Return to Roots: Ghana Edition

Arrive in Accra, collect your luggage, and head to the arrivals area, where our representative will greet you and assist with your transfer to the hotel. (Standard check-in time is 3:00 pm.) After checking in, settle into your room and relax in preparation for an exciting journey tomorrow. Alternatively, you may choose to enjoy the hotel’s facilities or venture out to explore the city at your own pace. Spend the rest of the day unwinding or discovering the city as you wish.

Overnight in Accra

After breakfast, embark on an enlightening sightseeing tour of Accra, the capital of Ghana. This orientation excursion offers a chance to explore the city’s highlights, which has served as the nation’s capital since 1877 and remains the bustling center of the Greater Accra Region and Ghana’s most populous city.

Travel through Accra’s diverse districts, including its administrative and commercial areas, and experience the vibrant energy that defines the city. Visit notable landmarks such as the Artiste Alliance Gallery, the W.E.B. Du Bois Center for Pan-African Culture, and Independence/Black Star Square. Learn about pivotal moments in Ghana’s history and the instrumental role of the country’s first president in achieving independence.

Continue to the National Museum of Ghana, the largest and oldest museum among the six managed by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board. Opened on March 5, 1957, as part of the nation’s independence celebrations, the museum offers an immersive experience of Ghana’s rich cultural heritage through its diverse exhibits.

Conclude the day at the Arts Center, a lively open-air market where you can shop for a variety of goods from Ghana and across West Africa. Explore vibrant fabrics in multiple colors, designs, and textures, and practice your bargaining skills to find unique treasures. Return to your hotel afterward to relax and unwind.

Overnight in Accra

After breakfast, depart for Cape Coast. Upon arrival, savor a delicious lunch at a local Ghanaian restaurant before embarking on a tour of one of Ghana’s historic forts, castles, and slave dungeons. This experience reveals the history of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and its enduring impact beyond Africa’s shores.

Visit the Cape Coast Castle, originally built by the Swedes in 1653 and later taken over by the British. Learn about the interactions between Western slave traders and African tribes that enabled the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Stand inside the dark, cramped dungeons and reflect on the harsh conditions endured by millions of Africans—a powerful, immersive encounter with history. The castle also houses the West African Historical Museum, offering further insight into the region’s past.

After the tour, return to your hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Cape Coast

After breakfast, depart for Kakum National Park, one of the last remaining tropical rainforests in West Africa. Upon arrival, you can choose between a guided two-kilometer nature walk to explore the forest’s diverse flora and fauna and learn about their traditional medicinal uses, or experience the thrilling canopy walkway, suspended 40 meters above the forest floor, offering panoramic views of the rainforest.

After lunch on your own, visit Elmina Castle (also known as St. George’s Castle), built by the Portuguese in 1482. Learn about the interactions between Western slave traders and African tribes involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Stand inside the dark, cramped dungeons where locals were held before their perilous journey across the Atlantic, a poignant and powerful reminder of the slave trade’s inhumanity.

Next, explore the fishing village of Elmina, a place that is both picturesque and thought-provoking. Immerse yourself in the community’s main industry by meeting local fishermen to learn the intricacies and daily challenges of their trade. Then, visit village fishmongers to see the traditional process of smoking fish in earthenware ovens—a unique insight into one of Ghana’s oldest and most important trades.

Overnight in Cape Coast

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and drive through the forest zone to Kumasi, the historic heart of the Ashanti Empire, to explore the rich legacy of the Ashanti people.

En route, stop at Assin Manso to visit “Donkor Nsuo,” the former Slave River and market, which served as the final transit point for many enslaved Africans. Pay respects at the site where the remains of two ancestors, returned from the USA and Jamaica, were reinterred.

Continue with a courtesy visit to the local chief and elders, accompanied by traditional drumming and dancing. Participate in a naming ceremony, where each guest receives a Ghanaian name and a gift, symbolizing a new identity and connection to the community. After this meaningful experience, proceed to Kumasi to continue your journey.

Overnight in Cape Coast

After breakfast, check out of your hotel at 8:00 AM and drive through the forest zone to Kumasi, the seat of the Ashanti Empire, to explore the legends of the famous Ashantis, whose legacies are still evident today. En route, stop at Assin Manso. Visit the site of “Donkor Nsuo,” the former Slave River and market, the final transit point for a large number of enslaved Africans. This is the final resting place for two ancestors whose mortal remains were returned from the USA and Jamaica and reinterred there.

Afterwards, pay a courtesy call on the chief and elders amidst traditional drumming and dancing by the villagers. The group will participate in a naming ceremony of recognition, where a Ghanaian name is given to participants and a gift presented as part of celebrating a new identity as a Ghanaian and a member of the local community. Continue the drive to Kumasi.

Overnight in Kumasi

After breakfast, depart for a full day exploring the three renowned Ashanti craft villages: Ahwiaa, famous for wood carving; Ntonso, known for Adinkra cloth; and Bonwire, the center of Kente weaving. Observe the artisans at work and have the opportunity to purchase crafts directly from them.

After lunch on your own, delve into the legacy of the Ashanti Kingdom, one of West Africa’s most influential civilizations. Visit the Manhyia Palace Museum, home to royal artifacts, regalia, and relics that showcase the monarchy’s history. Learn about the sacred Golden Stool, a symbol of Ashanti unity, and discover the kingdom’s resistance against British colonization.

Conclude the day with a scenic drive through Kumasi, stopping at the Prempeh Museum. Explore exhibits highlighting Ashanti traditions, leadership, and cultural heritage, and admire statues, monuments, and royal regalia that celebrate the enduring legacy of the Ashanti kings and their warriors.

Overnight in Kumasi

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and begin the journey back to Accra. Along the way, visit the Besease Shrine, a UNESCO-recognized heritage site near Ejisu. This traditional fetish shrine is dedicated to specific spirits, known as obosom, who act as intermediaries between humans and the supreme god Nyame. Explore the distinctive architecture and gain insight into ancestral worship practices devoted to the ancient gods. Upon arrival in Accra, check into your hotel and settle in.

Overnight in Accra

Your unforgettable Back to the Roots journey through Ghana comes to an end. The tour officially concludes, but depending on your flight schedule, you may have some free time to explore Accra at your own pace, enjoy last-minute shopping, or pick up a few final souvenirs. 

When it’s time, you will be transferred to the airport to bid farewell to Ghana and begin your journey home. We wish you a safe journey and hope to plan your future trips with Voyages Hub!

Note - The itinerary above may be modified without prior notice. The sequence of activities and scheduled day trips may vary due to operational factors, including weather and traffic conditions.