Tour Overview
| Duration | 15 Days / 14 Nights |
|---|---|
| Destination | West Africa — Benin, Togo, Ghana |
| Price From | $4,150 per person (twin share) |
| Tour Style | Small Group Adventure — West Africa East to West via Voodoo, Kingdoms & Castles |
| Best Season | November-February (dry season, festivals January) |
| Data Source | TourRadar / Intrepid Travel 2026 verified pricing |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1-3: Cotonou & Ouidah, Benin — Where Voodoo Was Born
Start in Benin, the birthplace of Vodun (Voodoo). Cotonou orientation, then two days in Ouidah: the Python Temple, Sacred Forest, and the powerful Slave Route ending at the Door of No Return. Visit the Ouidah Museum in the Portuguese fort for the historical context linking the slave trade to the diaspora — millions of African-Americans, Afro-Brazilians, and Afro-Caribbeans can trace ancestry through this very port. If traveling in January, the Voodoo Festival is a life-changing spectacle of spirituality, dance, and community.
Day 4-6: Abomey, Ganvie & Lake Villages
Explore the Royal Palaces of Abomey (UNESCO), the historic capital of the Dahomey Kingdom. The bas-reliefs on the palace walls are extraordinary historical documents — scenes of battles, ceremonies, and the famous agojie (female warriors). Day trip to Ganvie, the 30,000-person stilt village on Lake Nokoué, founded as refuge from Dahomey slave raiders. Visit Porto-Novo (Benin’s official capital, a quiet colonial city) and the ethnographic museum documenting Yoruba and Gun cultures.
Day 7-9: Togo — Lomé, Fetish Markets & Koutammakou
Cross into Togo. Lomé exploration: Grand Marché, Akodessewa Fetish Market (the world’s largest), and the palm-fringed boulevard along the Gulf of Guinea. Day trip to Koutammakou (UNESCO) — the land of the Batammariba people with their extraordinary takienta (mud tower-houses), two-story fortified dwellings that look like miniature castles. The Batammariba’s architecture and way of life have been largely unchanged for centuries; the houses, their construction, and the rituals associated with them represent a living cultural landscape.
Day 10-12: Ghana — Accra, Cape Coast & Elmina
Drive into Ghana via the Aflao border. Accra: Jamestown district, Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, Makola Market, and Ghanaian highlife music. Two days on the Gold Coast: Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle, the most powerful memorials to the transatlantic slave trade in Africa. Between the history, the living culture of the fishing communities around the castles — traditional boat-building, fish smoking, and the vibrant daily market — provides balance and perspective.
Day 13-15: Kumasi & Departure
Journey inland to Kumasi, the seat of the Ashanti Kingdom. Manhyia Palace Museum, kente weaving at Bonwire, and the massive Kejetia Market. The Ashanti story — from a small confederation of clans to a military empire, through wars with the British, to their role in modern Ghana — encapsulates the resilience of West African civilization. Return to Accra for departure.
Inclusions
- 14 nights accommodation
- Daily breakfast, 3 dinners
- All ground transportation
- Professional guide
- All listed museum and site entrance fees
- Ganvie boat excursion
- Cross-border fees
Exclusions
- International flights
- Visas and travel insurance
- Yellow fever vaccination (mandatory)
- Personal expenses
