Slave Route Tour: Self-Launched Ghana Heritage Route (Accra, Cape Coast & Elmina)
6 days · Ghana
Eyali Tours charges £1,360
No-markup version: ~£450 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, DIY version of Eyali Tours' 6-day Slave Route Tour. Instead of a fully guided group package, you'll independently travel Ghana's heritage trail — Accra's independence landmarks and Pan-Africanist sites, then west along the coast to Cape Coast and Elmina for the castles, Kakum's canopy walkway and the Assin Manso slave route. Using shared taxis, tro-tros and STC/VIP intercity coaches, staying in budget guesthouses and hostels, and booking local site guides on arrival, you can do the same route for roughly a third of the operator's price.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Accra & settle into the city
Accra
Land at Kotoka International Airport (ACC) and make your own way into the city — a metered or ride-hailing taxi (Yango/Uber) costs roughly £6-9 depending on traffic; agree the fare or use the app before you leave the terminal. Check into a budget guesthouse or hostel in Osu, Labone or Kokomlemle (Kempinski-adjacent budget spots like Lizzy Hostel or a guesthouse in Osu run £15-25/night). Grab a SIM card with data at the airport (MTN or Vodafone, ~£4 for a tourist bundle) and pick up some Ghanaian cedis — cards are accepted in malls but most small vendors are cash-only. Evening: eat your first bowl of waakye or jollof at a local chop bar in Osu, then walk the lively Oxford Street strip.
🚌Taxi/ride-hailing from ACC to central Accra (~£7)
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Osu or Kokomlemle (~£18)
- →Airport transfer by taxi/app (~£7)
- →Buy local SIM & data bundle
- →Evening stroll along Oxford Street, Osu
- →Dinner at a local chop bar (waakye/jollof)
Self-launched Accra city & Pan-African history day
Accra
Do the same city circuit the guided tour covers, but under your own steam. Start at Independence Square and Black Star Gate, then walk or hop a taxi to the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum (£3-4 entry). Continue to the National Museum of Ghana (small entry fee, closed Mondays) and the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan Africanism in Cantonments (~£4). Finish at the Centre for National Culture (Arts Centre) near the sea for crafts and drumming. Taxis between these sites are short and cheap if you negotiate; a full-day private driver hire is only worth it if you split it between 2-3 travellers (£30-40 total). Site guides at the mausoleum and Du Bois Centre work on a tip basis (~£3-5).
🚌Local taxis/ride-hailing between sites (~£10 for the day)
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Accra (~£18)
- →Independence Square & Black Star Gate
- →Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum (~£4)
- →National Museum of Ghana (~£3)
- →W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre (~£4)
- →Arts Centre craft market
Accra to Cape Coast & Elmina by coach
Cape Coast / Elmina
Travel west independently. The most comfortable option is an STC or VIP/Intercity STC coach from Accra's Kaneshie or Circle station to Cape Coast (~3 hours, £5-8), or an air-conditioned tro-tro for less. From Cape Coast, take a shared taxi or tro-tro 15-20 minutes to Elmina (~£1). On the way, stop at the Posuban Shrines in Mankessim — ornate Fante military-company shrines guarded by painted figures; ask your driver to wait (worth ~£3 tip). In the afternoon visit Cape Coast Castle (£8-10 entry) with its Door of No Return and the slave dungeons — join the on-site guided tour included in the ticket. Check into an Elmina guesthouse near the castle.
🚌STC/VIP coach + shared taxi/tro-tro (~£7)
🛏Guesthouse in Elmina near the castle (~£20)
- →Intercity coach Accra to Cape Coast
- →Posuban Shrines, Mankessim
- →Guided tour of Cape Coast Castle (~£9)
Elmina Castle, Fort Jago & Java Museum
Elmina
Spend the day in Elmina. Tour Elmina Castle (São Jorge da Mina), the oldest European building in sub-Saharan Africa and a key slave-trade site — entry ~£8-10, with a mandatory on-site guide who talks you through the infamous 'door of no return'. Walk up to Fort Jago (Fort St. Jago) on the hill for sweeping views over the town and Benya Lagoon (£2-3). Visit the small Java Museum for local Elmina history and Dutch colonial artefacts. Spend the late afternoon at Elmina harbour watching the colourful fishing pirogues come in — a great spot for photos. Book a local Elmina guide directly at the castle gate rather than through an agency.
🚌Walking within Elmina; short taxi hops (~£3)
🛏Guesthouse in Elmina (~£20)
- →Elmina Castle guided tour (~£9)
- →Fort Jago / Fort St. Jago (~£3)
- →Java Museum (~£3)
- →Elmina fishing harbour stroll
Kakum canopy walkway & Assin Manso slave route
Kakum / Assin Manso
Hire a driver for the day or join a shared excursion from Elmina (a private car for the day is ~£35-45, split between travellers). First stop: Kakum National Park for the famous 350m canopy walkway suspended above the rainforest (~£10 entry incl. walkway; guided nature walks extra). Arrive early to beat the tour buses and see forest birds and monkeys. Continue north to Assin Manso, the 'last bath' site where enslaved Africans were washed in the Donko Nsuo river before the march to the coast — a powerful memorial with the graves of returning diasporans (entry ~£5). Return to Elmina in the evening.
🚌Private/shared car hire for the day, split between travellers (~£18 pp)
🛏Guesthouse in Elmina (~£20)
- →Kakum National Park & canopy walkway (~£10)
- →Guided rainforest nature walk
- →Assin Manso Slave Route & Donko Nsuo river (~£5)
Fort William at Anomabo & return to Accra
Anomabo to Accra
Check out of Elmina and travel back east along the coast, breaking the journey at Anomabo to visit Fort William (Fort Anomabo), a small 18th-century British trading fort right on the beach with a wistful history and dark slave-trade links — entry a few pounds. From Anomabo, hop a shared taxi/tro-tro back to Cape Coast (~£1-2) then an STC/VIP coach to Accra (~£5-8). Arrive in Accra in the late afternoon; if you have an evening flight, the ride to Kotoka airport is ~£7. Alternatively extend a night in Accra before flying home.
🚌Shared taxi + STC/VIP coach back to Accra (~£8)
🛏Optional final night in Accra guesthouse (~£18) or airport departure
- →Fort William / Anomabo Fort (~£3)
- →Coastal tro-tro/shared taxi to Cape Coast
- →Return coach to Accra
Self-launched vs. Eyali Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Eyali Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£450 | £1,360 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £910 per person (67%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Eyali Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£450
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Slave Route Tour: Self-Launched Ghana Heritage Route (Accra, Cape Coast & Elmina) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £450 per person for 6 days in Ghana. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Eyali Tours?+
Yes — Eyali Tours charges around £1,360 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £450 — a saving of roughly £910 (67%) per person.
How long is the Ghana trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Ghana.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, budget, backpacker trip through Ghana, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.