Day 1:

(Friday) DEC. 30, 2011 – ARRIVE ACCRA, GHANA

On arrival in Accra you will be met, assisted and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Overnight at Novotel Accra City Centre Hotel Or Similar

Day 2:

(Saturday) DEC. 31, 2011 – ACCRA CITY TOUR

After breakfast start your city tour of Accra and vicinity. You will visit the W.E.B. Dubois Center and library. Visit Black Star Square and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial (the tomb of Ghana's first President. Pass by Independence Arch-Accra's ceremonial grounds. This evening enjoy the News Years celebration at your hotel.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight at Novotel Accra City Centre Hotel Or Similar

Day 3:

(Sunday) JAN 1, 2012 – ACCRA to ABURI to ACCRA

Mid morning, travel to Aburi Botanical Gardens which is located on the Akwapim Ridge, approximately 40 km northwest of Accra. Go on a guided tour of this national park and discover the numerous uses of the tropical trees that grow here. Aburi Botanical Garden is one of the 1600 botanical gardens throughout the world that endeavors to sustain an assortment of plant life, preserve, and reproduce endangered plants. Scientific research is conducted in the gardens, along with horticultural training.The garden provides a beautiful view overlooking the coastal plain. This evening visit Kokrobite Beach for drumming and dancing lessons.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight at Novotel Accra City Centre Hotel Or Similar

Day 4:

(Monday) JAN . 02, 2012 – TRAVEL FROM ACCRA TO KUMASI

After breakfast, depart to Kumasi, the capital of the ancient Ashanti Kingdom of Gold. En route to Kumasi, visit Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm, the first commercial Cocoa farm in Ghana. You will touch the actual cocoa pods, Ghana's largest export which is used to blend some of the world's finest chocolates. Arrive in Kumasi and visit the Prempreh II Jubilee Museum, named for the former Asantehene (ruler of the Ashanti people), Nana Osei Agyeman Prempreh II. Exhibits include a replica of the famed Golden Stool, which is believed to have descended from the sky and is the spiritual symbol of the Ashanti people. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Golden Tulip Kumasi Or Similar

Day 5:

(Tuesday) JAN . 03, 2012 – KUMASI

Today you will visit the Ashanti craft villages. First, learn about woodcarving in the village of Ahwiaa, known for the talented artisans who fashion royal stools, walking sticks and fertility dolls from wood. Next stop is the village of Ntonso, where Artisans hand-stamp patterns on cotton cloth to make Adinkra textiles. Black-on-black and black-on-red Adinkra cloth are worn for funerals and other solemn occasions. Discover how the black dye is made from the bark of trees, and create your own Adinkra sash. Later, visit Bonwire where the famous Kente Cloth is handmade on looms in a time-honored tradition passed down through generations. Observe the Kente weavers creating the traditional Kente Cloth. If time permits, visit the Manhyia Palace and museum where you will learn more about the history of the Ashanti people.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight at Golden Tulip Kumasi Or Similar

Day 6:

(Wednesday) JAN . 04, 2012 – TRAVEL FROM KUMASI TO CAPE COAST

After breakfast, depart Kumasi to Cape Coast. En-route, stop at Assin Manso, the burial site of two former slaves from the U. S. and Jamaica whose remains were re-interred in August 1998 during Ghana's first Emancipation Day Celebration. Visit the "Slave River" where captured Africans were washed before being confined in the Slave Castles to await shipment to the Americas and the Caribbean. This evening observe the rituals leading up to tomorrow's celebration of Edina Bronya.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight at Coconut Grove Beach Resort Or Similar

Day 7:

(Thursday) JAN . 05, 2012 – CAPE COAST

Today experience Edina Bronya, or Elmina Christmas, a festival that has been held for centuries in Elmina dating back to the Dutch occupation during the colonial period. This festival takes place on the first Thursday of January. Drumming, dancing and masquerading are all a part of this grand celebration that commemorates the lives of the ancestors. This carnival atmosphere is a great way to start the New Year. This evening observe the preparations for overnight fishing as the colorful fishing canoes are made ready to go out to sea.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight at  Coconut Grove Beach Resort Or Similar

Day 8:

(Friday) JAN . 06, 2012 – CAPE COAST

Early morning drive to Kakum National Park, one of West Africa's surviving tropical rain forests. Extending over 360sq km, Kakum is the home to over 40 large mammals and 400 bird species as well as many species of butterflies, flora and fauna. The most popular attraction is the Canopy walkway, which is made up of seven bridges extending 330m, hanging 30m (100 feet) above the forest floor. Choose between a 2 km nature walk through the forest to discover the wide variety of exotic floral species and the medicinal values they offer, or take a walk on the canopy walkway. This afternoon visit Cape Coast Castle and the Castle Museum. Cape Coast Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was one of the departure points for Africans being sent to slavery in the Americas. The castle is home to the infamous Door of No Return.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight at  Coconut Grove Beach Resort Or Similar

Day 9:

(Saturday) JAN. 07, 2012 – RETURN TO ACCRA

This morning return to Accra. En-route, visit Fort Amsterdam at (Cormantin) and the village of Abandze, the ancestral home of Louis Armstrong, the famous American Jazz Musician. Arrive in Accra early afternoon. You can visit The National Cultural Center and the popular Arts & Crafts Market if you like aggressive bartering or the African Market in Osu if you prefer fixed prices.

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight at Novotel Accra City Centre Hotel Or Similar

Day 10:

(Sunday) – JAN. 8, 2012 – ACCRA/DEPART

Photo: Kakum Canopy Walkway, Barry Williams

Day at leisure before your transfer to the airport for your  onward flight

Meal(s) Included: Breakfast .

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PRICING:

December 30, 2011 – January 8, 2012

 

 

TOUR INCLUDES

• Meeting and assistance upon arrival
• Assistance at departure on final day
• Roundtrip airport/hotel transfers
• Hotel accommodation in the indicated properties for 9 nights
• Transportation in private vehicle
• Experienced tour guide
• Admission to all listed sites and events
• Meals indicated (9 breakfasts, 8 dinners)

TOUR DOES NOT INCLUDE

• Airfare to/from Ghana
• Cost of visa
• Meals not listed
• Travel Insurance
• Gratuity to driver and guide

Single Room Supplement is the additional amount paid if only one person is occupying the room.

Airfare

Continent Tours can secure competitive international airfare from most destinations to Africa. Click here to request a quote online, or call (+001).215.471.8555 for details.