Day 1 – 26.1.2027

Arrival in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, whose name tastes particularly good in the mouths of many foreigners. Ouagadougou is located in central Burkina Faso and has a population of around 2.5 million. We are staying overnight in Ouagadougou.

Due to flight schedules, you may have to arrive in Ouagadougou as early as 25 January.

Day 2 – 27.1.2027

Today we drive just under an hour south-west from Ouagadougou to the village of Bazoulé and the nearby lake, where we see sacred crocodiles. After the visit, we will return to Ouagadougou and explore this laid-back city with a city tour. We are staying overnight in Ouagadougou.

Day 3 – 28.1.2027

In the morning, we drive to the southern border of Burkina Faso to Tiébélé, a three to four hour drive. In Tiébélé we are on the land of the Kassena people. The Kassenas are still largely animists, as are many of the people of Tiébélé. The village has been called the most beautiful in Burkina Faso for the tradition of painting houses with colourful decorative symbols. Each symbol has its own meaning and painting is the work of women. The houses are particularly beautiful in the courtyard of the local royal family, where we will be guided by our Kassena guide. We will stay overnight in Tiébéle or in Pô.

Day 4 – 29.1.2027

We cross the border from Burkina Faso into Ghana, where we drive to Bolgatanga and on to the nearby granite hills of Tongo and the ancient clay village of Tengzug. The village is inhabited by members of the Tallensi tribe, a small ethnic group. Most of the Tallensi are animists, who practice animal sacrifice. We see the shrines of the Tallensi in the village. We drive to Tamale, Ghana's most Islamic city, where we stay overnight. The day's driving time is about five hours.

Days 5-6 – 30.-31.1.2027

We will travel to Kumasi for seven hours, after which we will visit the Kukuo pottery village just outside the centre of Kumasi. Kumasi is one of Ghana's largest cities and the heartland of the Ashanti people. The people still had their own independent kingdom in the 1700s. Today, the king's role is ceremonial, but he is highly respected. In Kumasi, we will also visit Kejetia Market, the largest market in West Africa. We stay in Kumasi for two nights.

Day 7 – 1.2.2027

From Kumasi, the journey continues four hours to the Cape Coast, where we explore a colonial fort originally built in the 17th century. The castle was built by the Swedes and was originally called Carolusborg. Elmina Castle, on the other hand, is the oldest of Ghana's forts and dates back to the 1480s. The fortress has been exploited in the gold and slave trade. Today, the forts are on UNESCO's World Heritage List. We stay overnight in Cape Coast.

Day 8 – 2.2.2027

We travel about three hours to Ghana's capital Accra, a bustling metropolis of around two million people on the Gulf of Guinea. We will take a city tour and those who wish can also experience the city's nightlife. Accommodation in Accra.

Day 9 – 3.2.2027

Today we will travel about five hours to Lomé, the capital of Togo, home to about 1.3 million people on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. We will visit the Akodessewa fetish market, which sells ritual items for the voodoo religion (also known as vodun), where we will learn about the religion itself, but also see various dead animals, from crocodiles to monkeys and dogs. Dead animals, or fetishes, are used in religious ceremonies.

After visiting the fetish market, we will drive for about two hours to the city of Kpalimé, which is one of Togo's nature tourism centers. The area is also known for its cocoa and coffee production. Overnight stay in Kpalimé.

Day 10 – 4.2.2027

This day is reserved for nature excursions in the Kpalimé region. We will visit waterfalls, see lush nature, and those who wish can set out to conquer Togo's highest mountain. Mont Agou is only 986 meters high, so the climb is not demanding, but good footwear is required. During a few hours of hiking, we will visit "mountain villages" located on the mountain slopes and enjoy the magnificent views they offer. Not all mountain villages are accessible by road, so goods are transported to shops and bars by human or animal power. Accommodation in Kpalimé.

Day 11 – 5.2.2027

Today is dedicated to travelling as we drive across Togo to the city of Kara. Accommodation in Kara.

