Grand Tour of Ghana: Coast, Castles, Ashanti, Mole Safari & the Volta

Today you explore lively Accra, one of the most energetic and welcoming cities in West Africa. You visit the vast Independence Square (Black Star Square), with its triumphal Independence Arch and eternal flame, and the moving Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, where the father of Ghanaian independence and Pan-Africanism lies amid beautiful gardens and fountains, with a museum telling his story. You plunge into the teeming Makola Market, a riot of colour, cloth, food and trade, and take in the historic seafront district of Jamestown, with its old lighthouse, fishing harbour and vibrant street life. The energy and warmth of the city are captivating. As the day ends, you return to your hotel, having felt the pulse of the capital. This evening, perhaps sample Accra's famous nightlife and highlife music. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey west along the coast to the Cape Coast and its castles.

Today you journey west along the coast to Cape Coast, the heart of Ghana's moving history. You travel through fishing towns and palm-fringed coast to Elmina, where you visit St George's Castle, the oldest European building in sub-Saharan Africa, built by the Portuguese in 1482 and later a centre of the transatlantic slave trade. On a guided tour you walk through the courtyards and the dark, airless dungeons where enslaved Africans were held, and stand at its Door of No Return, above the crashing surf and the colourful fishing harbour crowded with painted boats. The history is harrowing and profoundly important. As the day ends, you settle into your accommodation on the Cape Coast, moved by what you have seen. This evening, savour the coast and reflect. Rest well, for tomorrow you visit Cape Coast Castle and walk the rainforest canopy of Kakum.

Today combines profound history with the thrill of the rainforest. In the morning you visit Cape Coast Castle, a great white fortress above the sea and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on a guided tour that leads through the grim slave dungeons, the condemned cell and, finally, the Door of No Return, the threshold through which countless enslaved Africans passed to the ships, a place of profound silence and reflection, with an excellent museum. In the afternoon you drive inland to Kakum National Park, where you walk the famous canopy walkway, a series of rope bridges suspended high above the rainforest floor with breathtaking views over the green treetops. As the day ends, you return to the coast, moved and exhilarated. This evening, savour the coast and Ghanaian cuisine. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey inland to Ashanti Kumasi.

Today you journey inland to Kumasi, the proud heart of the Ashanti kingdom. You leave the coast and travel north through rolling green country, cocoa farms and busy market towns, a scenic drive into the cultural heartland of Ghana. Along the way you take in the changing landscapes and lively roadside life, and learn from your guide about the history and traditions of the powerful Ashanti kingdom. You arrive in Kumasi, the Garden City, a proud, energetic place steeped in royal tradition and surrounded by forested hills, where the Asantehene still reigns. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel in Kumasi, ready to explore the Ashanti heartland over the coming days. This evening, savour the atmosphere of the city and Ghanaian cuisine. Rest well, for tomorrow you discover the royal palace and vast market of Kumasi.

Today you explore Kumasi, the proud heart of the Ashanti kingdom. You visit the Manhyia Palace, seat of the Asantehene, the Ashanti king, with its fascinating museum telling the story of the powerful kingdom, its kings and its golden regalia, and the legend of the sacred Golden Stool said to house the soul of the Ashanti nation. You take in the National Cultural Centre, with its craft workshops and displays of drumming, dancing and weaving. Then you plunge into the astonishing Kejetia market, one of the largest in West Africa, a vast, teeming labyrinth of thousands of stalls selling cloth, food, crafts, beads and everything imaginable, a dizzying, colourful sensory feast. The royal history and vibrant energy are captivating. As the day ends, you return to your hotel, immersed in Ashanti culture. This evening, savour the Garden City. Rest well, for tomorrow you visit the famous kente weavers.

Today you discover the famous crafts of the Ashanti villages around Kumasi. At Bonwire, the home of kente, you watch master weavers working narrow looms with astonishing skill, creating the dazzling, richly patterned kente cloth, once reserved for royalty, whose every colour and motif carries meaning, and you can try the loom and buy genuine, handwoven cloth. At Ntonso you see adinkra cloth being stamped with symbolic designs using natural dyes, and at Ahwiaa, the woodcarvers' village, skilled artisans shape traditional stools, masks and figures. You might also visit Lake Bosomtwe, a serene crater lake sacred to the Ashanti. The colour, skill and living heritage are captivating. As the day ends, you return to Kumasi with handmade treasures and new understanding. This evening, savour the Garden City. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey deep into the savanna north towards Mole.

