Ghana Gold Coast Tour

Tuesday 3rd February – Accra

• Arrive at your convenience in Accra, the capital city of Ghana which is well connected from many countries within Africa and most of Europe.
• Group members from our Benin and Togo Tour will arrive from Lomé after a 4-hour drive.
• Self transfer to our hotel and meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide in the lobby at 4:00pm
• We’ll start our exploration of Accra with a visit to the Makola Market, the largest open-air market in the country, for a taste of local life and local food!
• We’ll then go to the Independence Arch and Black Star Square, significant landmarks in Accra’s history. The Independence Arch is a powerful symbol of Ghana’s 1957 independence from the British Empire. Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from colonial rule, marking a turning point in Africa’s decolonization.
• For sunset, we’ll head to Labadi Beach, one of the most beautiful and the busiest beach on Ghana’s coast. It’s a perfect place to relax at the end of the day, meet the locals and have dinners and drinks!
• Overnight in Hotel Paloma or similar

Wednesday 4th February – Accra – Akosombo

• Breakfast at hotel
• We’ll start our visit at the Jamestown district, one of the oldest districts of Accra. Established as a European trading post in the 17th century, Jamestown later became a key location in the transatlantic slave trade, with British and Dutch forts serving as holding points for enslaved Africans before their forced departure. We’ll stop by the Jamestown lighthouse, see the port and pass by the two major colonial-era forts in old Accra, James Fort and Ussher Fort.
• We’ll then visit the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, dedicated to Ghana’s first president. The mausoleum, designed in the shape of an upside-down sword (a symbol of peace in Akan culture), is surrounded by a park with fountains and statues. Inside, we’ll visit a museum showcasing Nkrumah’s personal effects, photographs, and political writings, detailing his vision for Pan-African unity and Ghana’s role as the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence in 1957.

Afternoon

• After lunch, we’ll drive two hours to the Nkyinkyim Museum in Ada Foah.
• The museum, founded by artist Kwame Akoto-Bamfo, is an open-air space dedicated to preserving African history and culture. Its name, Nkyinkyim, means “to turn or twist”
  in Akan, symbolizing adaptability and resilience. The museum features life-sized sculptures and installations that serve as mementos from the transatlantic slave trade, colonization, and contemporary struggles.
• We’ll then continue to Akosombo, traversing unique landscapes of abundant forests and mountains.
• On arrival, we’ll see the Akosombo Dam. Built in the 1960s, it flooded part of the Volta River Basin and led to the subsequent creation of Lake Volta, the largest man-made lake in the world by surface area. 
• Our hotel is located by the lake, offering a serene atmosphere for the night.
• Overnight in Akosombo

Thursday 5th February – Lake Volta – Aburi

• Breakfast at the hotel
• We’ll start the day with a leisurely ride on the lake. We’ll learn more about the dam and its impact, both positive and negative, on the region. It now provides 60% of the coutry’s electricity, which is also shared with neighbouring Togo, but also had a huge impact on local ecosystems. We’ll be able to exchange with the local population about their life and their relationship with the lake.
• After the boat ride, we will travel to a seaside village inhabited by the Kobo ethnic group. The Kobo people are known for their ceremonies, which often feature drumming, dancing, and spiritual rituals. Fishing is central to their way of life, and they specialize in catching the “one man thousand” fish, a term used locally for small schooling fish.
• Next, we will make our way to the Cedi Bead Factory, where we will be shown the process of making recycled glass beads. This craft dates back centuries in West Africa, with beads
  historically used as currency, symbols of status, and for spiritual purposes.

Afternoon

• After lunch in a local restaurant, we’ll head to the Tetteh Quashie Cocoa Farm, named after the Ghanaian farmer who introduced cocoa to the country in the late 19th century. His efforts led to Ghana becoming the world’s second largest cocoa producer after Ivory Coast.
• Our final stop of the day will be the Aburi Botanical Gardens, a 165-acre reserve established in 1890 by British colonial authorities. Initially intended as an agricultural research station, the gardens later became a botanical space featuring a wide variety of tropical trees, including silk cotton trees, mahogany, and non-native species introduced for research.
• Dinner and overnight in Aburi

Friday 6th February – Cape Coast and Elmina Castles

• Breakfast at hotel
• After driving four hours from Aburi, we will arrive in Cape Coast, a historic city on Ghana’scoast that played a central role in the transatlantic slave trade.
• On arrival, we’ll visit Cape Coast Castle, a fortress originally built by the Swedes in the 1650s and later controlled by the British. The castle played a major role in the transatlantic slave trade, serving as a departure point for enslaved Africans bound for the Americas.
• During our guided tour, we’ll stand in the castle’s dungeons, where thousands of enslaved men and women were imprisoned in horrific conditions. Many perished before ever leaving the shores of Africa. We will also stand at the “Door of No Return,” the last point they passed through before being forced onto ships.

Afternoon

• After lunch, we will visit another historical site connected to the slave trade, Elmina Castle. Built in the 15th century by the Portuguese colonizers, it is one the oldest European building in existence south of the Sahara. Like Cape Coast castle, it  was one of the most important stops on the transatlantic slave trade. 
• The transatlantic slave trade devastated Ghana’s coastal communities from the 16th to the 19th century. European traders, in collaboration with some African middlemen,
  captured and sold millions of Africans, leading to the depopulation of many regions and the destruction of local societies.
• The abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in the 19th century led to the transformation of these castles into administrative centres. Today, both Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, serving as powerful reminders of this dark chapter in history.
• Dinner and overnight in Hotel Coconut Bridge, in Elmina

Saturday 7th February – Kakum National Park – Accra

• Early morning rise for a visit to the fish market of Elmina, one of the biggest and most colourful in the region
• After this morning walk, we’ll come back at the hotel for breakfast
• We’ll then drive to the Kakum National Park, known for its canopy walkway and diverse wildlife.
• This park is unique because it was created in 1931 at the initiative of the local people and not by the State department of wildlife. It is now so important that Ghana has proposed that UNESCO recognized it as a natural World heritage site.
• During our visit, you can experience the thrill of walking above the jungle on the canopy walk. If you’re not scared of heights, it’s a very cool activity!
• The park is home to several endangered species, including Diana monkeys, African elephants and giant bongo antelopes. It is also renowned for its bird and butterfly population.

Lunch

• After lunch, our last destination will be Assin Manso, a site of profound historical significance. It was one of the last points where enslaved Africans were held before being taken to the coast for shipment. We will see the Slave River, known as “Ndonkor Nsuo,” where captives took their last bath before being sold.
• Assin Manso is also home to the graves of former slaves, Crystal and Samuel Carson, who were returned from the United States and Jamaica, respectively, and anonymous
  remains from Barbados.
• We’ll then drive back to Accra, where we’ll have a farewell dinner in a local restaurant and drinks to celebrate the end of a beautiful trip.
• Overnight in Hotel Paloma or similar

Sunday 8th February – Accra

• Breakfast at hotel
• Tour concludes. YPT is able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for ongoing flights.