Discover Senegal & Ghana — Self-Launched 12-Day West Africa Route
12 days · Senegal & Ghana
Continent Tours charges £4,470
No-markup version: ~£1,510 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of the classic Dakar-to-Accra West Africa route: two countries, two histories, one overland-plus-flight adventure. You'll cover the same headline sights — Dakar's African Renaissance Monument and Museum of Black Civilizations, Gorée Island's House of Slaves, the Pink Lake, Bandia and Somone Lagoon, then Accra's Du Bois Centre and Nkrumah Park, Assin Manso and the Cape Coast/Elmina castles, the Kakum canopy walk and Kumasi's Kente and Adinkra craft villages — booking guesthouses and budget hotels yourself, joining local guides at each site, and travelling on shared taxis, sept-place buses, STC coaches and a cheap regional flight. Costs are rough backpacker/budget estimates in GBP; West Africa is not as cheap as Southeast Asia, so budget a little padding.
Day-by-day
Arrive Dakar — settle into Plateau
Dakar, Senegal
Land at Blaise Diagne International Airport (the new airport, ~45km out of town) and take the official airport taxi or the Dakar Dem Dikk express bus into the city. Check into a guesthouse or budget hotel in Plateau or Almadies. Evening: walk the Corniche, grab thiéboudienne (rice and fish) at a local restaurant, and sort a local SIM (Orange or Free) with data — you'll want it for Yango ride-hailing.
🚌Airport taxi ~20,000-25,000 CFA (£25-32) or Dakar Dem Dikk express bus ~£4-5
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Plateau or Almadies (~£35-45)
- →Airport transfer to Dakar
- →Corniche sunset walk
- →Thiéboudienne dinner
Dakar's monuments and museums
Dakar, Senegal
DIY city day. Start at the African Renaissance Monument on the Mamelles hills — pay the small entry and climb inside for views. Then to Place de l'Indépendance in Plateau, and the Museum of Black Civilizations (Musée des Civilisations Noires), which is walkable and inexpensive. Break for lunch at a local eatery in Medina, then wander the Marché Sandaga or the Soumbédioune craft market. Yango rides are cheap and easy between stops.
🚌Yango/taxi rides around the city ~£3-6 total
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Plateau or Almadies (~£35-45)
- →African Renaissance Monument
- →Place de l'Indépendance
- →Museum of Black Civilizations
- →Marché Sandaga / Soumbédioune market
Gorée Island, Pink Lake and south to Saly
Dakar – Gorée – Lac Rose – Saly
Catch the morning ferry from Dakar's port to Gorée Island (buy your ticket at the ferry terminal the day before if possible; roughly 5,000 CFA return). Independently explore the car-free colonial lanes, visit the House of Slaves and the Door of No Return, and theIFAN historical museum — hire a local guide at the jetty for ~£10-15 if you want the full history. Back on the mainland, take a shared taxi or sept-place to Lac Rose (Retba) to see the salt harvesters and pink water, then continue south to Saly. Base in Saly for the next two nights.
🚌Gorée ferry ~£6 return; shared taxi/sept-place Dakar–Lac Rose–Saly ~£10-14
🛏Guesthouse or small resort in Saly (~£30-40)
- →Ferry to Gorée Island
- →House of Slaves & Door of No Return
- →Ethnographic/historical museum
- →Lac Rose salt harvesting
- →Fulani village stop
Bandia wildlife and Somone Lagoon
Saly / Bandia / Somone
Hire a taxi for the day (negotiate ~£30-40) or take a sept-place to Bandia. Bandia Reserve entry plus a shared safari vehicle is around £25-35 — you'll see rhino, giraffe, antelope and ostrich. Afterwards head to the crocodile pool near Somone and take a short pirogue trip on Somone Lagoon with the local boatmen's association. Afternoon back at the beach in Saly.
🚌Day-hire taxi ~£30-40 shared between 2+ travellers
🛏Guesthouse or small resort in Saly (~£30-40)
- →Bandia National Park safari
- →Somone crocodile pool
- →Somone Lagoon pirogue trip
- →Beach time in Saly
Fly south: Dakar to Accra
Saly – Dakar – Accra
Transfer back to Dakar (sept-place or shared taxi, ~£8-10) and fly Dakar–Accra. Direct options are limited and pricey; check Air Senegal/ASKY via Abidjan or Lomé, and book a few months ahead — budget roughly £180-260 one way. Alternatively, overland via The Gambia/Senegal to Abidjan is possible but far too slow for a 12-day trip. Arrive Accra, take a taxi or Bolt to your hotel near Osu or Airport Residential.
🚌Saly–Dakar transfer ~£9; Dakar–Accra flight ~£180-260
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Osu/Airport Residential (~£30-40)
- →Transfer to Dakar airport
- →Flight to Accra
- →Osu evening walk
Accra history day
Accra, Ghana
Use Bolt (cheap and reliable in Accra) to string together the city's key sites: the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre in Cantonments, Independence Square and Black Star Gate, and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum. Add the National Museum of Ghana or the Arts Centre for crafts. Lunch at a chop bar — try waakye or kelewele. Evening in Osu's Oxford Street.
