Ghana Historical Tour – 7 Days

Upon arrival in Accra – you will be met assisted and transferred to your hotel. Other activities today will depend on your arrival time and preference.

After breakfast goes on a full-day tour of Accra highlights will include: Independence Square, see the enclosed flame of African liberation, which was lit by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in 1961. The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park is the final resting place of Ghana’s first president. Set in attractive gardens, there is an adjoining museum, which contains photos, artifacts, and insight into Dr. Nkrumah’s life. Adjoining the park is the National cultural center, which is Ghana’s largest outdoor arts and crafts market selling traditional crafts from all over West Africa. The “Brazil House” learns about the seven Afro-Brazilian families who returned to settle in Ghana in 1836. Familiar Brazilian/Portuguese last names such as De Souza, Palmares, Azumah, Amorin, Da Costa, Santos, De Medeiros, and Olympio are abundant in this section of Accra.

After breakfast, drive to Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Kingdom. Visit Manhiya Palace, official residence of Ashanti Kings (Asantehene) until 1974, now a museum containing treasured items relating to the Ashanti Kingdom. Visit the nearby Okomfo Anokye Sword, an important symbol of Ashanti unity that marks the spot where the Golden Stool “descended from the sky” and has been in place for 300 years. Legend says the Ashanti Kingdom would collapse should the sword ever be removed.

After breakfast, visit the Ashanti craft villages. Begin at Ahwiaa, famed for skilled woodcarvers who craft royal stools, walking sticks, and fertility dolls — with opportunities to buy unique hand-carved items. Continue to Ntonso, where artisans hand-stamp cotton to make Adinkra textiles. Learn how the black dye is made from tree bark and create your own Adinkra sash, or purchase larger handmade pieces. End at Bonwire, birthplace of the famous Kente Cloth, woven on looms in a time-honored tradition. Watch weavers at work and shop for colorful souvenirs. This evening, explore the bustling Kumasi Central (Kejetia) Market, West Africa’s largest open-air market, where over 10,000 vendors sell everything from food and fabrics to handmade crafts.

After breakfast, drive to Cape Coast; with a stop at the Gold mine town of Obuasi and Assin Manso, the burial site of two former slaves from the U. S. and Jamaica. Visit the “Slave River” where captured Africans bathed before being confined in the Slave Castles to await shipment to the Americas and the Caribbean. This evening go on a guided tour through the ancient town of Elmina. At the harbor view the colorful fishing canoes getting ready to go to sea for another night’s task of fishing. This is a picture-perfect opportunity for photographers.

After breakfast, visit Elmina Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in 1482. This castle was the first European structure built in sub-Saharan Africa. In the afternoon visit Cape Coast Castle and the Castle Museum for a guided tour. Cape Coast Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was one of the departure points for Africans being sent into slavery in the Americas. The castle is home to the “Door of No Return”.

After breakfast, visit Kakum National Park. Kakum is one of Ghana’s most famous parks. Take a brief walking tour on the forest floor; see birds, butterflies, and perhaps catch a glimpse of the forests over 40 species of mammals including monkeys and the reclusive forest elephant. Proceed to the canopy walk. Proceed to the canopy walk. Kakum is home to Africa’s only aerial walkway through the tree canopy, a 1000-foot long and seven-bridge walkway with viewing platforms that reach heights of over 150 feet above the ground. In the afternoon return to Accra; en route visit the village of Abandze, the ancestral home of Louis Armstrong, the famous American jazz musician. Transfer to the airport for your onward flight