10-Day Vodou Festival Tour: Benin & Togo with Ouidah
Attend the Vodou Festival and walk the Slave Route in one journey
A 10-day guided tour from Cotonou through Benin and Togo, timed to the International Vodou Festival on January 10 in Ouidah. You attend ceremonial dances, visit sacred forests and temples, meet Vodoun priests, and walk the Slave Route to the Gate of No Return. The itinerary also covers royal palaces in Abomey and Porto-Novo, the markets and monuments of Cotonou, and ends at a farm near Kpalimé with a shared meal and live music.
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Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and check-in in Cotonou
- Arrive at Cotonou airport
- Receive welcome and transfer to inn
- Check-in and relax
Day 2: Ganvié and Cotonou cultural tour
- Explore Ganvié lake village by canoe
- Visit Place de l'Étoile Rouge
- Walk through Dantokpa market
- Visit Martyrs Square
- See Amazon Monument
- Walk along Fiji beach and see plane wreck
- Return to pension
Day 3: Ouidah cultural and historical visit
- Visit Sacred Forest of Kpassè
- Tour Temple of Pythons
- Walk the Slave Route
- Visit Gate of No Return
- Learn about Vodou Festival in Ouidah
Day 4: National Voodoo Day celebrations
- Attend Gabala and Kokou dances in Tron Kpeto Deka forest
- Watch Iro Dance performance
- Observe Zangbeto dance
- Discover Egoun-goun dance
- See Danse de l’eau Mami Wata
- Attend concert at Voodoun Arena
Day 5: Porto-Novo cultural tour
- Travel to Porto-Novo
- Visit Honmè Museum and royal palace
- Meet Vodou priest and visit convents
- Visit Pantheon Negro and African
- See Toffa Square and statue
- Explore Black River of Adjara by canoe
Day 6: Issaba and Guèlèdè mask performance
- Travel to Issaba and meet Holli community
- Visit royal palace in Kétou
- Attend Guèlèdè mask performance in Covè
Day 7: Royal history tour of Abomey
- Visit Royal Complex of 12 Kings of Abomey
- Tour historical museum of Abomey
- See statue of King Béhanzin in Goho Square
- Visit Temple of the Chameleon
- Tour private palace of King Agonglo
- Stop at Fetish Point of Sale
- Visit village of potters
Day 8: Grand-Popo nature and culture visit
- Discover Boca Del Rio river mouth
- Relax at Avlo Beach
- Visit Craft Village
- Tour Villa Karo cultural center
- See salt harvesting island
- Visit Turtle Sanctuary
- Walk Mouth of the King and old bridge
Day 9: Aného, Togoville and Lomé tour
- Visit Lake Togo and Atlantic Ocean mouth
- Tour Slave House of Agbodrafo
- Travel to Togoville and canoe on Lake Togo
- Visit Notre-Dame du Lac Cathedral
- Walk Monument de l’Amitié Germano-Togolaise and Twin Tree
- Visit voodoo convent and attend ceremonies
- Tour Fetish Point of Sale in Lomé
- Explore Assiganmé market and Cathedral of Sacred Heart
Day 10: Kpalimé excursion and farm celebration
- Travel from Lomé to Kpalimé
- Ascend Mount Agou and hike to summit
- Visit Château Viale
- Swim at casca de Womé waterfall
- Celebrate at ecological farm with meal and concert
- Return to Lomé and end tour
The experience
You arrive at Cotonou airport on January 7 and are picked up for the first of ten days moving through two countries. The tour opens in Ganvié, the largest lake village in Africa, where you navigate by canoe through the Tofinu settlement on Lake Nokoué before returning to Cotonou to walk Dantokpa market, see the Amazon Monument honoring the female warriors of Dahomey, and visit Martyrs Square. Each stop connects to Benin's political and cultural identity, grounded in real sites and the stories your guide carries.
January 10 is the centerpiece: National Vodou Day in Ouidah. You watch the Gabala and Kokou dances in the sacred Tron Kpeto Deka forest, the Iro and Zangbeto performances, the Egoun-goun ritual honoring ancestors, and the evening dance of Mami Wata at Voodoun Arena. Before that day, you visit the Temple of Pythons, the Sacred Forest of Kpassè, and walk the Slave Route to the Gate of No Return: a UNESCO World Heritage site marking where millions of enslaved Africans were forced onto ships. The route itself is the education: each major site bears witness to suffering and resilience.
