International flight to Benin to Cotonou. Transfer to Hotel de Lac to rest.

Breakfast and talk with the guide about the day’s activities. Cotonou is a port city with remnants of the communist era that have marked the physiognomy of Benin’s economic capital. To perceive the essence of the city, we will enter the Dantokpa market, one of the largest in the Gulf of Guinea. We will visit the fetish stalls, which will be a first introduction to the world of Voodoo. After the visit, we will continue to Calavi, a lakeside port from where we will take a canoe to explore Lake Nokoué and its mythical African Venice. After 30 minutes by motorboat, we will reach this large village of stilt houses inhabited by the Tofinu people, who took refuge in Lake Nokoué in the 18th century to escape slavery. Currently, aquatic ‘streets’ have formed where people carry out all their activities. Return to Hotel du Lac.

Visit the political capital of Benin and a fabulous city to get lost in for a few hours as it breathes history everywhere. Morning walk through the Afro-Brazilian neighborhood of Porto Novo. Visit some houses of the descendants of Portuguese traders who discovered the Gulf of Guinea in the 15th century. We will explore on foot this incredible fusion city between the original Yoruba culture of the region and the Portuguese heritage.

We will continue to Adjarra, a center of artisanal percussion instrument production, and then to the Holi territory, an ethnic group known for being animist and for the complex body tattoos of women of a certain age. It is worth highlighting their beautiful bamboo architecture. Excursion through the fields and sacred forests of this animist people. In the afternoon, we will continue to Cove, where we will spend the night (Hotel TG).

Breakfast and excursion to the Agonlin hills to learn about the way of life of the two ethnic groups that inhabit this little-known region of Benin. The Fon Agonlin – animist farmers – and the Fula, Islamized nomads. We will walk through the mountain (gentle walk) crossing traditional villages, chatting with their inhabitants. One of the objectives is to visit one of the nomadic Fula camps and learn about their way of life marked by livestock, transhumance, and the cult of beauty for both men and women: hairstyles, hats, tattoos… a fascinating people! We will continue in the afternoon to Dassa to spend the night. Hotel Jeco.

Breakfast and route to Taneka. This small village of a few hundred huts with conical roofs houses a very conservative population. Meeting at the spiritual center of the village. We visit the royal palace and take an excursion to the caves where they hid during the war between them and the Bariba. We will spend the night in Djougou, near the Taneka, at Hotel Qassar.

Breakfast and farewell to our hosts. We will continue to the Atakora Mountains, the highest point in Benin where the landscape changes radically and becomes more mountainous with small valleys inhabited by various animist ethnic groups, notably the Ditamari or Somba, known as the adobe artisans. Their famous two-story houses called ‘tata’ are unique in Africa and worth visiting at leisure. Two nights at Hotel Tata Koubeti in Boukombé.

Safari in this park, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to spot all kinds of animals, including large mammals. Night at Pendjari lodge.

Breakfast in Boukombé. Last visits to one of the most beautiful valleys in Africa. The Ditamari or Somba culture has preserved its essence and despite the changes of living in a global world, they remain unique and special. We will say goodbye to them and head south. Long day of travel to the royal capital of Benin, the former Danxome, where the royal palace and museums of Abomey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located. The kingdom of Danxome was a powerful empire that dominated the Gulf of Guinea, destroyed many enemy tribes, and even sold many prisoners as slaves. They had an army of female soldiers (amazons). Arrival in the afternoon and installation in the Abomey Lodge, a colonial building surrounded by gardens that was the residence of the French governor.

Breakfast and morning visit to the center of Abomey. Visit to the museum (art pieces and some history of the country). After the visit, we will move to the area of Lake Ahemé, a sacred water point for the Mina and Pedah peoples (ethnic groups from southwestern Benin). This lake is one of the most important centers of voodoo in Benin; this religion is official in Benin. Very few countries in the world can boast of having their own religion… Benin can. Voodoo has nothing to do with the distorted image that has come from Hollywood movies; nothing to do with zombies and dolls with pins stuck in them. It is a religion very much linked to nature and spirits. For animism, everything natural has a soul, and the soul of the ancestors lives among us, so offerings of gratitude must be made. There is no specific calendar of events; thanks to our contacts on the ground, we will try to coincide with voodoo rituals and dances that take place in some of the villages around the lake. Night at Hotel Chez Theo.

