Benin, Togo & Ghana Adventure
Benin, Togo & Ghana Adventure
Benin, Togo & Ghana Adventure
15 Days Starting in Cotonou and ending in Accra
Visiting: Cotonou, Benin , Ouidah, Benin , Lome, Togo, Kpalime, Togo , Liate Wote, Ghana, Accra , Elmina, Accra
Tour Overview
Step off the tourist trail with this insightful 15-day adventure through Benin, Togo and Ghana. Learn about the history and cultures of these three diverse West African countries, from Cape Coast Castle, which played a significant role in the transatlantic slave trade, to the ancient Vodun culture of Ouidah. Visit Accra's fantasy coffin makers, cruise along in traditional boats and journey through the natural landscapes seldom explored by travellers. Hike up Mt Agou – Togo’s highest peak – and visit the Wli Waterfalls – the tallest in West Africa. Walk along Kakum National Park's canopy walkway in the middle of the rainforest and look out for the local elephants, monkeys, and over 200 bird species. This diverse trip, with a local leader by your side, showcases three fascinating countries and offers a glimpse into West African life.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Cotonou, Benin
Location: Cotonou, Benin
Bienvenue! Welcome to Benin in West Africa. Your adventure begins in Cotonou – the largest city in Benin located on the south coast – with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight at your hotel. If you arrive early, maybe see the 19th-century Cotonou Cathedral with its striking red-and-white stripes or wander the Haie Vive district to visit the Fondation Zinsou Museum, which showcases some contemporary African art. After meeting your local leader and fellow group members, why not head out for an optional welcome dinner and get to know each other.
Day 2: Cotonou, Benin
Location: Cotonou, Benin
Meals Included: breaksfast
Drive to Porto Novo – Benin's capital, sitting on the shores of Lake Nokoue. When you arrive, you'll find leafy streets and a more relaxed vibe. Head out to the old city with a local guide and visit Songhai Centre – a major research centre dedicated to sustainable farming. Check out the plantations and workshops and maybe support the organisation by buying some of the centre’s produce – you can get anything from fresh quail eggs to biscuits and preserves here! After lunch, you’ll hop in a pirogue (traditional dugout canoe) and ride along the Adjara Black River – home to crocodiles, snakes, alligators and fish, this river is a significant site for the spiritual well-being of the locals. Drift by floating islands, trees, reeds and marsh to a secluded village and meet the locals to learn about their way of life in this rural environment. Then, visit a local distillery to learn about the process of distilling a liquer made from palm nuts. Tonight, you have a free evening to relax at the hotel.
Included Activities:
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Day 3: Ouidah, Benin
Location: Ouidah, Benin
Meals Included: breaksfast
Start the day with a visit to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Dantokpa Market and Le Centre (Le Petit Musee de la Recade). Then, say goodbye to Cotonou and drive to Ganvie – a small village out on Lake Nokou, home to 24,000 Tofinu people. When you arrive, you’ll hop in a pirogue and tour the stilt village created to protect the people from slave hunters. Carry on towards Ouidah, stopping at the Zinsou Foundation along the way. Learn how the foundation provides artists with the space, time, support, resources and equipment needed for art projects. Ouidah is a relaxed beach town and here, you’ll have a free evening to explore at your own pace or relax on the golden sands.
Included Activities:
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Day 4: Ouidah, Benin
Location: Ouidah, Benin
Meals Included: breaksfast
This morning, visit the sobering Route of the Slaves – also known as Route des Esclaves, this UNESCO-funded memorial traces the path that slaves walked from Ouidah to the Door of No Return. See the slave auction plaza (now home to the Musee d’Histoire), the Tree of Forgetfulness (where slaves were branded with their owners’ symbols) and the Tree of Return (another tree the slaves often circled with the belief that their souls would return home after death). You’ll also see the L’arbre de l’Oubli, the Sacred Forest and the Afro-Brazilian House. End the day with a Zangbeto Ceremony – the traditional Vodun guardians of the night in the Yoruba religion of Benin and Togo, known as the ‘night watchmen’. In these communities, these guardians are highly revered and act as an unofficial police force, patrolling the streets, watching over the people and tracking down criminals.
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Day 5: Lome, Togo
Location: Lome, Togo
Meals Included: breaksfast
After breakfast, start your journey to Togo, stopping at Possotome along the way – a typical Fon village, where you’ll see mud houses and a Vodun pottery maker. Cross the border into Agbodrafo, then take a motorised pirogue to Togoville – the former seat of the Mlapa dynasty and Togo’s historical centre of Vodun. See the ancient German Cathedral, the museum of the King of Togoville and a shrine dedicated to Vodun. After soaking up some of the local history, you’ll then have the opportunity to watch a Vodun ceremony in a nearby village. Later, continue to your hotel in Lome – the capital of Togo – where you’ll have a free evening.