The second half moves through Porto-Novo's royal palace and voodoo convents, Issaba to meet the Holli community and see the Guèlèdè mask performance in Covè, and Abomey's Royal Complex of twelve kings with its museum, the Temple of the Chameleon, and a potter's village. You cross into Togo to explore Aného, Togoville's Notre-Dame du Lac Cathedral by canoe on Lake Togo, Lomé's Fetish Market and Assiganmé (one of the largest markets in the subregion), and Kpalimé's Mount Agou with views toward Ghana. The final stop is the Womé waterfall for a swim, then a closing meal and concert at an ecological farm near Kpalimé before return to Lomé.
What’s included
- All accommodation for ten nights.
- air-conditioned vehicle and driver throughout.
- round-trip airport transfer on January 7 and 17.
- live guide in English or French.
- bottle of mineral water daily.
- all entrance fees, site visits and activities listed in the itinerary.
- traditional meal and cultural entertainment at the closing farm gathering.
- all taxes and fees.
Before you book
Prices and times updated 3 days ago
Operated by Miabétour
Is this one for you?The guide speaks English or French, so choose the language that suits you at checkout. If you speak neither fluently, this tour may be difficult to follow. Consider whether a guide in your language is available before booking.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and French.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (10 to 17 years); Infant (under 10).
What happens on January 10, the main Vodou Festival day?
On National Vodou Day, you attend multiple ceremonial performances in Ouidah: the Gabala and Kokou dances invoking warrior deities in the sacred Tron Kpeto Deka forest, the colorful Iro dance by initiates, the Zangbeto "guardians of the night" fully concealed in fiber suits, the Egoun-goun ritual in imposing masked costumes honoring deceased ancestors, and in late afternoon the mystical dance of Mami Wata. The day closes with a concert at Voodoun Arena featuring traditional music and voodoo songs.
What is the Slave Route and where does it end?
The Slave Route is a guided walk through historic sites in Ouidah that trace the transatlantic slave trade. You visit several major monuments bearing witness to the suffering of millions of Africans torn from their homeland. The route ends at the Gate of No Return, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the beach where enslaved people were forced onto ships bound for the Americas: a place of profound historical significance and collective memory.
Do I visit royal palaces, and what will I see inside them?
Yes. In Porto-Novo you tour the Honmè Museum, formerly the royal palace of King Toffa, where you see royal apartments preserved in their original condition, scenes of daily court life, and learn the history of Porto-Novo's dynasties and their links to traditional cults. In Abomey you explore the UNESCO World Heritage Royal Complex of twelve kings, including the private palace of King Agonglo and a museum of the kingdom's history, plus the statue of King Béhanzin, the last king to resist French colonization.
What is included in the accommodation and transport?
All accommodation for the ten nights is included in the tour price, as is round-trip airport transfer on arrival January 7 and departure January 17 (provided you share your flight details in advance). You travel in an air-conditioned vehicle throughout, and a bottle of mineral water is provided daily. All fees, taxes and the activities listed in the itinerary are included. Travel insurance is not.
Will I meet local people and spiritual leaders?
Yes. In Porto-Novo you have the opportunity to meet a voodoo priest or priestess at a convent, depending on availability and the opening of the site, to learn about the role of priests in the community, the main deities revered, and the meaning of rituals and ceremonies. In Issaba you meet the Holli community to discover their way of life, crafts and spiritual connection to the earth. Throughout the tour your guide facilitates these exchanges.
How physically demanding is this tour?
The tour involves walking through markets, villages and historical sites, canoe rides on Lake Nokoué and Lake Togo, a short hike to the top of Mount Agou, and a steep descent to the Womé waterfall for a swim. You should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness. The tour is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnant travelers.
10-Day Vodou Festival Tour: Benin & Togo with Ouidah
10d · EN · FR · at your hotel
from US$ 3,770 per person
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