Day 10: Lake Aheme – Ouidah- Return
This stage of the trip immerses us in the country’s slave past. We follow the entire established circuit, from the auction square to the so-called “Point of No Return,” where a large gate reminds us that more than two million slaves departed from there to the Caribbean, Brazil, and the southern United States. The route, more than four kilometers long, passes through the different stages where the slaves stopped before setting sail, including the “Black Box” (building where slaves were confined to get used to the darkness) and the mass graves. We reach the sea, the Gulf of Guinea, and thus end our journey: at the same point where so many people began theirs, in an emotional contrast.

Arrival in Cotonou. Airport pickup and transfer to Hotel du Lac.

We begin our immersion into West Africa by visiting the bustling Dantokpa Market, one of the largest in the region, including the impressive fetish market. A short 30-minute canoe ride will take us to Ganvie, one of Benin’s top attractions. This stilt village was founded by the Tofinu people as they fled from slave traders. We will explore their floating homes and learn about their unique way of life. Return to Hotel du Lac for overnight stay.

A diverse day of cultural and ethnic exploration. We will visit Benin’s administrative capital, Porto Novo, known for its stunning architectural heritage: churches, mosques, Voodoo temples, French colonial buildings, and the unique Afro-Brazilian style—a blend of Yoruba culture and Portuguese influence.

We then travel north to meet the Holi people, an animist group where older women display intricate full-body tattoos. Their impressive bamboo architecture and facial scarifications symbolize tribal identity and aesthetic beauty. Overnight at Hotel TG in Cové or Morada Lodge.

We continue westward and, if possible, visit the King of Cové, an influential figure in the region. Then, we will meet the Fulani, one of Africa’s last nomadic tribes. Their lifestyle, distinctive facial decorations, and non-mud housing reflect their adaptability. The Fulani are known for their elegance, tall stature, and elaborate attire. Overnight at Auberge d’Abomey or similar.

We visit Abomey, the former capital of the Dahomey Kingdom, which gave Benin its French-era name. The Royal Palaces and Museums, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, showcase unique relics such as parasols, a throne made of human skulls, and detailed bas-relief decorations. We continue north to Dassa, where we will stay overnight at Hotel Jeco or Hotel El Dorado.

We head further north to visit one of Benin’s most fascinating ethnic groups, the Taneka, known for their distinct customs and traditional attire. Overnight at Motel Djougou.

Another essential ethnic group, the Somba, are renowned for their “tata” houses, small fortress-like structures. Overnight at Tata Koubetti in Boukombé.

We cross into Togo to explore the Kutammaku region, the homeland of the Batammariba people, whose adobe tower houses (takienta) have become an emblem of the country. Their architecture and spiritual beliefs are deeply connected to nature. These two-story granary structures are UNESCO World Heritage-listed. Overnight at Hotel Doucele in Kara.

We begin the long journey south, stopping in Sokodé, a deep cultural heartland of Togo. We continue towards Atakpamé, engaging with Kotokoli and Loss ethnic groups and exploring nature trails. Overnight at Chez Fanni in Kpalimé.

We arrive in Lomé, Togo’s capital, and visit the Grand Marché, the Fetish Market, Independence Monument, and other landmarks. Overnight at Robinson Plage.

We re-enter Benin and head to Lake Ahémé, one of the highlights of the trip. Here, we will experience Voodoo—far from the Hollywood myths of dolls and zombies. Voodoo is a structured religion, with supernatural beliefs, deities, rituals, and dance ceremonies. Every element of nature is considered to have a spirit. We will visit the Temple of Skulls, dedicated to Shango, the Yoruba god of justice and weather. Overnight at Hotel Chez Theo, an idyllic spot with a swimming pool and kayaking activities on the lake.

