Benin

A self-launched 24-day overland trip from Accra to Cotonou through Ghana, Togo and Benin, hitting the same highlights as the G Adventures Classic itinerary — Accra's colonial history, Kakum National Park, Krobo bead-making, batik workshops with female artisans, the Akwasidae Festival in Kumasi, community guesthouse stays near the Picathartes Forest, Togo's voodoo markets and villages, and Ouidah's Voodoo heritage — but booked independently on local buses, shared taxis and tro-tros, with hostel and guesthouse stays. Expect a fraction of the group tour price if you're happy to move at your own pace and organise things locally. All costs are approximate per person.

Travel Crew

~£2,050

A self-launched 9-day independent version of G Adventures' Togo & Benin cultural tour, running from Lomé to Cotonou. You'll hit the same highlights — Lomé's Grand Marché, Kpalimé's kente weavers and coffee country, the remarkable Tata Somba mud-tower houses of Koutammakou (UNESCO), Taneka Beri and its fetish shrines, Dassa-Zoumé's Dankoli shrine, Ouidah's Voodoo heritage and Sacred Forest, and Ganvié's stilt village on Lake Nokoué — using shared taxis, local buses and the occasional hired moto-taxi instead of a private vehicle and CEO. Accommodation is budget guesthouses and small hotels, all bookable on arrival or via Booking.com. Costs are approximate per-person GBP estimates; West Africa is not as cheap as Southeast Asia but is far cheaper than the tour price. Expect long transfer days on decent but slow roads — patience and a sense of humour are essential.

Travel Crew

~£1,010

A self-launched version of Explore!'s Benin and Togo Voodoo Discovery — 14 days weaving through the spiritual heart of West Africa. Travel independently from Lomé across the Togolese highlands and northern savannah, then into Benin to witness Voodoo fetish shrines, Tamberma castle-houses, the stilt village of Ganvie, mask ceremonies and the slave-route history of Ouidah — all using local bush taxis, shared transports and modest guesthouses, at a fraction of the group-tour price.

Travel Crew

~£651

Follow the legendary Voodoo Trail through Togo, Benin, and Burkina Faso independently — from the fetish markets of Lomé to the sacred python temples of Ouidah, the royal palaces of Abomey, and the adobe castle villages of the Somba and Lobi peoples. This self-launched route replaces the guided G Adventures minibus tour with a mix of shared bush taxis, local buses, and self-booked local guides, cutting costs dramatically while keeping every transformative cultural encounter intact. West Africa rewards independent travellers who do their homework — and this itinerary gives you exactly that. All costs are approximate estimates in GBP per person.

Travel Crew

~£810