10-Day Ghana Heritage and Safari Tour with Elmina and Mole

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Day 01

Arrival in Accra and Welcome Orientation

• Arrive in Accra, Ghana, where you will be met at the airport by Landtours representatives who will assist you with your transfer from the airport to your hotel.
• Enjoy a welcome drink at the hotel and participate in an orientation session.
• Overnight stay in a 3, 4, or 5-star hotel.

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Day 02

Accra City Highlights and National Museum

• 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, and see the Artiste Alliance Gallery, the W.E.B. Du Bois Center for Pan African Culture, and 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.
• Overnight stay in a 3, 4, or 5-star hotel.

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Day 03

Elmina Castle and Historic Walking Tour

• Early in the morning after 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 out to sea, offers one of West Africa's greatest photo opportunities.
• Later in the afternoon, embark on a guided walking tour of Elmina, the first point of European contact in Sub-Saharan Africa. It was once the most cosmopolitan city in Tropical Africa. Climb Jago Hill to Fort Saint Jargo, which was used by the Dutch as a post from which to snatch Elmina Castle from the Portuguese.
• You will be thrilled by the various colonial Dutch cemeteries, as well as the colorful Asafo Company (Fante traditional soldiers) at post with their philosophical symbols.
• Overnight stay in a hotel in Elmina.

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Day 04

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, 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 a 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 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.
• Overnight stay in a hotel in Cape Coast.

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Day 05

Assin Manso and Journey to Kumasi

• After breakfast, check out of your hotel and drive through the forest zone to Kumasi, the seat of the Ashanti Empire. Discover the legend of the famous Ashantis, whose legacy is still evident today.
• On your way, visit Assin Manso, the location of "Donkor Nsuo" - a riverbank that served as a slave market and final transit point for a large number of enslaved Africans during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
• This is the final resting place for two ancestors whose mortal remains were returned from the USA and Jamaica and re-interred there.
• Overnight stay in a hotel in Kumasi.

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Day 06

Kumasi Heritage and Ashanti Craft Villages

• On this day, visit the Manhyia Palace Museum to learn more about the Ashanti Kingdom. A regal history that dates back to 1700 is told through relics and artifacts.
• Enjoy a drive through the city with monuments dedicated to the memory of the great Ashanti people. Tour the National Cultural Center, which features the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum and various studios of brass makers, potters, and batik makers.
• End your tour with a visit to the three craft villages: Ahwiaa, the wood carvers' village; Ntonso, the home of Adinkra cloth; and Bonwire, the Kente weaving village.
• You will have an opportunity to see how African crafts are made and buy directly from the artisans who make them.
• Head back to your hotel afterwards.
• Overnight stay in Kumasi.

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Day 07

Kintampo Waterfalls and Drive to Mole

• After an early breakfast at your hotel, check out and depart for the drive to Tamale.
• En route, stop at the former slave markets of Kintampo and Assin Bono. Enjoy this scenic but haunting drive through the land where the slave trade took place. Notice the change in climate and terrain, which has a direct bearing on the population of Africans that the slave traders targeted.
• Visit Kintampo Waterfalls to experience the cool, invigorating atmosphere created by nature and savor the breathtaking view of the cascading waterfall.
• Continue your drive to Mole.

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Day 08

Mole National Park Safari Adventure

• Depart for an early morning safari. The driving safari involves a ride through the park. While on the jeep safari, you will see many more animals than you would if you walked, and you will certainly cover a larger distance in a shorter span of time.
• Morning safaris begin at 6:30 am. On your return, enjoy the rest of the morning at leisure.
• After lunch, prep your camera for an afternoon safari and game drive - your chance to spot even more creatures you might have missed on your morning round.
• Overnight stay in Zaina Lodge.

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Day 09

Flight from Tamale to Accra

• Check out of your hotel and depart for Tamale airport to check in for your flight to Accra. Upon arrival, check into your hotel and relax.

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Day 10

Departure from Accra

• After breakfast, spend the rest of the morning packing. Later in the day, check out of your hotel and transfer to the airport for check-in and departure.