Today you journey deep into the north, to the edge of the wild. You leave Kumasi and travel north as the landscape gradually changes from forest to open golden savanna, with baobab trees and a wide, luminous sky. Along the way you stop at the thundering Kintampo Falls, where the river tumbles in beautiful cascades through the forest, a refreshing and scenic break. You continue into the savanna country of the north, arriving at Mole National Park, Ghana's largest reserve, where you settle into your lodge, many perched on the escarpment overlooking waterholes where elephants and antelope come to drink. As the day ends, you may already glimpse wildlife below as the sun sets gold over the savanna. This evening, dine at the lodge amid the sounds of the bush. Rest well, for tomorrow you go on safari among the elephants of Mole.

Today you go on safari in Mole National Park, a thrilling highlight of the grand tour. In the cool of the morning you set out on a walking safari with an armed, expert ranger, tracking wildlife on foot across the golden savanna and, with luck, coming upon wild elephants at close but safe quarters, an intimate, exhilarating and humbling encounter, along with antelope, warthog and birds. In the afternoon you take a game drive deeper into the park, seeking elephants, kob and other antelope, baboons, monkeys and abundant birdlife across the vast savanna. You also visit the ancient Larabanga Mosque, a gleaming white mud-and-stick masterpiece and one of the oldest in West Africa. The wildlife and history are captivating. As the day ends, you watch elephants at the waterhole below your lodge and dine amid the sounds of the bush. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to the green Volta Region.

Today you journey from the savanna north to the green Volta Region, a long but rewarding travel day. After a final morning glimpse of Mole's elephants, you transfer to Tamale and take a domestic flight south to Accra, then travel east into the lush, green hills of the Volta Region, crossing the Volta River and climbing towards the forested mountains near the Togo border, the greenest and most beautiful part of Ghana (routing and timing arranged to make the day as smooth as possible). You take in the changing landscapes, from savanna to forested mountains, along the way. As the day ends, you settle into your accommodation in the Volta Region, surrounded by green hills. This evening, savour the fresh mountain air and Ghanaian cuisine after your journey. Rest well, for tomorrow you hike to the highest waterfall in West Africa and explore the beautiful green mountains.

Today you explore the beautiful green Volta Region, the loveliest landscape in Ghana. You travel to the Agumatsa Wildlife Sanctuary near the Togo border and set out on a beautiful forest hike, following a river, crossing footbridges and passing butterflies and birds, to reach Wli Falls, the highest waterfall in West Africa, which cascades spectacularly down a sheer cliff into a pool below, where you can swim in the cool, refreshing water beneath the thundering cascade while clouds of fruit bats wheel around the towering cliffs, a magical sight. You take in the beauty of the forested mountains and green hills, perhaps visiting a monkey sanctuary or mountain village. The beauty and refreshment are unforgettable. As the day ends, you return to your accommodation, exhilarated and refreshed. This evening, savour a dinner amid the green hills. Rest well, for tomorrow you return to Accra.

Today you journey back to Accra, reflecting on the riches of your grand journey. You leave the green mountains of the Volta Region and travel west, crossing the Volta River and taking in the beautiful scenery, perhaps pausing at Akosombo for a glimpse of the vast Lake Volta and its great dam along the way. You arrive back in the lively capital, and depending on timing you may enjoy some final sightseeing or shopping, perhaps browsing the Arts Centre for kente, beads, carvings and crafts to remember your journey. You reflect on the history, culture, wildlife and green mountains you have experienced across the whole of Ghana. As the day ends, you settle back into Accra for your final night. This evening, savour a farewell dinner and, perhaps, a last taste of the capital's famous highlife and nightlife, reflecting on the spectacular grand journey you have made. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow.

After a final morning in lively Accra, perhaps some last souvenir shopping for kente, beads and crafts, or a relaxed breakfast, you are transferred to Kotoka International Airport for your onward international departure. You leave having experienced Ghana in full, lively Accra with its Independence Square and Nkrumah memorial, the profoundly moving slave-trade castles of the Cape Coast and their Doors of No Return, the thrilling rainforest canopy of Kakum, the royal palace, vast market and kente weavers of Ashanti Kumasi, the elephants and golden savanna of Mole, and the spectacular Wli Falls and green mountains of the Volta Region, all warmed by genuine Ghanaian hospitality. The images stay vivid long after you land, the Door of No Return, the swaying canopy walk, the dazzling kente, the wild elephants at the waterhole, and the thundering Wli Falls. Ghana packs extraordinary variety into a warm-hearted land, and having experienced it in full, you depart with the definitive experience of this beautiful country, already dreaming of a return.