GHANA TOUR with York College

Today we fly from Washington.

Arrive in Accra, Ghana; transfer from airport to your hotel. Welcome drink and orientation.

Overnight in Accra.
Meals Included: Dinner, if required.

After a hearty breakfast, depart for a sightseeing tour of Accra. Your drive will take you through the administrative and economic districts of Ghana’s city capital. Over 137 years old, Accra has a blend of colonial and contemporary architecture that symbolize the cultural mix of the city. You will visit the W. E. B. Dubois Centre for Pan African Culture, where Dr. Dubois (an academic and civil rights champion) spent two years working on a Pan-African encyclopedia under the invitation Dr. Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana’s first President). There you will be treated to a guided tour through Dr. DuBois’ research library. You will also make stops at Independence/Black Star Square and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. The square marks the point where three ex-military men tried to present grievances to the colonial governor and were shot during a peaceful demonstration. Nkrumah Memorial Park was created to commemorate Ghana's founding father. To the east of the square you will also get a view of Osu (formerly Christiansborg) Castle, the previous seat of the Ghanaian Presidency.

After lunch on your own, you tour will take you to the Arts Centre –- a large arts and crafts market where you can find handicrafts from all over Ghana and West Africa. Be prepared to use your bargaining skills as you browse the many artisan stalls. Return to your hotel for dinner.

Overnight in Accra.
Meals Included: Breakfast and dinner

Check out of hotel in Accra and depart for Cape Coast. Upon arrival 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. This castle also houses the West African Historical Museum established by the Smithsonian Institute in collaboration with the Ghanaian Government in 1994. Visit the Elmina Castle built by the Portuguese in 1482 and is also known as St. George's Castle. This castle was the first European structure built in Sub - Saharan Africa. The colourful harbour nestled below the Elmina Castle, full of pirogues preparing to go to sea offers one of West Africa’s greatest photo opportunities.

Overnight in Elmina.
Meals Included: Breakfast and dinner

Early morning departure for a drive through the historic Denkyira Kingdom 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 above the forest floor. Choose between a 2 km nature walk through this forest to discover the wide variety of exotic floral species and the medicinal values they offer or take a walk on the canopy walkway. After lunch, embark on a guided walking tour of Elmina, which was the first point of European contact in Sub-Saharan Africa. It was once the most cosmopolitan city in Tropical Africa. Climb the Jago Hill to Fort Saint Jargo, which was used by the Dutch as a post to snatch the Elmina Castle from the Portuguese. You will be thrilled by the various Colonial Dutch Cemeteries as well as the colourful safo (Fante Traditional Soldiers) posts with their philosophical symbols.

Overnight in Elmina.
Meals Included: Breakfast and dinner

Visit the students at Cape Coast School for the Deaf and Blind, students who have put their disability aside and keep African traditional cultural performances alive. On your first visit, interact with the students in one of their vocations of Batik making. Take part in this African art which is a part of the Ghanaian culture and see how these unique students express themselves through this art. On your second visit, take part in the students drumming and dancing classes and feel rather than learn about African rhythm. During your visits you can also have the opportunity to learn about sign language or play football with the students.

Overnight in Elmina
Meals Included: Breakfast and dinner

After breakfast, depart for the Takoradi port. On arrival take a tour of the port and learn about export and trade in Ghana.

Overnight in Elmina
Meals Included: Breakfast and dinner

After breakfast, drive through the forest zone to Kumasi, the seat of the Ashanti Empire to explore the legends of the famous Ashantis, whose legacies are still evident today with a stop at Assin Manso. We visit the site of “Donkor Nsuo”, the former Slave River and market and the final transit point for a large number of enslaved Africans. This is the final resting place for two ancestors whose mortal remains were returned from the USA and Jamaica and re-interred there. Continue on to Kumasi where you will visit Manhyia Palace Museum to obtain firsthand 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.

Overnight in Kumasi
Meals Included: Breakfast and dinner

This day is devoted to visiting the three famous Ashanti craft villages. After breakfast depart for Ahwiaa, the wood carvers' 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.

Overnight in Kumasi
Meals Included: Breakfast and dinner

After breakfast check out of hotel in Kumasi and depart for a drive to Akosombo to tour the famous Akosombo Dam, a hydroelectric dam in southeastern Ghana. The dam is located at the Akosombo gorge on the Volta River. The dam's construction resulted in the flooding of the Volta River Basin, which subsequently created Lake Volta. Lake Volta is the world's largest man-made lake and covers approximately 3.6 percent of Ghana's total land area.

Overnight in Akosombo
Meals Included: Breakfast and dinner

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 villages 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. After lunch on your own drive back to Accra and check into your hotel.

Overnight in Accra
Meals Included: Breakfast and dinner

Spend the day at the City of Refuge home in Doryumu. This orphanage cares for children who have been trafficked, orphaned or abandoned. The mission of the orphanage is to look after children, who are marginalized, promote understanding of the value of every child, create opportunities for community change and increase awareness of the issue of trafficking. This children's home, called Freedom Centre, was established in 2007 and provides child care, education, recreation, spiritual fulfillent and a nurturing environment for children in need.

Overnight in Accra
Meals Included: Breakfast and dinner

After breakfast, set out to Koforidua in the Eastern region. Learn about how Cocoa is processed and planted.

Overnight in Accra
Meals Included: Breakfast and dinner

BON VOYAGE!