Tour Overview
| Duration | 10 Days / 9 Nights |
|---|---|
| Country | Côte d’Ivoire — The Jewel of West Africa |
| Price From | $4,595 per person (twin share) |
| Tour Style | Cultural / Heritage Explorer |
| Data Source | Continent Tours (TourRadar verified) — 2026 |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Arrive Abidjan — The Paris of West Africa
Arrive at Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport. Transfer to your hotel in the Plateau district, Abidjan’s gleaming business center. Welcome drink of bissap (hibiscus juice). Afternoon orientation: walk through Plateau’s modern skyline — Abidjan is West Africa’s most cosmopolitan city. Evening dinner at a maquis (open-air restaurant) — the heart of Ivorian social life — for alloco (fried plantains) and grilled fish with attiéké (fermented cassava couscous). Overnight in Abidjan.
Day 2: Abidjan — Modern & Traditional
Full day exploring Abidjan. Morning: visit St. Paul’s Cathedral, a stunning modern architectural masterpiece designed by Italian architect Aldo Spirito, shaped like an elephant tusk. Visit the National Museum of Côte d’Ivoire with its extraordinary collection of masks and artifacts from the country’s 60+ ethnic groups. Afternoon: explore Treichville market, one of West Africa’s largest, and the artisan village at Cocody where traditional carvers and weavers work. Evening: attend a performance of Zaouli dance — a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage recognized masked dance of the Guro people with impossibly fast footwork. Overnight in Abidjan.
Day 3: Grand-Bassam — UNESCO Colonial Heritage
Day trip to Grand-Bassam (45 minutes), Côte d’Ivoire’s first capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This beautifully decaying colonial town was the French administrative center from 1893-1900. Walk through the Quartier France with its faded pastel colonial buildings — the former Governor’s Palace, the Post Office, and the Maison Varlet. Visit the National Costume Museum housed in a colonial mansion. Afternoon: relax on Grand-Bassam’s long sandy beach, popular with Abidjanais weekenders. Seafood lunch at a beachfront restaurant. Return to Abidjan. Overnight in Abidjan.
Day 4: Yamoussoukro — The Basilica & Sacred Crocodiles
Drive to Yamoussoukro (3 hours), the political capital built by founding president Félix Houphouët-Boigny. Visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace — the largest church in the world by area, modeled after St. Peter’s in Rome but actually larger. Built at a cost of $300 million in the 1980s, this marble and stained-glass colossus seats 18,000 people and rises 518 feet. Afternoon: visit the Presidential Palace (view from outside) and its moat filled with sacred crocodiles — caretakers still feed them live chickens in a daily ritual. Visit the Fondation Félix Houphouët-Boigny for peace research. Overnight in Yamoussoukro.
Day 5: Man — Land of the Dan People & La Dent de Man
Fly or drive to Man (via domestic flight to Man Airport or 7-hour scenic drive through the countryside). Man is nestled in mountains — rare in West Africa — and is the heartland of the Dan (Yacouba) people. Afternoon: visit La Dent de Man (The Tooth of Man), a dramatic 2,890-foot granite monolith that towers over the town. Hike partway up for spectacular views of the surrounding 18 mountains. Evening: attend a Dan mask ceremony — Dan masks are among Africa’s most refined, with serene faces and elaborate headdresses. Overnight in Man.
Day 6: Man — Liana Bridges & Waterfall Circuit
Full day exploring the Man region. Morning: cross the famous liana bridges — bridges woven from living vines by the Yacouba people, spectacularly spanning forest rivers. Some are over 100 feet long and have existed for generations. Visit the Cascade de Man, a beautiful waterfall in lush forest. Afternoon: visit a traditional Dan village for a weaving demonstration — the Dan are renowned for their blue-and-white strip-woven cloth. Evening: try the local specialty, foutou banane (mashed plantain) with sauce graine (palm nut soup). Overnight in Man.
Day 7: Korhogo — Senufo Country
Drive to Korhogo (4 hours), the capital of the Senufo people in northern Côte d’Ivoire. The Senufo are famous for their Poro secret society and extraordinary art — especially their carved wooden figures, masks, and painted cloth. Afternoon: visit the Korhogo artisans quarter. Watch traditional mud cloth (bogolanfini) being made — cotton cloth dyed with fermented mud in intricate geometric patterns. Visit wood sculptors creating Senufo fertility statues and Kpelie masks. Overnight in Korhogo.
Day 8: Korhogo — Senufo Villages & Poro Society
Full day visiting Senufo villages around Korhogo. With special permission, view the exterior of a sinzanga (sacred Poro grove) where initiation ceremonies spanning 21 years take place. Visit the village of Waraniéné for its famous weavers. Afternoon: attend a Senufo Boloye (panther dance) — a mesmerizing masked performance where dancers in leopard-spotted costumes perform acrobatic moves. Evening: traditional Senufo dinner. Overnight in Korhogo.
Day 9: Return to Abidjan & Farewell
Fly back to Abidjan. Afternoon at leisure: last visit to the Plateau district for shopping — Ivorian coffee, cocoa products (Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s largest cocoa producer), and artisan crafts. Farewell dinner at a top Abidjan restaurant overlooking the Ebrié Lagoon, with live Ivorian music (couper-décaler, the infectious local dance music). Overnight in Abidjan.
Day 10: Depart Abidjan
Morning at the Cocody flea market. Transfer to airport.
Inclusions
- 9 nights (Abidjan 4 + Yamoussoukro 1 + Man 2 + Korhogo 2)
- Daily breakfast + 4 lunches + 5 dinners
- Domestic flights (Abidjan-Man, Korhogo-Abidjan)
- Grand-Bassam UNESCO tour
- Basilica of Our Lady of Peace entry
- La Dent de Man hike
- Liana bridges visit
- Dan mask ceremony
- Senufo villages & Boloye dance performance
- Mud cloth and weaving workshops
- Zaouli dance performance
- Air-conditioned vehicle and driver
- Airport transfers
- English-speaking guide
Why Côte d’Ivoire
- The Zaouli dance — UNESCO-recognized masked dance with impossibly fast footwork
- Basilica of Yamoussoukro — the world’s largest church, larger than St. Peter’s
- Dan mask ceremonies — among Africa’s most refined artistic traditions
- Liana bridges — cross living vine bridges woven over centuries
- Senufo Poro society — one of Africa’s most secretive and fascinating cultures
