Ghana & Dubai

Price: 
Full Package
(including flight from NYC and Dubai):
$4,999*

Land Only:
$3,299* (Ghana)
$3,599* (Ghana and Dubai)

Dates:
July 21 - August 3, 2019 (Full Package)

July 22 - August 3
(Land Only - Ghana and Dubai)

July 24 - August 3
(Land Only - Ghana)

Duration: 
13 days (Ghana and Dubai)
11 days (Ghana)

Locations Visited: 
Dubai (Full Package only)
Accra
Tamale
Kumasi
Elmina

Accommodations:
 4 Star +

Deposit: 
$500 due at time of booking

Next Payment:
$2,000 per person by January 15, 2019

Final Payment:
Due by April 15, 2019

Travel Protection: 
$319 per person (double)
$388 per person (single)

*Prices per person based on double room occupancy, single rooms are an additional $900.

INCLUDES

• Round trip flights from New York (JFK) - Dubai - Ghana

  • Other departure cities available upon request

• 11 nights hotel accommodations

  • 2 nights in Dubai

  • 9 nights in Ghana

• Intra-Ghana flight from Accra to Tamale

• English speaking guides throughout

• All transportation (as noted in itinerary) in private air-conditioned vehicles

• All entrance fees

• 19 meals

HIGHLIGHTS

• Spend 2 days in Dubai before heading to Ghana

• Trip takes place during the Panafest (Pan-African Festival) - a cultural vehicle for bringing Africans on the continent and in the Diaspora together around the issues raised by slavery which remain suppressed

• Tour the sites of slave markets and slave castles, including Elmina Castle

• Participate in Reverential Night where there will be candle light processions and a vigil to commemorate the Africans who died in the slave trade

• Attend the Emancipation Day Celebration and witness this grand, colorful and spectacular event that showcases the pomp and pageantry of Ghana's traditional rulers, dressed in rich Kente and adorned in glittering gold jewelry.

• Participate in a naming ceremony where you will be given a traditional African name

• Visit the Ashanti Craft Villages and learn how kente cloth is made

• Take an Accra city tour including sites dedicated to Dr. W.E.B. Dubois and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah

itinerary

Sunday, July 21 - Depart USA

Depart the USA for your overnight flight to Dubai

Monday, July 22 - Arrive in Dubai

Arrive in Dubai early this morning. After completing airport formalities transfer from Dubai Airport to hotel with driver and guide. 

Rest of the day is at leisure to explore Dubai on your own or join an optional tour.

Accommodations: Canal Central Hotel

Tuesday, July 23 - Dubai

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Rest of the day at leisure to explore Dubai on your own or join an optional activity.

Accommodations: Canal Central Hotel
Meals: Breakfast

Dubai Optional Tours (additional cost)

Dhow Dinner Cruise in Dubai Marina, including transport, open buffet dinner with 2 hrs cruising in Dubai Marina: $110pp

Half Day Dubai City Tour, including entry fees for museum: $50 pp (minimum 6 people required for tour)

Burj Khalifa entry, including transport: $50 pp (minimum 2 people required for tour)

Full day Ab uDhabi City Tour including Mosque and Lunch: $90 pp (minimum 6 people required for tour)

Wednesday, July 24 – Arrive in Accra, Ghana

Check out of hotel early this morning and head to airport for flight to Accra. Arrive in Accra this afternoon. Transfer from airport to your hotel. Check into your hotel and relax. Welcome drink and orientation will be provided.

Accommodations: Movenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra

Meals: Dinner 

Thursday, July 25– Accra City Tour

After breakfast, you will drive through the administrative and economic districts of Ghana’s city capital. Over 137 years-old, Accra has a blend of colonial and contemporary architecture that symbolize the cultural mix of the city. You will visit the W. E. B. Dubois Centre for Pan African Culture, where Dr. Dubois (an academic and civil rights champion) spent two years working on a Pan-African encyclopedia under the invitation of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana’s first President). There you will be treated to a guided tour through Dr. DuBois’ research library.  You will also make stops at Independence/Black Star Square and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. The square marks the point where three ex-military men tried to present grievances to the colonial governor and were shot during a peaceful demonstration. Nkrumah Memorial Park was created to commemorate Ghana's founding father. To the east of the square you will also get a view of Osu (formerly Christiansborg) Castle, the previous seat of the Ghanaian Presidency.

Accommodations: Movenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Friday, July 26th – Accra-Tamale

After breakfast, depart your hotel for an early morning flight to Tamale (Flight time 1 hr). Upon arrival in Tamale, you will be taken for sightseeing around the city of Tamale.

Accommodations: Mariam Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Saturday, July 27th – Receive Atonement at Salaga and Naming Ceremony

In the early morning, depart for a scenic drive to Salaga, one of the towns used as a major slave market during the slave trade. Meet with the traditional leader and tour the site where the slave trade started in the former Gold Coast. In Salaga, you will find families whose ancestors were slave raiders, slave chains and shackles are still kept in some of the family homes. The atonement will be sealed by villagers washing the feet of participants as an act of humility and a plea for forgiveness. This ceremony, designed by the villagers themselves, is a symbolic apology for the acts of their ancestors. Continue to the market site where the slaves were sold, known as the “Salaga Slave Market.” Lay a wreath at the grave site commemorating those who did not survive the slave trade.

