Ghana Afro Future Fest and New Year Eve 2023
Join us on our 8-day experience in Afro Future Fest and New Year Eve celebration as we enjoy sounds, culture, city, culinary and rich Ghanaian history in Accra, Kumasi and Elmina.
AfroFuture is a celebration of Africa’s diverse culture and the vibrant work of African creatives and entrepreneurs.
The festival is designed to elevate and highlight the thrilling and thriving millennial talent in Africa by introducing an interactive event that teaches, explains and explores various cultures through a pioneering approach. AfroFuture attendees will experience art and creative activations from the continent, celebrate African music, and taste premium and cultured cuisine.
Trip Dates: December 27 -January 3, 2024
Trip Length: 8 Days, 7 Nights
Arrive Airport: ACC
Suggested Departure Airport: JFK, IAD
Priceless moments with new friends, historical exploration and pampered relaxation await you on your Majestic Dream Vacations experience in Ghana.
What to expect…..
ACCRA
Accra is the capital of Ghana, on the Atlantic coast of West Africa. Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park honors Ghana’s first president, who helped lead the country to independence. The park contains Nkrumah’s mausoleum and a museum charting his life. Makola Market is the city’s vast, colorful bazaar. Popular seafront spots Labadi Beach and Kokrobite Beach offer golden sand and high-energy nightlife.
KUMASI
Kumasi is the capital city of the Ashanti Region, in southern Ghana. It’s known as a center for Ashanti culture. In the huge, open-air Kejetia Market, stalls sell everything from glass beads to Ashanti sandals. The National Cultural Centre offers craft workshops and dance performances. It includes the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum, which displays jewelry and ceremonial clothing belonging to the 20th-century Ashanti king.
ELMINA
Elmina is a fishing port on the south coast of Ghana, in West Africa. It’s known for its beaches and for its role in the former transatlantic slave trade. Elmina Castle, built by the Portuguese in 1482, was a base for trading slaves, gold and ivory. The 17th-century Fort St. Jago was used by the Dutch to attack Elmina Castle. The Elmina-Java Museum records the recruitment of Africans into the Dutch army.
Here’s an overview of the itinerary.
Day 1
Welcome to Ghana! Arrive at Accra Airport (ACC).
Upon arrival at Kotoka International Airport you'll be greeted by our tour representative and given an "Akwaaba" Welcome Later this evening, we will host a Meet & Greet Dinner at a restaurant nearby. You’ll have an opportunity to try your first taste of local cuisine and unwind after your long journey to Ghana.
Accommodations: Labadi Beach Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 2 - Accra City Tour
Having enjoyed your first night in Accra, today is dedicated to an Accra City Tour, first visit is to W.E.B. DuBois and Pan African Center a memorial place and a research center dedicated to a great Pan-Africanist who lived and died as a Ghanaian. He came to Ghana at the age of 95 with 1,000 books to work on an African Encyclopedia on invitation from Ghana’s first president. You may choose to lay a memorial wreath at his tomb.
Next, we pass by Independence Square and view the enclosed flame of African Liberation, which was lit by Kwame Nkrumah himself in 1961. We continue the short distance to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the final resting place of Ghana’s founder.
Set in attractive gardens, there is an adjoining museum, which contains photos, artifacts and an insight into this incredible man’s life. Adjoining the park is the National Cultural Center, which is actually Ghana’s largest outdoor arts and crafts market selling traditional crafts from all over West Africa. It can be overwhelming navigating the vendor stalls but with some perserverance you can come out with some amazing finds! After returning you to the hotel for dinner, the remainder of the evening is for leisure.
Accommodations: Labadi Beach Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 2 - Afro Future Fest
Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant serving a selection of West African and continental dishes.
The afternoon and the remainder of the day will be reserved for Afrochella. AFROCHELLA is a festival designed to highlight & elevate thrilling and thriving millennial talent from and within Africa. The festival is an interactive event that encourages collaboration, explains and explores culture with a pioneering approach. The day features a festive celebration of our culture.
Day 3 - Kumasi
We begin day four early with an in-country flight to Kumasi. It's a short one hour journey but when you arrive in Kumasi (the Garden City) you will notice a vast difference from the hustle of Accra.
We start our day trip by visiting Ashanti’s traditional villages. Kumasi is
regarded as the cultural center of Ghana with its many ancient craft villages within close proximity to the city. Adanwomasie, our first stop, is the famous as the birth place of Kente weaving. Adanwomasie produces some of Ghana’s finest Kente cloths. Many designs of cloth are woven here and some are exclusive only to this region. We will also learn the history of Adrinka symbols. Adinkra are traditional symbols with meanings, carved from calabash shells, and printed onto traditional cloth using natural dyes made from the bark of certain local trees. Adinkra cloth has been adorned by the Asantes for more than 4 centuries and pre dates Kente cloth.
Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant which sells an excellent selection of local and continental dishes.
Polo Beach Club
Day 3 - Kumasi
After lunch we will embark on city tour of Kumasi. We continue to visit National Cultural Centre. The cultural center is found in one of the oldest suburbs of Kumasi. There is a wonderful craft market here and during our tour we have the opportunity to visit the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum which offers an excellent overview of Ashanti history.
Lastly is Okomfo Anokye Sword which has defied all human strength to
pull it out of it's resting place in the ground. It’s believed to be the famous priest Okomfa Anokye's and has the power to conjure the golden stool from the heavens. After visiting these wonderful places we will check in to our accommodations for the evening. Dinner is at your leisure.
Accommodations: Labadi Beach Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4 - Cape Coast
Cape Coast is our final destination today. We will first stop at Assin Manso, which was one of the major slave markets during the slave trade. Ndonkor Nsuo (Enslaved African River) is where enslaved Africans were checked for fitness and bathed before being transported to Cape Coast for shipment to the Americas and Caribbean.
After our tour we continue to Cape Coast, we enjoy lunch upon arrival at a local restaurant overlooking the ocean. We then continue to visit Cape Coast Castle (Dungeon) which is also designated as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Built by the British in 1665 at the height of slavery and played a major role in holding enslaved Africans in waiting for slave ships to ship them to the New World. We will walk through the Male and Female dungeons and the infamous “Door of No Return”. There is a historical museum inside, which explains the whole history of the castle and Cape Coast itself, as well as a souvenir shop which sells literature on all of Ghana’s forts and castles, as well as the cultural history and traditions of Ghana. After a wonderful, yet thought-provoking day, we check into our hotel, the rest of the day is spent at leisure.
Accommodations: Ridge Royal Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 5 - New Year’s Eve
Another early start takes us to one of the highlights of the trip--a visit to Kakum tropical rainforest to experience the much talked about Canopy walkway. The uniqueness of the park lies in the fact that it was established at the initiative of the local people and it is one of the only 3 locations in Africa with a canopy walkway. It is 350 meters (1,150 ft) long and connects seven tree tops, the park is also notable for a lot of endangered species of fauna in the park.
We will continue to a local village for a traditional naming ceremony. Here, the village elders will welcome you home with drumming and dancing. They will share the history of the village and even gift you will your own traditional name. We enjoy lunch at a nearby restaurant and then begin the
3.5 hour journey back to Accra.
As you approach the capital city, the buzz of NYE will already be in the air! We'll check in to our accommodations and spend the remainder of the afternoon resting and preparing for an unforgettable night out.
The evening begins with a private group dinner at one of Accra's hottest eateries. Dress to impress as the cameras will be flashing all night!
After dinner it's on to a night of unforgettable memories and non-stop Afrobeats as we close out the year at the trendiest nightclubs in town.
Accommodations: Labadi Beach Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 6 - Relax and Rejuvenate
Today let's take time to rejuvenate after a whirlwind adventure that's taken you to three of Ghana's sixteen regions, from the tropical weather of the south coast to rolling hills of Ghana's Garden City and back again. The morning will be spent at leisure.
In the afternoon, you have the option to visit some of Accra's shopping hubs and pick up some unique gifts for you and your family back home.
The remainder of the day will be at your leisure.
Accommodations: Labadi Beach Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7 - Aburi Gardens & Boti Falls
Today, our first stop is Aburi Botanical Garden. Our journey takes us through the beautiful Akwapim range and gives us outstanding panoramic views of Accra. The botanical garden is set in a beautiful location and was founded by the British in 1890. The gardens are home to a wide variety of indigenous and exotic flora, offering outstanding views to Accra on a clear day. As we walk around the gardens our guide will identify the many trees and plants found here, some with medicinal properties and explain how they benefit the locals.
Don't forget to pack your bathing suit, because a dip in Boti Falls can't be missed! Boti Falls is a twin waterfall that are referred to as female and male. River Pawnpawn which forms the falls takes it source from Ahenkwa-Amalakpo before falling over an igneous rock outcrop at the Boti Langmase that is how the falls get its name. The fall was hidden in the forest until it was discovered by a catholic priest. It is recounted by locals that the priest used the base of the falls as an entertainment ground for his friends and himself. It is truly an amazing sight to behold.
We'll return to Accra for the evening. Dinner will be at your leisure.
