grassroot Tours Ghana
This cross border tour of Ghana-Togo-Benin takes you to rich in traditional and local beliefs, wildlife and voodoo practices, traditional drumming and dance and many more!
Day 1 – Akwaaba to Accra, Ghana
Your tour guide will pick you up at the airport and take you to your lodge for the night. Depending on how early you get there, there will be an orientation to prepare you for your adventure. Overnight in Accra
Day 2 – Accra City Tour
This second day, you will take a tour of the country’s capital, Ghana. The 128 years old city has everything you could ever ask for in a modern city. It has bits and pieces from the past, grand architectural skills are put on display and there is no shortage of fun places to visit. You will visit Independence Square where the country first declared freedom from British rule. You will also visit the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the final resting place of the first president of Ghana. Another interesting place to visit today is the Makola market where people all over Accra come to shop. You will also visit the W.E.B Du Bois Center for Pan African culture, Jamestown lighthouse, and fishing harbor. After lunch, you’ll visit the Arts Center where you can get yourself some souvenirs and finally, you will visit a fancy coffin shop in Teshie where coffins are made in various shapes and designs. You will return to your hotel afterward to retire for the night and prepare for the next day. Overnight in Accra
Day 3 – Accra -Lome
This morning after your breakfast, you will drive about 3 hours 30 minutes to Lome. After checking in to your hotel, you will start a tour around the market in Assigame where various things are being sold. After the market tour comes a visit to the Monument de L’Independance. This was built as a tribute to Togo’s independence from France on April 27, 1960. The structure is composed of a human silhouette carved within it and surrounded by promenades, palm trees, manicured lawns, fountains and a black gold iron fence. After a good lunch, you will visit the Togo National Museum. It is located in the capital of Lomé. Founded in 1975, it houses ethnographical, cultural and artistic exhibits. Again today, you will drive to Agbodrafo to see slave dungeons. The city of Agbodrafo has been recognized as part of the “slave coast”. One can discover some vestiges of the past such as the “house of slaves” (Woold Home) or the well of chained ones. You will spend the night at a nearby hotel and rest for the day. Overnight in Lome
Day 4- Togo Lome
This morning in Lome, you will visit the Akodessawa Fetish Market located at Akodessawa, which is a district of Lome. The Akodessawa Fetish Market or Marche des Feticheurs is the world’s largest voodoo market. It features monkey heads, skulls, dead birds, crocodiles, skins and other products of dead animals. You will also visit the Lome Cathedral so see the first Archdiocese of Lome, one of the seven Catholic Church districts of the African Republic of Togo. The rest of the day will be spent on the beach. Overnight in Lome
Day 5- Benin Cotonou
This morning after breakfast, you will leave for Togoville on an hour drive passing through Lake Lome and to Grand-Popo, Benin. Benin, a French-speaking West African nation and a birthplace of “voodoo” religion and home to the former Dahomey Kingdom from circa 1600-1900. In Grand Popo, you will visit Villa Karo. Villa Karo is a Finnish-African culture center and artist residency in the coastal village of Grand-Popo, Benin. Its task is to build a bridge between Finnish and African artists and cultural figures. You will also drive 45 minutes to visit the Python Temple in Ouidah where it houses over 60 Pythons. These Pythons are revered and worshiped. You can choose to have a snake coiled around your neck or just watch them from a distance.
After activities in Ouidah and having a good lunch, you will drive about 35 minutes to Cotonou. In Cotonou, you will visit the Dantokpa Market to see how people trade in one of West Africa’s open markets and if you still have time, you will visit some more interesting things before you head to your hotel for a good rest at your beachside accommodation. Overnight in Cotonou
Day 6- Ganvie, Cotonou
Today you will have some time at the beachside with your guide to relax a little bit from all the drives and walks or talk about other activities around Benin. Later today is a drive to Ganvie. A floating village 30 minutes away from Cotonou where you will enjoy a canoe ride and see markets and buildings.
