Chale Wote Festival Tour – 12 Days

Your adventure begins with a warm Akwaaba (welcome) at Kotoka International Airport. A private driver and guide will transfer you to your hotel in the leafy Tesano suburb of Accra. Depending on arrival time, enjoy a brief orientation tour or just relax after your journey.
Overnight: Mid-range hotel, Tesano

Dive into Ghana’s vibrant capital with a full-day city tour:

• Walk through Ghana’s struggle for independence at Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum
• Visit the Du Bois Centre, a site of Pan-African thought and legacy
• Stroll through Jamestown, Accra’s oldest district—full of street art, lighthouses, and colonial echoes
• End with bargaining at Makola Market and a laid-back walk on Oxford Street in Osu
  Overnight: Accra

Depart the bustle of Accra for a breath of cool mountain air at Aburi Botanical Gardens. Meet local woodcarvers and check out the roadside art and craft stalls. Then, head east to the Volta Region:

• Stop near Adomi Bridge for a live bead-making demonstration
• Enjoy a peaceful motorboat cruise on the Volta River, surrounded by lush scenery and gentle breezes
  Overnight: Riverside resort near Akosombo

Today, journey to the Ashanti capital, Kumasi, home of one of Africa’s last living kingdoms.

• Tour the Manhyia Palace Museum to understand royal customs
• Visit the sacred Komfo Anokye Sword Site
• Join the magnificent Akwasidae Festival at the royal palace: drumming, dancers, chiefs in full regalia, and the Asantehene himself seated in state
  Overnight: Upscale hotel in Kumasi

Explore Ghana’s most famous artisan villages:

• Bonwire – birthplace of kente cloth, where you can watch weavers in action
• Ntonso – home of Adinkra symbols, used in textiles and spirituality
• Ahwiaa – a wood carving hub known for stools, masks, and royal objects
  Later, enjoy a brief visit to a cocoa farm and sample fresh palm wine.
  Overnight: Kumasi

Start your day with a guided hike through the Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary, a tranquil forest filled with colorful species. Then visit the Yaw Tano shrine in Besease, where you’ll learn about traditional religion and symbolism.
Overnight: Kumasi

Travel south toward the coast along the historic slave trail. Stop at a former slave market and cemetery en route.

• Tour the haunting Cape Coast Castle, one of the largest slave forts in West Africa
• Walk through the Door of Return, a symbolic reversal of exile
  Optional: Participate in a short cleansing ritual or libation ceremony
  Overnight: Elmina beach resort

• Early morning canopy walk at Kakum National Park, high above the rainforest
• Visit the Hans Botel crocodile pond for some wildlife encounters
• Explore Elmina Castle (optional) and enjoy a sunset from Fort San Jago
  Overnight: Elmina

A relaxed morning on the beach is followed by your choice of immersive cultural workshops:

• Batik making with hot wax techniques
• Ghanaian cooking class with a local chef
• Headwrap styling or drumming session
  Later, enjoy a live cultural performance with traditional music and dancing by the beach.
  Overnight: Elmina

Head to Saltpond to take part in the Odambea Festival, a rich Fante celebration of migration, resilience, and identity. Watch colorful processions, traditional attire, war dances, and cultural storytelling.
Return to Accra for dinner and rest.
Overnight: Osu boutique hotel

Spend the day at Ghana’s biggest contemporary arts festival, held in Jamestown.
Expect:

• Giant murals, Afrofuturist fashion, film screenings, street performers, and Afrobeat parades
• Pop-up art exhibits and cultural vendors
  Evening: Head out for rooftop nightlife in Osu—optional but unforgettable.
  Overnight: Accra

Your final day is about reflection and reconnection.

• Receive a traditional blessing from an elder or spiritual guide
• Visit a local family compound for storytelling, lunch, or final souvenirs
• Stop at African Artist Alliance Gallery for last-minute gifts
  Private airport transfer included
  Departure: Kotoka International Airport