Accommodations: Labadi Beach Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 8 - Departure
Sadly your final day with us, we check out of our hotel after breakfast. As we depart for Accra, we will drive through scenic coastal plantation, having a glimpse looks at several historical and heritage sites on our way. We enjoy a farewell lunch at a local restaurant and will allow time for some last-minute shopping at Ghana’s largest arts and crafts market and transfer to the airport to catch your flight back home after unforgettable 8 day journey with us.
Accommodations: Departures
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
The Ghana Experience
Travel Dates: December 26 to January 3, 2024
Cost Per Person Based on Two Adults Sharing Room starting at $3,755.00/pp. Single room (A room all to yourself) supplement is additional.
Bedding Configurations are available in 1 King bed or 2 Twin beds. Although a request can be made, please note that it is subject to availability at check in. The resort will do their best to accommodate the request. Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee that you will receive it unless you pay to use the online room selector.
Non Refundable deposit of $500 per person. Final payment due by October 27, 2023.
International Airfare to Paris is NOT Included
You can request a quote for airfare at the time of making your room deposit
What is included:
Hotel accommodation as mentioned in the itinerary (or similar) based on twin / double occupancy
Meet & Greet on arrival
Meals as indicated on itinerary
Bottled water daily
Guide fees
All transfers and transportation by private, air-conditioned coach/bus with driver and guide
Sightseeing and entrance fees as per the itinerary
What is not included:
International Air, Taxes, Seat Selection
Personal items such as laundry, telephone calls, mini-bar
Optional Tours; Festival Tickets; VIP tables/bottle service and Afro Future tickets
Tourist Visa
Meals unless listed in itinerary
Tips & Gratuities ($10-$20 daily)
COVID Testing
Immunizations/Medications
Travel Insurance
Alcoholic Beverages
Booking Process
Click on the button "CLICK HERE TO BOOK NOW"
Choose the "Number of Travelers" (If you are booking for more than 2 people in a room contact the Travel Advisors, at +1 215-468-6481, for instructions)
Choose Room Category and Occupancy (Double or Single Room)
Choose Extra Options (Travel Insurance, Tours, Excursions an Quote for Airfare)
Continue to Traveler Info and complete the form for each person traveling and sign electronically (Only the fields with * next to them are Required)
Continue to Payment where you can enter your credit card information. Here you have to pay the deposit or pay the trip in full. You can request a monthly payment schedule as a guide for you to budget your payments monthly)
Always read the Terms and Conditions prior to making a payment.
You’re interested in Ghana but not during these dates?
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TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Deposit and Payments: I understand all payments are non-refundable and non-transferable (including deposits). The total is dependent on a group travel rate and are subject to change if the participation falls below a number consistent on a group. I further acknowledge that I have been advised to purchase travel insurance to protect my investment. All payments to Majestic Dream Vacations are non-refundable and non-transferable. In an effort to negotiate the best experience and price, our travel partners do not provide refunds.
Prices: are subject to change without notice. Please make your reservations today at this price to be locked in.
Roommate: You must ensure your roommate, if applicable, is also making timely monthly payments. We will make every effort to notify you if your roommate is no longer complaint with our payment policy.
Monthly payments: Your invoice will clearly note your payment plan and as a courtesy we will provide monthly electronic reminders.
Changes: In Flight, Hotels and Transfers: Majestic Dream Vacations will make every effort to operate all tours as printed in the itinerary, digital brochures, flyers and on the website. However, circumstances may arise which would require an adjustment to the tour. We will do all that is possible to avoid such changes, but we must reserve the right to make such modifications if they are deemed to be necessary for any reason.
Airline: Please note that flight changes are at the discretion of the airline, therefore Majestic Dream Vacations reserves the right to make airline modifications as we see fit to accommodate our clients. Seat assignments ARE at the discretion of airlines. Seats for this group tour are only located in economy class.
Last Minute Reservations: All reservations must be made no later than 60 days prior to departure. If requested services cannot be confirmed, payment will be refunded. If services are confirmed, final payment is due within 24 hours and all applicable cancellation penalties will apply.
Name Changes: Name changes are not permitted, name corrections will carry a fee of $100.00 and this information must be received in writing 40-days prior to departure or as specified by the airline.
Tours: Please note that some tours are included and are subject to change due to weather and or unforeseen circumstances. We will do our best to supply another tour to take the place of the tour that was replaced. Tours do not have a monetary value for a cash or credit refund.
Ground Transfers: Please note that all transfers and excursions will have specific times of departures and will be unable to accommodate late arrivals.
Hotel Amenities: Hotel amenities may change without notice, however our partner hotels aim to exceed your expectations.
Upgrades: Should you require upgraded room accommodations, flights and or tours, please advise and we are happy to assist.
Please keep in mind that prices are subject to change without notice until booked.