November 1-13, 2024

November 1 – Departure from New York, (JFK) to Ghana, West Africa aboard Egypt Air. Flights to be announced.

November 2 – Accra, Ghana – Arrival at Kotoka International Airport in Accra Meet our local guide and transfer to your hotel. Check-in is at 3.00 pm. In the evening, you’ll have the chance to meet local tailors and dressmakers showcasing fantastic casual and formal wear made from local fabrics. You can buy ready-made clothes or even place an order for a custom outfit. Dinner will be at your hotel. Overnight: Hotel in Accra

November 3 – National Museum Exhibits and Du Bois Centre After breakfast, embark on a city tour of Accra, which offers practical lessons in Pan-Africanism and the African Struggle. Your first stop is the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre for Pan-Africanism, the final resting place and former home of the prominent American Pan-Africanist, Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois. It currently serves as a Pan African Center for Culture, featuring a research library and gallery full of manuscripts.

Continue to the National Museum of History and Ethnography, housing a diverse collection of Ghanaian artifacts. Objects in the archaeology section range from the Stone Age to recent history. The ethnography gallery includes the chief’s regalia, indigenous musical instruments, gold weights, beads, traditional textiles, stools, and pottery.

You’ll then explore Ga Mashie-Old Accra, known for its Victorian Dutch and post-colonial architecture. Highlights include James Fort, Old Accra Square, the Post Office, and Ussher Fort, one of the three European forts in Accra that have stood the test of time.

Next, interact with locals at the Accra Harbor and view the British-built lighthouse guiding commercial ships. Afterward, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant (on your own account).

In the afternoon, visit the newly refurbished Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum, the final resting place for the First Head of State and President of independent Ghana. This mausoleum is a must-see for world dignitaries.

Your day concludes with a visit to the Arts and Crafts market to explore a wide array of Ghanaian handicraft souvenirs. Here, you can hone your bargaining skills with local vendors. Return to your hotel for a Welcome Dinner. Overnight: Accra B/D

November 4 – After breakfast and hotel check-out, depart from Accra to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, known as the Kingdom of Gold, History, and Culture. Along the way, you’ll pass through scenic villages and cocoa-growing communities.

During a stop en route, you’ll pay a courtesy call to a Ghanaian village, providing a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in authentic Ghanaian traditional culture. Witness libation pouring, drumming, and dancing, and participate in a Traditional Welcome and Naming Ceremony according to Akan tradition.

Continue your journey to Kumasi, passing through charming towns and cocoa-growing villages. Lunch will be at a highway restaurant. Upon arrival in Kumasi, check into your hotel. The evening is free for you to explore Kumasi’s nightlife. Overnight: Hotel in Kumasi.  B

November 5 – On this exciting day, you’ll enjoy an early morning breakfast and then visit Ashanti craft villages. Here, you’ll have the chance to create breathtaking artifacts and designs using simple tools and traditional techniques. Learn about crafting Ashanti stools, fertility dolls, walking sticks, and more at Ahwiaa, the woodcarver’s village.

Continue to Ntonso, the traditional textile printing village, where you’ll see the creation of Adinkra cloth and tie-and-dye processing. You can even participate in designing your own Adinkra cloth, rich in traditional symbols representing the spiritual, moral, political, and socio-cultural philosophies of the Akan people.

Next, head to Bonwire, where famous Kente cloth is handwoven on looms, following a time-honored tradition passed down through generations.

After a rewarding morning, return to Kumasi for lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, embark on a city tour of Kumasi, visiting the Manhyia Palace Museum, which offers insights into Ashanti King Prempeh II’s life and history.

The National Cultural Centre and Prempeh II Museum house artifacts related to the Ashanti King Prempeh II, including ceremonial clothing, jewelry, and more. Return to your hotel, with the evening free for you to explore Kumasi’s nightlife. Overnight in Kumasi. B/L

November 6 – After breakfast and hotel check-out, depart from Kumasi to the Central Region. As you drive southwards across River Prah, you’ll notice a change in vegetation from forest belt to coastal savannah.

Your first stop is Assin Manso, where you’ll visit the burial site of ancestors exhumed from Wall Street in New York and Kingston, Jamaica, and re-interred during the “YEAR OF RETURN” GHANA 2019. Visit the Donko Nsuo (the Slave River), where African captives took their final bath in the waters of their native land.

Continue to Elmina and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit Elmina Castle, the oldest European structure built on African soil, initially constructed by the Portuguese in 1482. Take a comprehensive guided tour of the castle, exploring the slave dungeons and condemned cells. Overnight at the Resort in Elmina. B/L

November 7 – Start your day with an early breakfast and a visit to Kakum National Park. Take a walk through Kakum Forest and experience the thrilling “Canopy Walkway,” suspended 100 feet above the forest floor. Enjoy panoramic views of the rainforest—a remarkable adventure!

Continue to Cape Coast to visit Cape Coast Castle, originally built by the Swedes in 1652. This castle served as the British colonial government’s headquarters until 1877. Explore the castle, including the slave dungeons, the West African Heritage Museum, and the negotiation hall where our ancestors were sold.

Lunch will be at a restaurant, followed by drumming and dance lessons at the Cape Coast Cultural Center. Later, return to your hotel and join the Xodus International Group for a 20th-anniversary barbecue dinner on the beach, complete with a bonfire and music! Overnight: Beach Resort or Hotel in Elmina or Cape Coast B/D

November 8 – After breakfast, depart for Accra. Along the way, you’ll visit an orphanage to interact with people and teachers. After a satisfying lunch, we’ll set out for Accra, passing by numerous fishing communities and idyllic coconut-lined beaches. Upon our arrival in Accra, we’ll proceed to check in at the hotel. Overnight: Hotel in Accra.

 November 9 – After an early morning breakfast, you will depart for the airport for your flight to Cairo, Egypt at 1:30 pm.   Arrive Cairo, Egypt at 9.05 PM.  You will be met by our local representative and transfer to your hotel. Overnight: Movenpick Media City, Cairo. Hotel rooms will be available for immediate occupancy upon arrival. Hotel restaurants and room services are available till midnight and later for those who wish meal service. B

November 10 – Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the world-famous Egyptian Museum with its 100,000 objects covering 4,000 years of ancient Egyptian civilization including the treasures of Tutankhamen. Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx, Valley Temple where the mummification took place and the Memphis City built by King Menes. In the evening, the group will have the welcome dinner with live orchestra, African, Nubian, Tenora and belly dancer show.  Overnight:  Movenpick Media City, Cairo. Meals: B/L/D

November 11 – Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Dahshur Pyramids, the Pyramids of the kings of the Old and Middle Kingdoms, Sakkara, and the Pyramid of Djoser or Step Tomb. Lunch in a local restaurant. Later a visit to the Grand Museum, Tahrir Square, Al Muizz Street, and Khan El Khalili Market. Overnight: Movenpick Media City, Cairo.  Meals: B/L/D

November 12 – Free day to shop on your own.  Later join the rest of your group for a farewell cruise dinner! Meals: B/L/D

November 13 – Prepare for an early morning departure for the airport.  Times to be announced.