Benin, Togo & Ghana Adventure

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 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.

Start the day with a visit to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Gahni Market and Le Centre (Le Petit Musee de la Recade). Then, 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. Explore 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. Next, you’ll hop in a pirogue (traditional dugout canoe) and ride along the Adjara Black River, a place of significant spiritual importance to the people of this region. 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 distillery to learn about the process of distilling a liquor made from palm nuts.

Say goodbye to Cotonou and drive to Ganvie – a small village out on Lake Nokoue, home to 24,000 Tofinu people. When you arrive, you’ll hop in a pirogue and tour the stilt village originally founded 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.

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 Sacred Forest and the Afro-Brazilian House. End the day with a Zangbeto ceremony – Zangbeto are the traditional Vodun guardians of the night in the Yoruba religion of Benin and Togo, also 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.

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, continue to your hotel in Lome – the capital of Togo – where you’ll have a free evening.

Today you’ll explore Lome with your local leader. After breakfast, visit the Palais de Lome where the president resides. 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 Benz vehicles. Wander the market with your leader and find everything from Togolese football tops to cheap cosmetics, then walk down Art Street (also known as the Artisans’ Village) and see its craft vendors.

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 meanders 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!

This morning, join members of the community for breakfast before taking the scenic route to Accra. Stop in Akosombo along the way for a boat cruise along the Volta River. Then, drive to the capital city of Accra. When you arrive, you’ll have a free evening. This coastal city is known for its colourful markets, beaches and historical sites, which you’ll start exploring tomorrow.

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, it’s one of the most vibrant districts. Discover the dark history of slavery in Accra’s oldest suburb, learn about the Ga culture in the fishing community and immerse yourself in local traditions. 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.

Head out to Kakum National Park this morning – a lush virgin rainforest that shelters hundreds of bird species and an incredible diversity of butterflies and plant life. When you arrive, walk along the famous canopy walkway – a series of 30-m-high viewing platforms linked by suspension bridges. After, visit 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. The contrast between these spaces and the governor’s quarters, which feature huge windows and ocean views, highlights the harsh realities of the era. You have a free evening back in Elmina.

This morning, 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. Then, go on a walk through Elmina to see the town’s highlights including Fort Jago, the Dolphin House and the local churches. Next, head to the bustling fish market, where brightly painted fishing boats line the shore and the day’s catch is brought in fresh. Predominantly run by women, the market is alive with the sights, sounds and smells of daily trade. Return to Accra in the afternoon. 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. Stroll through the stalls and taste some street food with a chilled drink in hand.

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 to see contemporary African art. Then, you’ll visit Accra’s ‘fantasy coffin makers.’ These artisans 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! Tonight, maybe head out to see a traditional live band performance at the local bar and grill and toast to an amazing adventure.

With no further activities planned after breakfast, your trip comes to an end. There’s more to see in Accra if you decide to extend your stay here – just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time.