Ghana And Sierra Leone Tour

Arrive in Accra, Ghana (flight TBD). You will be met at the airport by Landtours representatives who will assist you with your transfer from the airport to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome drink at the hotel and participate in an orientation session. Dressmakers will take measurements and sew cloths for interested participants. Overnight at Movenpick Ambassador Hotel or Lancaster Accra Hotel.

Meals included: Dinner

Afterwards, depart for a sightseeing tour of Accra, the Capital of Ghana. Experience the city’s highlights during this Accra orientation. The capital of Ghana since 1877, Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region. In addition, it’s the country’s most populous city. Travel through the administrative and economic districts of Accra. Also, see the Artiste Alliance Gallery, the W.E.B. Du Bois Center for Pan African Culture and the Independence/Black Star Square. Learn about important events in Ghana’s history and the country’s first president who helped lead Ghana to independence.

Continue your tour to The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, dedicated to the legacy of Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, and his role in African independence. The tour includes visits to Nkrumah’s mausoleum, a museum showcasing his life, his personal residence, the eternal Flame of African Liberation, and beautifully landscaped gardens. Learn about Nkrumah’s early life, political career, and Pan-African vision. End the day’s tour at the Arts Center, where participants can sharpen their bargaining skills to shop for goods from Ghana and West Africa in an open-air market. On display, you will see fabrics of different materials, designs, colors and textures to purchase from. 

Overnight at Movenpick Ambassador Hotel or Lancaster Accra Hotel. Meals included: Breakfast.

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and depart to Cape Coast and drive through the historic Denkyira Kingdom to Kakum National Park, one of West Africa’s surviving tropical rain forests.  Choose between a 2 km nature walk through the rain forest to discover the wide variety of exotic flora and fauna species and the medicinal values they offer or take a walk on the canopy walkway hanging 40 meters above the forest ground.

After lunch on your own, embark on a tour of the infamous Forts, Castles, and Slave Dungeons of Ghana. History will unfold the story of the slave trade which the impact is still felt beyond the shores of Africa today. Visit the Cape Coast Castle built by the Swedes in 1653 and was later taken over by the British. Here, you would learn about the relationship between the western slave traders and the African tribes that made the trans-Atlantic slave trade possible. It is an opportunity to be up and close with history – to stand in the dark and stuffy dungeons, imagining the experience and conditions that millions of Africans endured. This castle also houses the West African Historical Museum.

Overnight at Ridge Royal Hotel. Meals Included: Breakfast.

After breakfast, visit the Global Mamas workshop where you will discover the art and beauty of African batik and get a glimpse into the life of a local artisan as you work side-by-side during thi s four-hour class. You’ll join a Global Mamas’ batiker in her workshop to learn the traditional techniques of batik production using wax and dye to create colorful patterns – to make your own one-of-a-kind fabric. Afterwards, take your two yards of handiwork home to sew into a finish product that will always have a special place in your home or wardrobe.

After lunch on your own, join Auntie Nana in her salon to learn the cultural history and technical wonders of African head wrapping. Head wrapping has been a part of African culture for centuries and are worn by men and women with pride. You will master an array of Gele head wrapping styles and learn how headwraps identify a woman’s religion, social status and celebrations. Apply your skills to show reverence at your next African event by attending with a perfectly fashioned head wrap.

Overnight at Ridge Royal Hotel. Meals Included: Breakfast.

fter breakfast, check out of your hotel and depart to Accra. Upon arrival, check into your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure until your farewell dinner in the evening. Overnight at Movenpick Ambassador Hotel or Lancaster Accra Hotel. Meals included: Breakfast and Farewell Dinner.

After breakfast, spend the morning doing last minute packing. Check out at 11am and transfer to the airport for your flight to Freetown’s Lungi International Airport, which is one of the world’s most uniquely-situated airports, located on the northern coast of the Freetown Estuary. On arrival, disembark and enter the arrivals hall for baggage reclaim. You will be met by your Guide and the VSL TRAVEL airport representative to transfer you to your hotel.

Overnight at Tariq’s Resort. Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner.

This morning, we drive to Peppel to join a private speedboat to visit Bunce Island. Bunce Island was the largest British slave castle on the Rice Coast of West Africa. Founded around 1670, it exported tens of thousands of African captives to North America and the West Indies until the British Parliament finally closed it down in 1808. Bunce Island is left to decay, and although this raises questions of preservation, it does have a certain charm. It is authentic, raw – a painful history that is burying itself under layers of greenery.

After spending a couple of hours exploring the substantial ruins on the island, including the factory house, fortification, slave prison, watchtowers, dormitories, storerooms, and power magazine you will be transferred to Freetown. Upon arrival, you will visit the Railway Museum, St. George’s Cathedral, National Museum and the Peace Monument to gain insight into Sierra Leone’s rich cultural heritage and the nation’s journey towards peace.

Overnight at Home Suites Hotel. Meals included: Breakfast.

After breakfast, you will meet and interact with one of Sierra Leone’s leading local fashion designer.After the engagement with Madam Wokie, your driver and guide will you for an unforgettable beach tour. You’ll start by exploring some of the peninsula’s most picturesque spots. You’ll visit Lakka Beach (known for its tranquil atmosphere and beautiful sands), River Number 2 beach (where you will have lunch before taking a leisurely 20-minute walk to Tokeh beach), Tokeh beach, and continue to Bureh beach (where you’ll pass the night).  

Overnight at Campanero Resort. Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Take an early breakfast, and head for Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, departing at 9 AM.  You will see the amazing work being done by Bala and his team. Chimpanzees are often cruelly or ignorantly kept as pets, or sometimes hunted for their meat. Today however, more than 100 primates find haven at Tacugama, swinging from branches, hooting with happiness, throwing things at passers-by with the petulance of children, nuzzling each other with tenderness of mothers attending to newborns, and picking bugs out of each other furs with the attention of Madonna’s manicurist, even the least animal-friendly of visitors gets sucked into the magic within the moments. Apart from the Sanctuary there are other attraction sites available in this area to occupy your time among which is the viewing of over 100 bird species that have been identified in and around the Tacugama Forest Reserve. After the sanctuary tour (depending on your flight), you will visit one of Freetown’s craft markets for gifts and souvenirs before being transferred to the airport for your flight to Accra.

Overnight at Movenpick Ambassador Hotel or Lancaster Accra Hotel. Meals included: Breakfast.

After breakfast, spend the day shopping and doing last minute packing. At noon, check out of the hotel and transfer to airport for check-in and final departure back home.