10-Day Benin, Togo and Ghana Tour with Ouidah Voodoo Festival

1

Day 01

Arrival in Cotonou

• Arrive in Cotonou. Transfer from the airport to your hotel, check in, and relax for the rest of the evening.

2

Day 02

Cotonou Cathedral, University, and Dantokpa Market

• Depart after breakfast from the hotel for the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Miséricorde, commonly known as Cotonou Cathedral. This Roman Catholic cathedral is located near the Ancient Pont Bridge in Cotonou, Benin, and is noted for its distinct burgundy-and-white striped tiled architecture. Continue to the National University of Benin, the principal university in the country. The university was founded in 1970 as the Université du Dahomey, and in 1975 its name was changed to Université Nationale du Bénin.
• End the tour at Dantokpa Market in Cotonou, Benin. It is one of the most important retailing areas in Benin, covering over 20 hectares. The market is also economically significant for the country, with a reported commercial turnover of over a billion CFA francs a day.

3

Day 03

Ouidah Voodoo Festival Experience

• For millions of Beninese, voodoo is an integral part of everyday life. It does not have a dark side, and you cannot avoid the many voodoo dolls riddled with pins and nails. Ouidah is the spiritual capital of voodoo and was once a major slave-trading post. On this day, you will experience ceremonies and festivities that take place on the beach near the monument dedicated to the Place of No Return, and stand among thousands of voodoo believers and adherents to receive blessings from Ouidah's voodoo chief. This festival is dubbed one of Benin's most colorful and spectacular events. The celebrations are also filled with singing, chanting, dancing, beating of drums, and drinking various spirits, usually gin.

4

Day 04

Ganvié, the Village on Water

• Devote this day to making a sensational visit to Ganvié, the village on water, commonly referred to as the Venice of West Africa. Witness firsthand the people of Ganvié carrying out their daily activities, as vendors in dugout canoes piled high with wares transact commerce with one another and with tourists. You will enjoy shopping at the floating market and taking a relaxing canoe ride on the waterways of this exotic 300-year-old village.

5

Day 05

Grand Popo and Villa Karo

• Have breakfast at the hotel and then take a scenic drive to Grand Popo to tour the Finno-African cultural center called Villa Karo. This cultural center has been situated in Grand-Popo since 1999. Grand Popo emerged as a major town around the slave trade, but coastal erosion has now destroyed most of the old town. The town is now a center for voodoo, and its main industry is fishing.

6

Day 06

Lomé City Tour and Journey Onward

• After breakfast, depart Togoville for Lomé and visit the Grand Marché, Marché des Féticheurs, Musée National, and Place de l'Independence.

7

Day 07

Accra City Highlights and Cultural Landmarks

• Experience the city's highlights during this Accra orientation. The capital of Ghana since 1877, Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region. Travel through the administrative and economic districts of Accra. Also see the Artiste Alliance Gallery, the W.E.B. Du Bois Center for Pan African Culture, and the Independence/Black Star Square. Learn about important events in Ghana's history and the country's first president, who helped lead Ghana to independence.
• Continue your tour to the National Museum of Ghana in Accra. It is the largest and oldest of the six museums under the administration of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board. The museum building was opened on 5 March 1957 as part of Ghana's independence celebrations.
• End the day's tour at the Arts Center, where participants can sharpen their bargaining skills while shopping for goods from Ghana and West Africa in an open-air market.

8

Day 08

Kakum Rainforest and Cape Coast Castle

• After breakfast, depart early in the morning for a drive to Kakum National Park, one of West Africa's surviving tropical rainforests. The most popular attraction is the canopy walkway, which is made up of seven bridges extending 330 m and hanging 30 m (100 feet) above the forest floor. Enjoy a 2 km nature walk through this forest to discover the wide variety of exotic floral species and the medicinal values they offer.
• Later in the day, visit Cape Coast Castle, which was built by the Swedes in 1653 and was later taken over by the British. Like Elmina Castle, Cape Coast Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a poignant memorial to the millions of Africans who were victims of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
• This castle also houses the West African Historical Museum, established by the Smithsonian Institute in collaboration with the Ghanaian Government in 1994.

9

Day 09

Elmina Castle and Posuban Military Shrine

• After an early breakfast, depart your hotel and visit Elmina Castle, built by the Portuguese in 1482 and also known as St. George's Castle. This castle was the first European structure built in Sub-Saharan Africa. The colorful harbor nestled below Elmina Castle, full of pirogues preparing to go to sea, offers one of West Africa's greatest photo opportunities. See the slave dungeons and condemned cells where slaves who attempted to escape were incarcerated. View its utterly distinct architecture.
• Afterwards, continue the tour to Posuban Military Shrine, where the Asafo companies, Fanti traditional soldiers, prepare spiritually for war. These shrines are wonderful examples of how art is used in the daily lives of Ghanaians.

10

Day 10

Farewell and Departure to Accra Airport

• After a leisurely breakfast, spend the morning relaxing or packing for your return to Accra. Check out of your hotel at noon and depart for Accra. Upon arrival, have an early dinner on your own and transfer to the airport for your departure back home.