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Day 6: Lome, Togo
Location: Lome, Togo
Meals Included: breaksfast
Today you’ll be exploring Lome with your local leader. After breakfast, visit the Palais de Lome – the president's home, with guards standing to attention, dressed in their finest uniforms. Continue to the Grand Marche. This market is a hub for local food and also the realm of the famous ‘Nana Benz’ – a club of successful businesswomen dating back to the 1950s, known for controlling the trade of Dutch wax prints and riding around in Mercedes Benzes. Wander the market with your leader, and find everything from Togolese football tops to cheap cosmetics. This afternoon, end the day with a visit to the Art Street (also known as the Artisans’ Village) and see its craft vendors.
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Day 7: Kpalime, Togo
Location: Kpalime, Togo
Meals Included: breaksfast
Make your way to Kpalime – hidden among the forested hills of the cocoa and coffee region, this town offers some of Togo’s best scenery and hiking trails. On the way, stop at Nyobo village to hike up Mt Agou – Togo’s highest peak. The trail climbs between backyards, forests and cocoa and coffee plantations. Small terraced mountain villages pepper the slopes and you’ll be treated to some great views – on a clear day, you can even see Lake Volta in Ghana!
Included Activities:
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Day 8: Liate Wote​, Ghana
Location: Liate Wote, Ghana
Meals Included: breaksfast
Head out on an early morning walk through the village of Kouma Konda and say hello to the locals, watching the artisans at work. After, you’ll take another guided hike up Mt Klouto on a botanical excursion, ending with a gorgeous view of Kpalime from above. This afternoon, cross the border into Ghana. You’ll be heading through the Volta region – popular with hikers, this area is covered in fertile farmlands and mountains with exceptional views. Drive to the village of Amedzofe, passing through the scenic Avatime Hills. This village is home to a cooler climate, sitting at 750 m altitude as Ghana’s highest settlement. Farmlands make way to forests and waterfalls and when you arrive, you’ll head out on a hike to the peak of Mount Gemi for a view of the Volta Lake. After, continue to your homestay in Liate Wote and maybe take a late afternoon walk along the canopy walkway near the Ote waterfalls.
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Optional Activities:
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Day 9: Liate Wote​, Ghana
Location: Liate Wote, Ghana
Meals Included: breaksfast
Set off early this morning for a hike to the peak of Mt Afadja – the highest point in Ghana. Continue to the banks of the Wli waterfalls, by crossing over nine rivers. Wli (pronounced ‘vlee’) Falls is Ghana’s tallest, sitting among rolling hills, forests and streams. After a gorgeous day surrounded by green, you’ll end the afternoon at a local community to join in a cultural drum and dance session. Drive to Atimpoku Village, enjoy the sounds of the drums, then spend the night back at your homestay in Liate Wote.
Included Activities:
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Day 10: Accra
Location: Accra
Meals Included: breaksfast
This morning, join your homestay hosts in their morning activities – rise early to help make breakfast, then help the family out on their farm. After, you’ll depart for Accra, stopping in Akosombo along the way for a scenic boat ride along the Volta River. When you arrive in Accra this evening, head out with your leader to visit the Osu Night Market – loaded with local street food including kenkey and fish, kelewele (spicy fried plantain) and kebabs. This market is open all day and all night, with a different set of vendors for sunrise and sunset. Here, you can stroll through the stalls and taste some street food with a chilled, local drink in hand.
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Day 11: Elmina
Location: Elmina
Meals Included: breaksfast
Start the day with a guided tasting tour through James Town (old Accra), dotted with historic forts and featuring a harbour and a lighthouse. This is one of the oldest settlements in Accra and yet is one of the most vibrant districts. Discover the dark past of slavery in Accra’s oldest suburb and learn about the Ga culture in the fishing community, immersing you in the Ga culture. See the traditional Ga way of cooking, Indigenous to West Africa and handed down by generations of families. Taste some local snacks and drinks as you stroll through the streets, then depart for Elmina. Along the way, you’ll visit ‘fantasy coffin makers’, where they build elaborate coffins — okadi adekai in the local Ga dialect — to represent the profession, dreams or vices of the deceased. The Ga people believe the deceased will continue their job in the afterlife and the coffin acts as a reminder of that. Ancestors are also believed to wield great power and honouring them with a grand coffin is a way to earn favour, and families often spend up to a year’s salary on the ceremony!
Included Activities:
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Day 12: Elmina
Location: Elmina
Meals Included: breaksfast
Head out to Kakum National Park this morning – a virgin rainforest, this par is home to elephants, colobus monkeys, antelopes, 300 bird species and 600 species of butterfly! When you arrive, walk along the canopy walkway – a series of viewing platforms 30 m high linked by suspension bridges. After, visit Elmina Castle (also known as St George’s Castle). This UNESCO World Heritage site was built as a trading post by the Portuguese in 1482, then was expanded when slaves replaced gold as the major object of commerce. Take a tour of the castle and learn of the sobering past as you walk through the dungeons, punishment cells, the ‘Door of No Return’ and the turret room, where the British imprisoned the Ashanti king, Prempeh I, for four years. You’ll then visit the Asafo Shrines, where warriors prepared mentally and spiritually for war. You then have the rest of the day free to explore Elmina at your own pace – this town sits on the narrow finger of land between the Atlantic Ocean and Benya Lagoon. The traditional name is Anomansa, meaning inexhaustible supply of water! Maybe visit the harbour or wander the fish market.
