Ghana 9-day tour: Elmina Castle, Kumasi markets, slave history
Nine days tracing Ghana's history and meeting its people across three regions
A 9-day guided tour of Ghana starting and ending in Accra, moving through Kumasi and Cape Coast to visit colonial castles, markets, and cultural sites. You'll see Elmina Castle and Cape Coast Castle (both UNESCO sites), walk the Kakum canopy walkway, visit the Kintampo waterfalls, and experience a traditional naming ceremony in a Kumasi village. The tour includes a guide, driver, meals, and hotel stays throughout.
Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and cultural welcome in Accra
- Driver picks you up at airport
- Transfer to booked hotel
- Traditional cultural performance at hotel
Day 2: Accra city cultural and historical tour
- Visit W. E. B. Du Bois Memorial Centre
- Visit Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum
- Visit Makola Market
- Visit British James Town and fishing harbour
- Visit biggest arts market in Ghana
Day 3: Kumasi royal and market visits
- Visit Manhyia Palace Museum
- Visit Prempeh II Jubilee Museum
- Visit Mystic Sword Site of Okomfo Anokye
- Visit Kejetia Market
Day 4: Kumasi cultural villages and ceremonies
- Visit Adansomaso kente weaving village
- Visit local cocoa farm and healer's shrine
- Experience traditional naming ceremony
- Visit Ntonso Adinkra cloth making village
- Try making your own Adinkra cloth
Day 5: Bono East nature and cultural sites
- Visit Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary
- Courtesy call on monkey priest
- Visit Kintampo Water Falls and canopy walkway
Day 6: Cape Coast slave trade history
- Visit Slave River and Park in Assin Manso
Day 7: Cape Coast castles and national park
- Visit Cape Coast Castle UNESCO site
- Visit Kakum National Park and canopy walkway
- Visit Elmina Castle UNESCO site
Day 8: Accra cultural experiences
- Traditional drumming lesson at National Culture Centre
- Visit National Museum of Ghana
Day 9: Departure from Accra
- Depart for airport two hours before check-in
What’s included
- A guide and driver throughout the nine days.
- lunch each day.
- all entry fees and taxes.
- accommodation at the Urbano Hotel in Accra, Sweet Gardens Hotel in Kumasi, and Lemon Beach Resort in Elmina.
- an air-conditioned vehicle.
- unlimited bottled water.
- Every day 07:00
Information
Nine days exploring Ghana's cultural heritage from Accra through Kumasi and Cape Coast, with a guide and driver, visiting Elmina Castle, Kejetia Market.
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The experience
The itinerary moves through four regions over nine days, each with a different focus. Accra opens with the W. E. B. Du Bois Memorial Centre and the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, then moves to the markets (Makola and the arts market), and the fishing harbor at James Town. From there you travel inland to Kumasi, where you spend three nights visiting the Manhyia Palace Museum and Prempeh II Jubilee Museum, learning about Ashanti royal history. The Kejetia Market, built in 1924 and now home to 20,000 vendors, anchors the second half of the Kumasi stay.
Two days branch into the surrounding villages. You'll visit the kente weaving village of Adansomaso to see how the cloth is made, then spend time at a local cocoa farm and a healer's shrine before joining a traditional naming ceremony where you receive a local name. The Ntonso Adinkra cloth-making village follows, with a chance to make your own cloth. A separate day takes you to the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary to see Mona and black-and-white colobus monkeys, then to the Kintampo waterfalls and its canopy walkway.
The final stretch moves to Cape Coast and Elmina. You'll visit the Slave River at Assin Manso, where enslaved people bathed before being transported to the castles, then spend two days at the coastal sites: Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, plus Kakum National Park with its canopy walk and wildlife. The tour ends with a traditional drumming lesson at the Centre for National Culture in Accra and a visit to the National Museum before your departure.
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 17 years); Child (4 to 10 years); Infant (1 to 3 years): free.
What is the Kejetia Market like to visit?
Kejetia Market in Kumasi is the largest open-air market in Ghana and West Africa, built in 1924 with around 20,000 vendors. It's a working market where you walk through stalls selling textiles, crafts, food and goods. The tour includes time to explore it with your guide.
Can I actually try making Adinkra cloth in the village?
Yes. In the Ntonso Adinkra cloth-making village, you have the opportunity to try your hands on making your own Adinkra cloth after learning about the history and process of this ancient Ashanti textile.
What happens at the traditional naming ceremony?
The naming ceremony takes place in a village near Kumasi as part of the local experience. You will be given a local name during the ceremony, which is a real part of Ghanaian cultural practice.
Will I see wildlife on this tour?
Yes, at the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary you'll see Mona monkeys and black-and-white colobus monkeys, and at Kakum National Park you'll encounter various animal species, trees and bird species while walking the canopy walkway.
What are the UNESCO sites included?
Elmina Castle and Cape Coast Castle are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Elmina Castle is the first colonial building in sub-Saharan Africa. Cape Coast Castle is also a historic site tied to the transatlantic slave trade.
How much time do I spend in each city?
You spend two nights in Accra at the start, three nights in Kumasi, two nights in the Cape Coast and Elmina area, and return to Accra for one final night before departure.
Operated by Bigbentours1gh. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 11 days ago
Ghana 9-day tour: Elmina Castle, Kumasi markets, slave history
9d · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 2,200 per person
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