A relaxing day at the beach, combined with nature exploration. We will take a canoe trip through the Mono River delta to observe mangroves and birdlife. Overnight at Auberge de Grand Popo.

In this emotionally profound stage of the journey, we explore Benin’s slave trade history.
• Walk through the colonial district with Afro-Brazilian mansions.
• Follow the “Slave Route”, a 4-km path from the auction square to the “Point of No Return”, where over two million enslaved people were sent to the Americas.
• Visit the Black Box, a chamber where captives were held in darkness before departure.

Our meaningful journey concludes where another began for many—a place filled with history and symbolism. Transfer to Cotonou for overnight at Hotel du Lac.

A flexible final day. Depending on our schedule, we can explore African art exhibitions, take a stroll, or do some last-minute shopping before transferring to the airport.

International flight and arrival in the capital of the “land of upright people.” Night at Chez Giuliana.

Transfer (6 hours) to Bobo. On the way, we will make some stops, such as visiting the sacred crocodile lake of Bazoulé. Night at Hotel Villa Rose.

Visit to this lively city, the cultural capital of the country, including the large market, the 19th-century Sudanese-style mud mosque, and the old town (Dioulasoba), which still preserves ancestral traditions and is divided into neighborhoods according to castes: the animist, the Muslim, the blacksmiths, and the musicians. Hotel Villa Rose.

Two hours southwest, to stop in Banfora. Around this city, we find very beautiful nature, with sugar cane fields, including the Karfiguela waterfalls, the Domes of Fabedougou (curious rock formations), Lake Tangrela (from where you can see beautiful sunsets and spot hippos), and the Sindou peaks, as well as the Senufo ethnic group, who live in villages with circular adobe buildings. 2 nights at Hotel A canne a sucre.

We spend two days in Gaoua and its surroundings. The lifestyle of the Lobi ethnic group will make us vibrate. We tour the villages to understand their way of life. We will do other excursions to complete our stay: visiting the Doudou market and the Loropeni ruins (a UNESCO heritage site), among others. 2 Nights at Hotel Zukala.

Kassena country impresses with the unique architecture of its royal courts, whose buildings are beautifully painted. Tiebelé is the most well-known city in this region, which also stands out for its beautiful landscapes. Night at Tiebelé Lodge. In the afternoon of the second day, we will move to Koupela, in eastern Burkina, to be closer to Benin. Night to be determined.

Depending on the roads, we will cross through Togo or directly through Benin. We will continue to the Atakora Mountains, the highest point in Benin, where the landscape changes radically and becomes more mountainous with small valleys inhabited by various animist ethnic groups, notably the Ditamari or Somba, known as the adobe artisans. Their famous two-story houses called ‘tata’ are unique in Africa and worth visiting at leisure. Nights at Hotel Tata Koubeti in Boukombé.

Visit to another of the most impressive ethnic groups in Benin, the Taneka. They stand out for their ancient customs and way of dressing (loincloth, hat, and pipe). Night at Motel Qasar in Djouogou.

Day of travel to the royal capital of Benin, the former Danxome, where the royal palace and museums of Abomey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located. The kingdom of Danxome was a powerful empire that dominated the Gulf of Guinea, destroyed many enemy tribes, and even sold many prisoners as slaves. They had an army of female soldiers (amazons). You can also take a walk around the city, including its market. Night at Aubergue d’Abomey.

We continue east, passing through the impressive fetish market of Bohicon.
Afterwards, we will continue to the Agonlin hills to learn about the way of life of the two ethnic groups that inhabit this little-known region of Benin. The Fon Agonlin – animist farmers – and the Fula, Islamized nomads. We will walk through the mountain (gentle walk) crossing traditional villages, chatting with their inhabitants. One of the objectives is to visit one of the nomadic Fula camps and learn about their way of life marked by livestock, transhumance, and the cult of beauty for both men and women: hairstyles, hats, tattoos…
We will continue east, to the Holi territory, an ethnic group known for being animist and for the complex body tattoos of women of a certain age. It is worth highlighting their beautiful bamboo architecture, as well as the facial decoration, made with scarifications and tattoos. Night in Cove (Hotel TG) or in Porto Novo (Centre Shongai).