Then amidst traditional drumming and dancing by the villagers, participate in a naming ceremony where you will be given a traditional African name. The day will end with joyous celebration, including traditional drumming, dancing and a healing feast that includes the sharing of food between the descendants of the slave raiders and of the slaves who were taken to the new world. Drive back to hotel in Tamale for overnight.

After dinner participate in KASA (TALK TIME) - An opportunity to learn more about Ghanaian culture or simply talk to each other and share information about the experiences you are having on the tour. (This activity will be led by the tour guide).

Accommodations: Mariam Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Sunday, July 28th – Tamale - Kintampo - Kumasi

Enjoy breakfast in your hotel. Check out of your hotel and depart for the drive to Tamale. En route, stop at the former slave markets of Kintampo and Assin Bono. Enjoy this scenic but haunting drive through the land where the slave trade took place. Notice the change in climate and terrain, which has a direct bearing on the population of Africans that the slave traders targeted. Visit the Kintampo Waterfalls to experience the cool, invigorating atmosphere created by nature and savour the breathtaking view of the cascading waterfall. Continue the drive to Kumasi.

Accommodations:  Golden Tulip
Meals:  Breakfast, Dinner

Monday, July 29th – Kumasi City Tour

Depart after breakfast for a scenic drive to the seat of the Ashanti Empire to explore the legends of the famous Ashantis, whose legacies are still evident today. You will visit Manhyia Palace Museum, to obtain firsthand information on the legacies of the Ashanti kingdom. A regal history that dates back to 1700 is told with relics and artifacts. Enjoy a drive through the city with monuments dedicated to the memory of the great Ashanti people. End the day’s tour at the National Cultural Centre which features the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum and various studios of the brass makers, potters and batik makers.

Accommodations:  Golden Tulip Hotel

Meals:  Breakfast, Dinner

Tuesday, July 30th – Ashanti Craft Village - Elmina

After breakfast, check out of your hotel. Later, visit the three famous Ashanti craft villages. Depart for, Ntonso the home of Adinkra cloth, and Bonwire, the Kente weaving village. You will have an opportunity to see how African crafts are made and to buy directly from the artisans who make them. After lunch, depart for Elmina.

Accommodations:  Coconut Grove Beach Resort
Meals:  Breakfast, Dinner

Wednesday, July 31st – Elmina Castle

After breakfast, prepare for a visit to the Elmina Castle. Another infamous castle and slave dungeon, Elmina was built by the Portuguese in 1482 as St. George's Castle. This castle was the first European

structure built in Sub – Saharan Africa. Explore the grounds and rooms full of haunting history. Stroll down to the beach for a memorial ceremony where each pilgrim will throw bread into the waters in remembrance of ancestors. A wreath with a candle will be solemnly pushed out to sea as a respectful moment of silence is observed in remembrance of those who died in the middle passage.

After lunch, enjoy a walking tour of the colonial town of Elmina. Elmina’s rich history is captured in its buildings. They tell the stories of the people of Elmina and their interaction with those who came from outside West Africa. Visit the colorful Asafo houses, which were used as a place for warriors to prepare mentally and spiritually before going to war. They are wonderful examples of how art is used in daily lives of Africans.

After dinner, you will have the opportunity to participate in “Reverential Night.” There will be candle light processions and a vigil to commemorate the Africans who died in the slave trade. There will also be a moving ceremony and re-enactment of the slave passage through the “Door of No Return,” followed by a midnight declaration of Emancipation Day. This is the highlight of the Panafest celebration.

Accommodations:  Coconut Grove Beach Resort
Meals:  Breakfast, Dinner

Thursday, August 1st – Emancipation Durbar at Assin Manso

After breakfast, check out of hotel for a drive through the former slave route to Assin Manso. This was the final transit point for enslaved Africans before being shipped off to the new world. You will have the opportunity to visit the slave dungeons as well as the final resting place for two ancestors whose mortal remains were returned from the USA and Jamaica and re-interred in Ghana.

The Emancipation Day Celebration is opened with a Grand Durbar of Traditional Chiefs and people of the Central Region. Witness this grand, colorful and spectacular event that showcases the pomp and pageantry of Ghana's traditional rulers, dressed in rich Kente and adorned in glittering gold jewelry. Discover the African rhythm in you as you dance to the beat of the 'Fromtomfrom' drums.

Join the group for "kasa" (talk time). Kasa provides an opportunity to learn more about Ghanaian culture or simply talk to each other and share impressions of the tour experience. Kasa discussions are led by your tour leader or tour guide. (This activity is optional).

Accommodations:  Coconut Grove Beach Resort
Meals:  Breakfast, Dinner

Friday, August 2nd – Elmina - Accra - Departure

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and drive back to Accra. Lunch will be on your own in a local Ghanaian restaurant. Next, visit the Arts Center, where you will have an opportunity to use your bargaining skills to shop for artifacts from Ghana and West Africa in an open-air market. Early evening transfer to the airport for check-in and departure.

Meals:  Breakfast

Saturday, August 3rd

Arrive in NYC