Ghana Tours
Ghana Ancestral Tour
Visit ancient traditional communities to learn the foundations of the culture and, on the flipside, also experience modern day Africa and see how this culture brings so much to the younger generation and the growth of the nation.
Discover Your Ancestry on This Tour in Ghana
Ghana, the West African nation known for its rich culture, stunning scenery, and friendly people, is also a popular destination for those seeking to discover their ancestral links. With a history dating back over 3,000 years, Ghana is home to a diverse range of ethnic groups, each with its own unique traditions and heritage. The Ghana Ancestral Tour takes you to the heart of the country on a journey of self-discovery.
For those embarking on a journey to Ghana to reconnect with their ancestral roots, there are a number of key places to visit. One of the most important is Cape Coast Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was once a major slave trading post – today, the castle serves as a sobering reminder of Ghana's past, but it also offers visitors the opportunity to learn more about their African heritage.
Another must-see destination is Elmina Castle, another UNESCO World Heritage Site also used as a slave trading post – like Cape Coast Castle, it offers a chance to reflect on the history of the transatlantic slave trade and its impact on Ghana and the world.
In addition to visiting historical sites, on this tour you can also learn about ancestral heritage through cultural experiences – attend a traditional Ghanaian dance performance, learn about Ghanaian cuisine, and meet with local elders to learn about their family history.
Day By Day
Your Itinerary
DAY 1
Arrival in Ghana
Your guide and driver meet you at Kotoka International Airport, Accra, and transfer you to your hotel, offering you "Akwaaba" (welcome) and briefing you on your trip.
Overnight in Accra
DAY 2
National Museum, Black Star Gate, Independence Square, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and James Town
Tour Accra's National Museum for an ethnographic overview of West African culture, then Black Star Gate and Independence Square, home to the flame of African liberation lit by Kwame Nkrumah in 1961, and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, his final resting place. After lunch (try Ghana's famous Jollof Rice), walk through Jamestown and Usshertown, Accra's oldest suburbs, taking in colonial-era structures including a 1871 British lighthouse and Fort James (1673). In the evening, meet community members using boxing to change young lives in this historically boxing-famous neighbourhood.
Overnight in Accra · Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
DAY 3
TK Beads, Shai Hills Reserve, Volta River Cruise and Akosombo Dam
Visit TK Beads to learn the traditional bead-making process, then the Shai Hills Reserve, savannah grassland with granite inselbergs and active shrines, home to olive baboons and monkeys – hike to the Obonu Tem caves with a wildlife guide. After lunch in Akosombo on the Volta River, take a short river cruise and tour the Akosombo Dam, built by Dr Kwame Nkrumah in 1965, creating what was then the world's largest man-made lake.
Overnight in Hohoe · Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
DAY 4
Wli Waterfalls, Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary and Tafi Abuife Kente Village
Trek to the Wli (Agumatsa) Falls, believed to be the highest in West Africa, with a swimmable pool beneath. After lunch in Hohoe, visit Tafi Atome, home to an endangered True Mona monkey population protected by the Ewe community for over 200 years as sacred messengers, then Tafi Abuife, where Ewe Kente cloth has been woven for generations, with designs distinct from the Ashanti region.
Overnight in Hohoe · Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
DAY 5
Aburi Botanical Gardens and Craft Market
Drive through the Akuapem hills to the Aburi Botanical Gardens, founded by the British in 1890, with outstanding views over Accra, then the Aburi Craft Village for traditional drums and sculptures at some of Ghana's lowest prices. Lunch in Koforidua before continuing to Kumasi.
Overnight in Kumasi · Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
DAY 6
Ancient Kente and Adinkra Villages, Ashanti Traditional House and Sokoban Krofrom
Visit the traditional Asante buildings recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, home to ten active shrines and associated with warrior queen Nana Yaa Asantewaa. Continue to Adanwomasie, birthplace of Ghana's Kente cloth (home to the "Clinton Kente" design named for Bill Clinton), and Ntonso, origin of Adinkra cloth, worn by the Ashanti for over 400 years – make your own strip using symbols of personal significance. After lunch, visit Sokoban Krofrom to see traditional brass casting demonstrated.
Overnight in Kumasi · Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
DAY 7
Manhyia Palace, Cultural Centre, Assin Manso & Cape Coast Castle
Visit Manhyia Palace, home of the Asantehene, and the National Cultural Centre's craft market and Prempeh II Jubilee Museum. Head south to Elmina, stopping at Assin Manso, where enslaved Africans marched from Northern Ghana were bathed and assessed before the final 32-mile march to the coastal castle dungeons – in 1998, the remains of two previously enslaved people were symbolically returned here for re-interment. Tour Cape Coast Castle in the early evening, a poignant monument that held more enslaved Africans captive than any other in West Africa, including its dungeons holding up to 600 people at a time and the infamous "Door of No Return."