🚌Bolt rides across the city ~£5-8 total
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Osu/Airport Residential (~£30-40)
- →W.E.B. Du Bois Centre
- →Independence Square & Black Star Gate
- →Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park
- →Arts Centre crafts market
- →Osu food and nightlife
Accra to Elmina via Assin Manso
Accra – Assin Manso – Elmina
Take an STC or Intercity STC coach from Accra to Cape Coast (~£8-10), then a tro-tro or shared taxi onward to Assin Manso to see the Slave River and the burial site of two returned enslaved Africans. Continue to Elmina, check into a guesthouse, and spend the late afternoon around the fishing harbour watching the colourful boats and boat builders at work. Informal local guides at Assin Manso cost ~£5-10.
🚌STC coach Accra–Cape Coast ~£9; tro-tro/shared taxi legs ~£5
🛏Guesthouse in Elmina (~£25-35)
- →Assin Manso burial site & Slave River
- →Elmina fishing harbour
- →Boat builders' yard
Cape Coast and Elmina castles
Elmina / Cape Coast
Do Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle independently — entry is around 40-60 cedis each (~£3-5) and the mandatory guided tour is included in the ticket price. Allow 1.5-2 hours at each; the dungeons and Door of No Return are deeply affecting. Optionally join a Fihankra naming ceremony arranged locally. Walk Elmina's Dutch-built town and the nearby Posuban shrines. Between the two towns, use a shared taxi (~£1-2).
🚌Shared taxi Elmina–Cape Coast ~£2
🛏Guesthouse in Elmina (~£25-35)
- →Cape Coast Castle tour
- →Elmina Castle tour
- →Elmina town walk & Posuban shrines
- →Optional Fihankra naming ceremony
Kakum canopy walk, then north to Kumasi
Elmina – Kakum – Kumasi
Early tro-tro to Kakum National Park for the canopy walkway (entry plus walkway fee ~£10-12) and a guided forest-floor walk — go at opening to beat the heat and crowds. Afterwards, take a tro-tro back to Cape Coast and an Intercity STC coach to Kumasi (~4-5 hours, ~£10-12). Check into a guesthouse in Kumasi and eat fufu with light soup at a local spot.
🚌Tro-tros ~£4; STC coach Cape Coast–Kumasi ~£11
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Kumasi (~£25-35)
- →Kakum canopy walkway
- →Guided rainforest walk
- →Coach to Kumasi
Kente, Adinkra and woodcarving villages
Kumasi & Ashanti craft villages
Hire a taxi for the day (~£25-35) to cover Adanwomase (Kente weaving — book a village tour on arrival, ~£10-15 including a demonstration and the chance to buy cloth), Ntonso (Adinkra hand-stamping, ~£6-10) and Ahwiaa (woodcarving). Back in Kumasi, see the Okomfo Anokye sword site and drive through Kejetia Market — the biggest in West Africa. A courtesy call to the Adanwomase chief with drumming can often be arranged on the day for a small gift/offering.
🚌Day-hire taxi ~£30 shared between 2+
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Kumasi (~£25-35)
- →Adanwomase Kente weaving village
- →Ntonso Adinkra stamping
- →Ahwiaa woodcarving village
- →Okomfo Anokye sword site
- →Kejetia Market
Kumasi back to Accra — farewell dinner
Kumasi – Accra
Morning STC coach from Kumasi to Accra (~4-5 hours, ~£10-12). Check back into an Accra hotel, then spend the afternoon doing whatever you missed — Jamestown lighthouse, Makola Market, or the beach at Labadi. Farewell dinner at a local restaurant in Osu (red-red, grilled tilapia, jollof) for around £12-18.
🚌STC coach Kumasi–Accra ~£11; Bolt in the city ~£4
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Osu/Airport Residential (~£30-40)
- →Coach to Accra
- →Jamestown & Makola Market
- →Farewell dinner in Osu
Depart Accra
Accra, Ghana
If your flight is late, squeeze in a last market stop or a coffee in Osu. Take a Bolt or taxi to Kotoka International Airport (allow 45-60 mins in traffic, ~£8-12) and fly home. Remember your yellow fever certificate is checked on arrival in Ghana — keep it handy if you're continuing elsewhere in the region.
🚌Bolt/taxi to Kotoka Airport ~£10
- →Optional Accra sightseeing
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Continent Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Continent Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,510 | £4,470 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,960 per person (66%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Continent Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,510
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.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Discover Senegal & Ghana — Self-Launched 12-Day West Africa Route cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,510 per person for 12 days in Senegal & 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 Continent Tours?+
Yes — Continent Tours charges around £4,470 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,510 — a saving of roughly £2,960 (66%) per person.
How long is the Senegal & Ghana trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 day-by-day stops through Senegal & 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, adventure, backpacker trip through Senegal & 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?
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