Day 12 – 6.2.2027

We drive a short distance to the land of the Batammariba people in Koutammakou. The Batammariba are part of the Somba tribe living on the Benin side, and their buildings are similar two- or multi-story mud structures built with defense in mind. The buildings are known as "tamberma." We will learn about their construction and meet the locals. With their permission, we may also be able to visit a few local homes. Koutammakou is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We cross the border into Benin. Benin is mainly flat, but here in the north there is a low mountain range, the Atakora Mountains, whose highest peak reaches 658 meters above sea level. We drive for just under an hour to the city of Natitingou, where we spend the night.

Day 13 – 7.2.2027

The journey continues today towards the south. We start by driving for about an hour to the small village of Tanéka Koko, a collection of beautiful circular clay houses. We meet the spiritual leader of the village, who is also a priest of the local vodun religion. After being crowned leader, the priest does not wear clothes until he dies. We will stay overnight in Tanéka Koko or in nearby Tanéka Beri.

Next, we continue to the town of Dassa-Zoumé. Driving time is about four hours. Dassa-Zoumé, a town of 41 hills, is like the rest of Africa very multicultural and there are many different tribes in the area. What makes the town special is that it is one of the centres of the Idaasha people. The Idaasha number around 200 000 in total and are a Yoruba tribe that migrated hundreds of years ago from what is now Nigeria to what is now central Benin. The Idaasha have their own language, which is considered a Yoruba dialect. For example, Dassa-Zoumé is Igbo Idaasha in the Idaasha language. We have also arrived in the Kingdom of Dassa, where the ceremonial power is held by King Egba Kotan II. We will stay overnight in Dassa-Zoumé.

Day 14 – 8.2.2027

Today we drive to the town of Abomey. Abomey was the capital of the Kingdom of Dahomey and Dahomey was one of the most powerful kingdoms in West Africa and covered the southern part of present-day Benin. Between 1625 and 1900, Dahomey was ruled by a total of 12 kings. Then France subjugated the Kingdom of Dahomey and stripped the king of political power. We will explore the many royal castles of Abomey, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. We will also visit the historical museum.

From Abomey we continue to Porto Novo, the capital of Benin. The daily driving time is about 4.5 hours. Porto-Novo is home to a community of Afro-Brazilians, born out of a mixture of slaves returning from Brazil to their ancestral lands in West Africa and Portuguese slave traders. The architecture of the city is reminiscent of Brazil. We will stay overnight in the tranquil Porto-Novo.

Day 15 – 9.2.2027

From Porto Novo, we travel first to Ouidah, a town known for its slave trade. We start our exploration of the city with a walking tour of the historic centre. We will see the Python Temple, the city's beautiful cathedral and the Brazilian houses. We walk to the sacred forest of Kpassé, with centuries-old trees and a temple of the Vodun religion. A visit to Ouidah is not complete without exploring the "slave road", the route along which slaves travelled on their way to the slave ships waiting on the Atlantic shore. The ships took the slaves out of Africa, and these people never saw their homelands again. From Ouidah, we continue to the fishing village of Grand-Popo, where we stay overnight. The day's driving time is approximately two to three hours.

Day 16 – 10.2.2027

The day starts in the fishing village of Grand-Popo, where we visit Villa Karo, a Finno-West African cultural centre on a long stretch of sandy beach. In the evening we drive to and stay in Cotonou. The day's driving time is approximately 1.5 hours.

Day 17 – 11.2.2027

In the morning, we drive about 40 minutes to the small town of Abomey-Calavi, north of Cotonou. We board a wooden boat known as a pirogue at the town's port, which will take us to the village of Ganvié in the middle of the lake. Ganvié is built on stilts and is navigated by boat. The people originally moved to the middle of the lake about 400 years ago to escape slave traders who would not venture onto the lake.

We return to Cotonou, the business hub of Benin and home to some 700 000 Beninese. Although the metropolitan area is home to as many as two million people. But Cotonou is not the capital: it is the smaller city of Porto-Novo, a short distance to the east.

We explore Cotonou with a morning city tour, during which we see various monuments, the red and white catholic cathedral and Dantokpa market, known as the largest open-air market in West Africa. In the evening, we will transfer you to the airport for your journey home.