Tour Overview
| Duration | 14 Days / 13 Nights |
|---|---|
| Countries | Ghana — Togo — Benin |
| Price From | $6,225 per person (twin share) |
| Tour Style | Cultural / Historical Explorer |
| Data Source | African Star Tours — 2026 |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1-2: Accra, Ghana — Gateway to West Africa
Arrive in Accra, Ghana’s vibrant capital. Day 2: explore Accra — Independence Square, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the National Museum, and the bustling Makola Market. Visit the W.E.B. Du Bois Center. Welcome dinner with live highlife music. Overnight in Accra.
Day 3: Cape Coast — The Door of No Return
Drive west along the coast to Cape Coast. Visit Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle, UNESCO World Heritage sites that were central to the transatlantic slave trade. Walk through the dungeons and stand at the “Door of No Return.” Visit Kakum National Park — walk the canopy walkway 40 meters above the rainforest floor. Overnight in Cape Coast.
Day 4: Kumasi — Ashanti Kingdom
Drive to Kumasi, the historic capital of the Ashanti Kingdom. Visit the Manhyia Palace Museum, the seat of the Ashanti king. Explore the National Cultural Centre and the Kejetia Market, one of West Africa’s largest open-air markets. Witness traditional kente cloth weaving and Adinkra symbol printing. Overnight in Kumasi.
Day 5: Kumasi to Lomé, Togo — Border Crossing
Drive east to the Ghana-Togo border. Cross into Togo and continue to Lomé, the coastal capital. Afternoon visit to the Grand Marché and the Lomé Cathedral. Walk along the palm-lined beach boulevard. Overnight in Lomé.
Day 6: Lomé — Voodoo Markets & Culture
Full day in Lomé. Visit the Akodessewa Fetish Market, the world’s largest voodoo market — a fascinating place where traditional healers sell remedies, charms, and ritual objects. Visit the National Museum and the artisan village. Afternoon at leisure on Lomé’s beaches. Overnight in Lomé.
Day 7: Mount Agou & Kpalimé
Drive into the Togolese highlands to Kpalimé, a charming town surrounded by coffee and cocoa plantations. Hike to the summit of Mount Agou, Togo’s highest peak at 986 meters. Visit traditional villages and meet local Ewe communities. Afternoon at a butterfly farm and the Womé waterfalls. Overnight in Kpalimé.
Day 8: Togo to Benin — Ouidah & Voodoo
Cross the Togo-Benin border. Arrive in Ouidah, the spiritual heartland of Voodoo (Vodun). Visit the Python Temple — where live pythons are venerated — and the Sacred Forest of Kpassè, a mystical grove with centuries-old iroko trees. Walk the Route des Esclaves (Slave Route) to the Door of No Return memorial on the Atlantic beach. Visit the Ouidah History Museum. Overnight in Ouidah.
Day 9: Ganvié — The Venice of Africa
Drive to Lake Nokoué and take a pirogue (traditional canoe) to Ganvié, the largest lake village in Africa. This UNESCO World Heritage candidate is home to 30,000 Tofinu people who built their entire town on stilts to escape Dahomey slavers. Float through the floating market, visit a stilt school, and watch fishermen cast their nets. Overnight in Cotonou.
Day 10: Abomey — Kingdom of Dahomey
Journey to Abomey, the historic capital of the powerful Kingdom of Dahomey. Visit the Royal Palaces of Abomey, a UNESCO World Heritage site with bas-reliefs depicting the kingdom’s history, and the museum dedicated to the legendary Dahomey Amazons — the world’s only documented all-female army. Overnight in Abomey.
Day 11: Pendjari National Park (Optional)
If season permits, venture north to Pendjari National Park, one of West Africa’s best wildlife reserves. Spot elephants, lions, buffalo, antelope, and over 300 bird species. This is a premier safari destination in a region rarely visited by tourists. Overnight at Pendjari lodge. (Alternative: return to Cotonou for beaches and cultural sites if park is inaccessible.)
Day 12: Porto-Novo — Benin’s Capital
Visit Porto-Novo, Benin’s official capital. Explore the Ethnographic Museum housed in a colonial-era building, the Da Silva Museum tracing Afro-Brazilian heritage, and the Grand Mosque inspired by Brazilian architecture. See the Honmé Museum, the former royal palace. Overnight in Porto-Novo or Cotonou.
Day 13: Return to Accra
Drive west along the coast, crossing back through Togo into Ghana. Stop in Aflao and Ada Foah for the Volta River estuary. Arrive in Accra. Farewell dinner — jollof rice, grilled tilapia, and banku. Overnight in Accra.
Day 14: Depart Accra
Morning visit to the Artists Alliance Gallery for last-minute art and crafts. Transfer to Kotoka International Airport.
Inclusions
- 13 nights (hotels + lodges)
- Daily breakfast + 4 dinners
- All border crossings and visa assistance
- Private air-conditioned vehicle throughout
- English/French-speaking guide
- UNESCO site entries: Cape Coast Castle, Elmina Castle, Abomey Palaces
- Ganvié pirogue tour
- Voodoo market and temple visits
Why West Africa
- Three countries, three distinct cultures in two weeks
- Voodoo (Vodun) — the authentic source, not the Hollywood version
- Ganvié — Africa’s Venice, a city on water
- Dahomey Amazons — the world’s only documented female army
- Cape Coast Castle — face history at the Door of No Return
