Benin, a French-speaking West African nation, is a birthplace of the vodun (or “voodoo”) religion and home to the former Dahomey Kingdom from circa 1600–1900. In Abomey, Dahomey’s former capital, the Historical Museum occupies two royal palaces with bas-reliefs recounting the kingdom’s past and a throne mounted on human skulls. To the north, Pendjari National Park offers safaris with elephants, hippos and lions.
Day 01: Arrive Accra D
Arrive Accra meet and assist at the and Transfer airport to your hotel. Welcome drink and orientation.
Dinner and overnight at hotel in Accra.
Day 02: Accra City Tour B – D
After breakfast depart your hotel for a sightseeing city tour of Accra. You will drive through the administrative and economic districts of Accra, the capital of Ghana. Over 100 years old, this city has a blend of colonial and modern architecture that summarize her history. You will visit the W. E. B. Dubois Center for Pan African Culture, Independence/Black Star Square and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. After lunch in a local Ghanaian restaurant, you will end your tour at the Arts Centre where you will have an opportunity to use your bargaining skills to shop from an open-air market for artifacts from Ghana and West Africa.
Dinner and overnight at hotel in Accra.
Day 03: Kakum National Park – Cape Coast Castle B-D
After breakfast at your hotel, depart for a drive through the historic Denkyira Kingdom to Kakum National Park, one of the West Africa’s surviving tropical rain forests. Choose between a 2 kilometer nature walk through this forest to discover the wide variety of exotic floral species and the medicinal values they offer or traverse the canopy walkway which hangs 100 feet above the forest floor.
Enjoy a pleasurable lunch, then visit Cape Coast Castle. Built by the Swedes in 1653 and later taken over by the British, this castle also houses the West African Historical Museum. Experience the history of the slave trade, the impact of which is felt in Africa and beyond even today.
Dinner and overnight at hotel in Elmina.
Day 04: Asanteman (Ashanti Empire) B-D
After breakfast, check out and depart for a drive through the forest zone to Kumasi, the seat of the legendary Ashanti Empire. After lunch, visit Manhyia Palace Museum, to obtain firsthand information on the legacies of the Ashanti Kingdom. The Ashanti’s have a famously regal history which dates back to 1700 and is evidenced by extraordinary relics and artifacts. Enjoy a drive through the city of Kumasi and see the many monuments dedicated to the memory of great Ashanti people. End the day’s tour at the National Cultural Center which features the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum and is home to the dazzling studios of traditional potters, brass and batik makers.
Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Kumasi.
Day 05: Ashanti Craft Villages B-D
This day is devoted to visiting the three famous craft villages in Ashanti: Ahwiaa (the woodcarvers’ village), Ntonso (the home of Adinkra) and Bonwire (the Kente weaving village). You will have the opportunity to see how African crafts are made and buy directly from the artisans who make them. After lunch, depart for a scenic drive through the forest zone to Accra.
Dinner and overnight at hotel in Accra.
Day 06: Accra – Cotonou B-L-D
After breakfast at your hotel, depart Accra for a scenic drive along the coast to Cotonou. Stopover in Lome for lunch. After lunch, continue the journey to Cotonou. Check-in and spend the remainder of the day at leisure.
Dinner and overnight at hotel in Cotonou.
Day 07: Cotonou – Ouidah (Voudoun Festival) B-D
After breakfast, depart for a visit to Ouidah, the cradle of African traditional religion. Join the local people of Ouidah as the nation (Benin) celebrates Voodoun Festival. This religious holiday honors the victims of slavery with solemn ceremonies of remembrance and wreath-laying at historic monuments. Elders, priests and priestesses perform ceremonies and make offering to the gods, seeking bountiful harvests and humbly asking for protection from evil influences. It is a joyous occasion, accompanied by colorful costumes and much singing, dancing and drumming.
You will have the opportunity to tour the temple dedicated to the sacred python, which is believed to give vitality and protection. You will also pay a visit to the sacred forest, which houses many shrines dedicated to various deities. Next, visit the historical Museum of Ouidah, located in a Portuguese fort built in 1721. This museum reveals Benin’s role in the transatlantic slave trade. Later, visit the “Port of No Return,” a monument built by the Benin government to commemorate the Africans taken from the Dahomey Empire. Return to Cotonou for dinner.
Overnight at your hotel in Cotonou.
Day 08: Cotonou – Ganvie – Abomey B-D
After breakfast, be prepared for a sensational visit to Ganvie, a village built over water (and commonly referred to as the “Venice of West Africa”). Witness first-hand as the people of Ganvie carry out their daily routines in dugout canoes piled high with wares, transacting commerce with one another and with tourists. You will enjoy shopping on the floating market and taking a relaxing canoe ride on the waterways of this exotic village which is over 300 years old. After lunch, depart Cotonou for a drive 144 km north to Abomey, the historical capital of the great Kingdom of Dahomey. Visit the Royal Palace and its museum, featuring relics that tell the story of this centuries-old Kingdom. Return to Cotonou.
Dinner and overnight Hotel in Cotonou.
Day 09: Cotonou – Accra B-L-D
After breakfast, depart Cotonou for Accra via Lome. Stop in Lome to enjoy lunch, then continue on to Accra.
Dinner and overnight at hotel in Accra.
Day 10: Depart Accra B
After breakfast departure transfer to the airport to catch the flight for onward Journey.
| Place | Night (s) | Hotels |
| Accra | 02 | Accra Marriott Hotel |
| Elmina | 01 | Jackson Guesthouse |
| Kumasi | 01 | Golden Tulip Kumasi City |
| Accra | 01 | Accra Marriott Hotel |
| Cotonou | 03 | Golden Tulip Le Diplomate |
| Accra | 01 | Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City |
- Welcome on arrival with fresh flower garlands.
- Meet to attend airports / hotels by our office representative.
- 09 nights in accommodation as per the program.
- Meals as per Program
- Guide Services ( English language )
- Entrance fees to the monuments.
- All taxes.
• International flights
• Personal Expenses.
• Camera / Video Camera Fees.
• Medical Aid.
• Tipping.
• Travel Insurance.
• Visa If any.
• Accommodation in good hotels.
• Check-in / out time is 12 noon at most of the hotels.
• Extension to other places is also possible with a minimal extra cost. – Additional nights are available at each place with minimal supplement.
• A visa is required and must be obtained prior to your departure from your Country.
• If quoted hotel is not available, we will provide one of a similar category and standard.
• Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room availability.
• In case the government changes presently applicable taxes, increase in airlines prices, fuel surcharge our rates will need to be adjusted accordingly.
• In Asia, there is no relevance between the distance and time of travelling, as it depends upon the condition of the roads and congestion of the traffic.
• While every effort will be made to maintain the itinerary, in view of local strikes etc that are beyond our control all schedule and itineraries are subject to last moment changes.
• Clients must be fully insured, as the company cannot accept liability for loss or damage to client’s property, medical emergencies or any other loss suffered by them whilst on tour.
• In Case of issuing Domestic or International air tickets, SGV is not responsible for any refund if the flight is delayed or cancelled, as it is the responsibility of airline.