You will head back to your hotel, have dinner and if possible, spend some time out to see the nightlife in Cotonou. Overnight in Cotonou
Day 7 – Cotonou, Benin – Kara, Togo
Early today you will pack your bags and leave Benin for Kara, Togo on a long drive making stops along the way to see beautiful created villages and other interesting activities. Depending on our time of arrival in Kara, you might visit the Tchare village near the mountain in Kabye. Men in this village are literally blacksmiths while the women engage in pottery making. You will settle in your hotel in Kara and prepare for your next adventure in Ghana. Overnight in Kara
Day 8- Kara, Togo- Tamale, Ghana
This morning, you will leave your hotel in Kara after breakfast and drive about 5 hours to Tamale, Ghana passing through the border in Nachamba (Tatale). Tonight if you are not tired, you will get to see nightlife sitting at the famous Gidipas. You will settle in your hotel tonight and rest. Overnight in Tamale
Day 9- Tamale City Tour, Mole National Park
Today in Tamale, you will take a tour of the city. Ghana’s fourth-largest city and with a population of over 400,000 people with Muslims as the majority. You will first visit the Tamale Central Market where you will see the local people trade in various products. Your next visit is the Central Mosque, the biggest Mosque in Tamale where the majority go to pray mostly on Fridays. Lastly, visit the Tamale art market for a specially made northern Ghana souvenir.
You will drive 2 and half hours to Mole National Park making a stop at the Larabanga Mosque. The oldest in Ghana. You will arrive at the park and rest for today. Overnight in Mole National Park
Day 10 Safari, Mognori Eco Village
The second day is fun-filled as this is when you begin by taking early walks and drives around the park to see animals like baboons, buffaloes, elephants, warthogs and the numerous species of birds. After this early drive comes to a complimentary breakfast.
A visit will be paid to Mognori Eco-village later in the day where you will get a village guided walk and meet the famous herbalist who treats people using various herbs, in addition to a canoe safari on the Mole River where you have chances of seeing other animals. In this same village, you will also witness the unique dance steps and music of the people’s cultural drumming and dance.
Your guide will take you back to the hotel where you will start your evening driving safari starting at 3:30 pm. Overnight in Mole National Park
Day 11. Kintampo Falls, Kumasi
This morning you will leave Mole and a long 8 hours drive to Kumasi making a stop at the Kintampo waterfall. You will descend about 120 steps down to get to the falls where you will see the beautiful water splashing down. After lunch, continue on your drive to Kumasi. The Royal King’s Palace of the Ashanti Kingdom is the first thing to do in Kumasi. On getting there, you’ll be told about the vibrant history of the Ashantis. You will then proceed to the Center for National Culture where you are likely to see some drumming and dance activity going on. You can also shop around for souvenirs at the center. Drive to your hotel and settle for tonight. Overnight in Kumasi
Day 12- Kejetia Market, Cape Coast
Today you will visit the Kejetia Market, the biggest open market in all of West Africa. The market always has traders from all of Ghana’s neighboring countries with the streets so busy where people sometimes are unable to walk due to human traffic.
Your journey to the Coast continues making a stop at the Assin Manso slave market and cemetery. This place was where slaves from Northern Ghana had their last baths before being finally shipped out of the country. You will also visit the Elmina Castle, built by the Europeans (Portuguese in 1482 for the trade of goods and services and later turned into slave castles… You will arrive in Cape Coast and rest after the long drive and sitting. Overnight in Cape Coast
Day 13- Kakum National Park, Posuban Shrines, Elmina Castle
It is all about the adventure at the Kakum National Park as you will get to walk on West Africa’s only rainforest canopy walkway after you are given a tour of the forest to teach you the cultural, medicinal and economic importance of the plants you’ll find in the forest. You will drive back to Elmina and tour the Elmina Castle named as a UNESCO World Heritage site built by the Europeans during the period of the colonial masters.
Before calling it a day, you’ll visit Posuban Shrines where you’ll see fascinating architectural structures and statues. You’ll also get to see Ft. San Jago that was built in the 1600s to protect the Elmina Castle from attacks. A visit to the fishing lagoon at Elmina wraps up your day. Overnight in Cape Coast
Day 14- Drive back to Accra
Today you will have some enjoyable beach time before driving about 3 hours back to Accra. You will have your last moments to buy any souvenirs you are missing out at the art market or take a stroll on the famous oxford street at Osu. From then on, put the bag and baggage together for your onward flight back to your next destination.