Included Activities:
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Day 13: Accra
Location: Accra
Meals Included: breaksfast
This morning, you’ll visit the Kotokuraba Market and Cape Coast Castle – a UNESCO World Heritage site in the town's centre, overlooking the sea. This historic site, once central to the transatlantic slave trade, offers a stark look at the past. Take a guided tour through the dark, humid dungeons, where enslaved people were confined for weeks, facing an uncertain future. The contrast between these spaces and the governor’s quarters, which feature huge windows and ocean views, highlights the harsh realities of the era. In the afternoon, you’ll return to Accra, where if you like, you can visit the Arts Centre for National Culture.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 14: Accra
Location: Accra
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
After breakfast, start the day with a walking tour through the neighbourhood of Nima. Here, you’ll visit the local market packed with spices Indigenous to West Africa. Interact with the locals here, then visit some homes within the community to experience their way of life, taste some traditional snacks and listen to some stories. Continue to the Artists Alliance Art Gallery for Contemporary African Art, where you can wander the gallery. Tonight, maybe head out to see a traditional live band performance at the local bar and grill and toast to an amazing adventure.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 15: Accra
Location: Accra
Meals Included: breaksfast
With no further activities planned after breakfast, your trip comes to an end and you’re free to leave at any time after check out. There is an optional half-day city tour of Accra if you’d like to spend more time here – visit the Osu Castle (Christiansborg), a former slave castle. Then, head west along 28th February Road until you reach Independence Square. Finish up with a visit the newly renovated Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Mausoleum. If you would like to extend your stay, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time.
Optional Activities:
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What's Included
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Accommodation
Hotel (14 nights) -
Meals
14 breakfasts, 1 lunches -
Adjara Black River - Palm Nut Distillery
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Porto Novo - Guided Old City Tour & Songhai Centre
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Adjara Black River - Pirogue Boat Tour
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Ganvie - Stilt Village Tour by Pirogue
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Ouidah - Zinsou Foundation
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Ouidah - Door of No Return
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Ouidah - Route of the Slaves
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Ouidah - Zangbeto Vodun Ceremony
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Ouidah - Afro-Brazilian House
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Togoville - Walking Tour
Transport
- TRANSPORT IN WEST AFRICA:
- Main roads in West Africa are usually very busy with an assortment of vehicles from the biggest trucks (who always have right of way) down to bikes (and animals!). Overtaking on blind corners at speed is common as is the total use of the horn as a form of communication. Our leaders have complete authority to remove groups from local transport if the driver is not driving safely. Our driver guides are experienced and well trained. If you are ever uncomfortable, please always let your tour leader know immediately. Please ensure you wear your seat belt at all times.
- TRAVEL TIMES:
- Distances in West Africa do not reflect the driving time and to cover 100km may take much longer than you would expect at home, even if much of the route is on a highway.
Accommodation
- The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
- Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
- ACCOMMODATION:
- Some of the accommodation along the way is basic or simple, staying in local guesthouses and homestays. Some areas of West Africa experience daily load shedding. This is where the power may be turned off at certain times of the day. Hot water and air conditioning can be unreliable and Wi-Fi access is not widely available.
- ROOM ISSUES:
- If you have any issues with your room, please speak to the hotel and your tour leader right away rather than your travel agent so that the problem can be addressed without delay.
- WEST AFRICA HOMESTAYS & GUESTHOUSES
- As a responsible travel company, we believe in facilitating positive and meaningful exchanges between our travellers and locals at the places we visit. Homestays are a great vehicle for us to facilitate this!
- What will you do during a homestay? Well…it’s hard to tell. As you know a day in a family’s life varies from day to day. We don’t want this experience to feel forced (on you or on them) so we ask families to simply carry on with their lives and that, if there is anything that you may be interested in being part of, they ask you to join in. As such you may be invited to help cook dinner, or to go to the local market for groceries, or to join a soccer game! While your leader will give you some tools to interact with your family (such as some simple local words/phrases) big smiles and lots of sign language can go a long way!
- That said, it’s also important that you understand that you are not obliged to participate in these activities. We believe that the more you put in the more you get out of an experience, but we also understand that you may just want to chill out, grab a book or your camera and go for a wander – and that is fine too.
- Ultimately, we believe that by simply being there, observing family and friends dynamics is a step forward towards understanding the local way of life.
- If you require a Sleep Apnea Machine to sleep please ensure that it is battery operated. Lodges and Permanent Tented Camps are often powered by generators which are turned off during the night.
Important Information
- 1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
You’ll need to be moderately fit to enjoy the hikes on this tour. It will be hot and humid, so remember to bring a hat, sun protection, plenty of water, and sturdy, comfortable walking shoes.
Tourism infrastructure in Benin, Togo, and Ghana is still developing. In certain regions, electricity may be available only during specific hours. Hot water and air conditioning can be unreliable and Wi-Fi access is not widely available. -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Terms and Conditions