Visit to Porto Novo, the political capital of Benin and a fabulous city to get lost in for a few hours as it breathes history everywhere. Morning walk through the Afro-Brazilian neighborhood of Porto Novo. Visit some houses of the descendants of Portuguese traders who discovered the Gulf of Guinea in the 15th century. We will explore on foot this incredible fusion city between the original Yoruba culture of the region and the Portuguese heritage.

Then, we will continue to Calavi, a lakeside port from where we will take a canoe to explore Lake Nokoué and its mythical African Venice. After 30 minutes by motorboat, we will reach this large village of stilt houses inhabited by the Tofinu people, who took refuge in Lake Nokoué in the 18th century to escape slavery. Currently, aquatic ‘streets’ have formed where people carry out all their activities. After the excursion, we will return to Cotonou, to see, if there is time, Dantokpa, the largest market in the Gulf of Guinea. Night at Hotel du Lac.

The last stage of the trip immerses us in the country’s slave past. We follow the entire established circuit, from the auction square to the so-called “Point of No Return,” where a large gate reminds us that more than two million slaves departed from there to the Caribbean, Brazil, and the southern United States. The route, more than four kilometers long, passes through the different stages where the slaves stopped before setting sail, including the “Black Box” (building where slaves were confined to get used to the darkness) and the mass graves. We reach the sea, the Gulf of Guinea, and thus end our journey: at the same point where so many people began theirs, in an emotional contrast.

International flight to Lagos. Transfer to the hotel to rest.

Visit to the economic capital of the country, an overwhelming and fascinating metropolis. The visit to the National Museum will be a magnificent introduction to the great cultural and ethnic richness of Nigeria, especially the Yoruba: we are in Yorubaland, the majority ethnic group in the region where we are, the southwest of the country, and which represents 20% of the population. Afterwards, walk through Lagos Island, to enjoy both its religious and colonial buildings, representatives of the English heritage, and the hustle and bustle of its markets. Lunch and we go to the dock to take a motorboat to Tarkwa Bay, and discover a village on the beach. This area seems unbelievable that it is located in a city of more than 20 million inhabitants, the capital of the country until 1991. Night in the same hotel.

We head northeast towards Oshogbo, but on the way we will stop in Ibadan, to enjoy its spectacular market, a very colorful, photogenic place, ideal for interacting with locals. We continue to Oshogbo to sleep at White Plain Suites.

The next stop is also a fundamental enclave for Yoruba culture. Here is the sacred forest of Osun-Oshogbo, the only cultural site in all of Nigeria declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the last remnants of primary forest in southern Nigeria and is considered the abode of Oshun, the goddess of fertility represented by the river that runs through it. The site houses sculptures and shrines dedicated to this and other Yoruba deities created by the Austrian artist Susanne Wenger, who settled there in 1960. The site attests to the practice – very widespread in other times – of consecrating forests to the deities around all population settlements. Celebrations and rituals are held in the forest, and it is also not uncommon to see people performing purifications in the river. We continue to Abeokuta. Night at Continental Suites.

Abeokuta, which seems to rise in the middle of nature, with lots of vegetation and rocky mounds, is the city with the best Afro-Brazilian architecture in all of Nigeria. Most of its buildings are of this style, brought by freed slaves and descendants of slaves from their native Brazil to the land from which their ancestors departed. A city with exceptional charm and welcoming people, which also contains the sacred mountain of Olumo, an essential mountain for the Yoruba that is ascended through paths flanked by voodoo temples. We will also visit the market, with its impressive “juju” sector, dedicated to the sale of elements for voodoo remedies and rituals. In the afternoon of the second day, we move towards the coast.

