African American Heritage

Black Heritage Experiences

This takes place annually in February and highlights the positive contributions made by Africans and people of African descent everywhere by tracing the history of Africans on the continent and in the Diaspora. Ghana’s history spans almost 2000 years, to the ancient Ghanaian Empire.

The gold coast was known for abundance; Gold, Ivory, Salt and Kola Nuts were traded between Ghana and other African Nations.

Black History Month promotes African arts and culture while heightening the confidence and awareness of Black people everywhere. On this tour there will also be visits to Ghana’s infamous slave castles, Kakum National Park and a visit to the Ashanti Kingdom.

1 – AKWAABA ARRIVAL

Arrive in Accra, Ghana. Transfer from the airport to your hotel. Check into your hotel and relax. Welcome drink. Overnight at a hotel. Meals Included: Dinner.

2 – Village Naming Ceremony and Pottery Making

Depart for a scenic drive to a beautiful village located on the lower course of the splendid Volta River. You will have the opportunity to pay a courtesy call on the paramount chief and elders amidst traditional drumming and dancing by the villagers and also participate in a naming ceremony, where you will be given a traditional African name. Other activities include a demonstration of pottery making which is the main occupation of the women in the village. Afterwards, head back to Accra.

Overnight at a hotel. Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner.

3 – Elmina Castle and Elmina Fishing Village Walking Tour

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and depart for Cape Coast to embark on a tour of the Elmina Castle (also known as St. George’s Castle) built by the Portuguese in 1482. Designated as an official UN World Heritage Site, Elmina Castle is an important symbol of the traumatic history of the Trans–Atlantic slave. Take a tour of the castle and learn how the legacy of the slave trade has shaped Africans and African Diaspora for generations. The colorful harbor nestled below the Elmina Castle, full of pirogues preparing to go to sea offers one of West Africa’s greatest photo opportunities.

Afterwards, embark on a guided walking tour of Elmina township. Elmina’s rich history is captured in its buildings. They tell the stories of the people of Elmina and their interaction with those who came from outside West Africa. Visit the colorful Asafo houses, which were used as a place for warriors to prepare mentally and spiritually before going to war. They are wonderful examples of how art is used in the daily lives of Africans.
Overnight at a hotel. Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner.

4 – Kakum National Park and Cape Coast Castle

After breakfast, depart early in the morning for a 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. Enjoy a 2 km nature walk through this forest to discover the wide variety of exotic floral species and the medicinal values they offer.

Later in the day, visit the Cape Coast Castle which was built by the Swedes in 1653 and was later taken over by the British. Like Elmina Castle, Cape Coast castle is a UNESCO world heritage site and a poignant memorial to the millions of Africans who were victims of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. This castle also houses the West African Historical Museum established by the Smithsonian Institute in collaboration with the Ghanaian Government in 1994.
Overnight at a hotel. Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner.

5 – Elmina – Assin Manso – Kumasi

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and drive through the forest zone to Kumasi to the seat of the Ashanti Empire to explore the legends of the famous Ashantis, whose legacies are still evident today.
En route, stop at Assin Manso, the location of “Donkor Nsuo”, a riverbank which served as a Slave market and final transit point for a large number of enslaved Africans during the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade. This is the final resting place for two ancestors whose mortal remains were returned from the USA and Jamaica and re- interred there.
Overnight at a hotel. Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner.

6 – Ashanti Craft Villages and Besease Shrine

This day is devoted to visiting the three famous Ashanti craft villages. After breakfast depart for Ahwiaa, the woodcarvers’ village, Ntonso, the home of Adinkra cloth, and Bonwire, the Kente weaving village. You will have an opportunity to see how African crafts are made and to buy directly from the artisans who make them.
Afterwards, visit the Besease shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and experience ancient customs of the traditional Ashanti religion. The Besease Shrine is a traditional fetish shrine, near the town of Ejisu. Each of these shrines is a home for a particular spirit, called obosom, that mediates between mortals and the supreme god Nyame. Observe the unique architecture and experience the mode of ancestral worship to the ancient gods.

7 – KUMASI – BESEASE SHRINE – ACCRA (HOME STAY IN THE CITY)

On this day, you will visit Manhyia Palace Museum, to obtain information on the legacies of the Ashanti kingdom. A regal history that dates back to 1700 is told with relics and artifacts. Enjoy a drive through the city with monuments dedicated to the memory of the great Ashanti people.
End the day’s tour at the National Cultural Center which features the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum and various studios of the brass makers, potters and batik makers. At the end of the tour, drive back to Accra. Upon arrival, check into your hotel.
Overnight at a hotel. Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner.

8 – Accra City Tour – James Town Walking Tour

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. This 137year-old city has a blend of colonial and modern architecture that summarize her history. You will visit the W. E. B. Dubois Centre for Pan African Culture, Independence/ Black Star Square and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. Visit 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.
End your tour with a visit to Jamestown. The people of Jamestown are Afro-Brazilian descendants and former slaves who decided to return to Africa. About seventy AfroBrazilians of seven different families arrived in South Ghana and Accra, in the region of the old port in Jamestown in 1836. On your tour, you will find one of the Homes of the Tabom People, former slaves who returned to Africa after the abolition of slavery in Brazil. The House became a museum, known as ‘Brazil House’.
Overnight at a hotel. Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner.

9 – FAREWELL/DEPARTURE

Devote this day to doing some last-minute sightseeing and shopping. Later in the day, transfer to the airport for final departure home.