Overnight in Elmina or Cape Coast · Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
DAY 8
Kakum National Park and Traditional Naming Ceremony
Walk Kakum National Park's famous canopy walkway, suspended above a rainforest home to over 40 mammal species. In the afternoon, experience an official Naming Ceremony in a local village – a courtesy call on chiefs and elders, libation poured to welcome you home, drumming and dancing, and the bestowal of a traditional African name based on your day or order of birth.
Overnight in Cape Coast or Elmina · Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
DAY 9
Beach Relaxation, Elmina Castle and Accra
A relaxed morning at your accommodation before lunch overlooking the Gold Coast. En route to Accra, visit the Castle of St. George in Elmina, the oldest extant colonial building in sub-Saharan Africa (1482) and a UNESCO World Heritage site, plus the local fishing market and traditional wooden boat builders.
Overnight in Accra · Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
DAY 10
DuBois Centre, Artist Alliance Gallery, Fantasy Coffins and Departure
Visit the DuBois Centre, final home and burial place of Pan-Africanist Dr W.E.B. DuBois, and the Artist Alliance Gallery for traditional and contemporary West African art. Visit the workshops behind the "Fantasy Coffins" of Teshie Nungua before time for last-minute shopping at Accra Mall and a farewell meal ahead of your airport transfer.
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Know Before You Go
Included & Excluded
What’s Included
Mid-range accommodation throughout the tour
Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus fruit and snacks when available on all vehicles
Unlimited mineral water for the duration of your tour
Transportation in a fully air-conditioned vehicle for the duration of your tour
A highly experienced, full-time driver, focused on your safety and comfort
All expert guide fees
Entrance fees – all entrance and excursion fees detailed in your itinerary
What’s Not Included
International travel to the start and end point – contact us for information and flight options
Any airport taxes
Travel insurance
Any visa requirements
Alcoholic drinks and drinks not mentioned
Items of a personal nature
Tips for drivers and guides
Tour Map
Book With Confidence
Dates & Prices
Departures run on the 1st of each month, with a minimum of two people required – this tour is also available as a private tour, scheduled to your own requirements.
From £3,375 per person, based on two people sharing
Good to Know
Travel Information
Safety, Passport, Visa and Health Information
We strongly recommend that you check your government’s travel advisory for up-to-date information and advice about your destination: safety and security, entry requirements, health, local laws and customs. For UK citizens, check the latest Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advice for Ghana.
Your passport should be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date of entry into Ghana. You need a visa to enter – apply via the Ghana High Commission website. Ghanaian-British dual nationals can register with the Interior Ministry in Ghana for a Dual Nationality card to avoid visa fees.
Ghana is a conservative and deeply religious country – dress modestly in public, and military-style clothing including camouflage is not permitted. Drug penalties are severe, with even small amounts of marijuana risking a prison sentence of over five years, and bail rarely granted. Carry a photocopy of your passport and keep the original safe. There is little tolerance towards LGBT+ people in Ghana, with some same-sex acts carrying potential custodial sentences of 3-25 years (though rarely enforced) – be sensitive to local attitudes. Photography near sensitive sites like military installations or airports is strictly prohibited, and always ask permission before photographing guarded buildings.
At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the latest country-specific health advice from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) on the TravelHealthPro website. There is a high risk of malaria throughout Ghana, including in Accra. West Gonja, North Gonja, the Savannah region and the northwest, including Mole National Park, remain at high risk of yellow fever following a 2021 outbreak – keep checking NaTHNaC for the latest advice.
What to Bring
Lightweight, casual, non-synthetic clothing (cotton and natural fibres are best) that appropriately covers the body when in the company of local communities – it doesn't need to be fancy, but it needs to be respectful. Walking shoes or boots plus sandals are the ideal footwear.
Please allow yourself one main piece of luggage and a day-sack – you're expected to carry your own baggage, so don't overload yourself; a soft wheely bag may be easier to manage than a suitcase. We also recommend a sunhat, sun cream, a torch, insect repellent, a reusable water bottle, a power adapter, and earplugs if you're a light sleeper.
While You're There
Ghana's currency is the cedi (GHC/GHS), divided into 100 pesewas. ATM reliability varies widely – it's best to withdraw cash on arrival in the capital, or ask your guide to help exchange money at Forex Bureaus or banks during your trip.
The best time to visit is October to April, the dry season, with lower humidity, fewer mosquitoes, and better road conditions. To use your mobile phone, contact your provider in advance for international roaming, or your guide can help arrange a local SIM card (requires an unlocked phone). USB internet sticks are available for laptops (around 50 cedis for a 2GB allowance), and internet cafés and hotel wifi are found in most urban areas.
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