We cross into Benin and arrive at the Holi territory, an ethnic group known for being animist and for the complex body tattoos of women of a certain age. It is worth highlighting their beautiful bamboo architecture. Excursion through the fields and sacred forests of this animist people. In the afternoon, we will continue to Cove, where we will spend the night (Hotel TG).

Breakfast and excursion to the Agonlin hills to learn about the way of life of the two ethnic groups that inhabit this little-known region of Benin. The Fon Agonlin – animist farmers – and the Fula, Islamized nomads. We will walk through the mountain (gentle walk) crossing traditional villages, chatting with their inhabitants. One of the objectives is to visit one of the nomadic Fula camps and learn about their way of life marked by livestock, transhumance, and the cult of beauty for both men and women: hairstyles, hats, tattoos… a fascinating people! We will continue in the afternoon to Dassa to spend the night. Hotel Jeco.

Breakfast and route to Taneka. This small village of a few hundred huts with conical roofs houses a very conservative population. Meeting at the spiritual center of the village. We visit the royal palace and take an excursion to the caves where they hid during the war between them and the Bariba. We will spend the night in Djougou, near the Taneka, at Hotel Qassar.

Breakfast and farewell to our hosts. We will continue to the Atakora Mountains, the highest point in Benin where the landscape changes radically and becomes more mountainous with small valleys inhabited by various animist ethnic groups, notably the Ditamari or Somba, known as the adobe artisans. Their famous two-story houses called ‘tata’ are unique in Africa and worth visiting at leisure. Two nights at Hotel Tata Koubeti in Boukombé.

Breakfast in Boukombé. Last visits to one of the most beautiful valleys in Africa. The Ditamari or Somba culture has preserved its essence and despite the changes of living in a global world, they remain unique and special. We will say goodbye to them and head south. Long day of travel to the royal capital of Benin, the former Danxome, where the royal palace and museums of Abomey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located. The kingdom of Danxome was a powerful empire that dominated the Gulf of Guinea, destroyed many enemy tribes, and even sold many prisoners as slaves. They had an army of female soldiers (amazons). Arrival in the afternoon and installation in the Abomey Lodge, a colonial building surrounded by gardens that was the residence of the French governor.

Breakfast and morning visit to the center of Abomey. Visit to the museum (art pieces and some history of the country). After the visit, we will move to the area of Lake Ahemé, a sacred water point for the Mina and Pedah peoples (ethnic groups from southwestern Benin). This lake is one of the most important centers of voodoo in Benin; this religion is official in Benin. Very few countries in the world can boast of having their own religion… Benin can. Voodoo has nothing to do with the distorted image that has come from Hollywood movies; nothing to do with zombies and dolls with pins stuck in them. It is a religion very much linked to nature and spirits. For animism, everything natural has a soul, and the soul of the ancestors lives among us, so offerings of gratitude must be made. There is no specific calendar of events; thanks to our contacts on the ground, we will try to coincide with voodoo rituals and dances that take place in some of the villages around the lake. Night at Hotel Chez Theo.

This stage of the trip immerses us in the country’s slave past. We follow the entire established circuit, from the auction square to the so-called “Point of No Return,” where a large gate reminds us that more than two million slaves departed from there to the Caribbean, Brazil, and the southern United States. The route, more than four kilometers long, passes through the different stages where the slaves stopped before setting sail, including the “Black Box” (building where slaves were confined to get used to the darkness) and the mass graves. We reach the sea, the Gulf of Guinea, and thus end our journey: at the same point where so many people began theirs, in an emotional contrast. Night at Hotel La Hacienda.

We will discover another highlight of Benin, Ganvie. After 30 minutes by motorboat, we will reach this large village of stilt houses inhabited by the Tofinu people, who took refuge in Lake Nokoué in the 18th century to escape slavery. Currently, aquatic ‘streets’ have formed where people carry out all their activities. In the afternoon, visit the political capital of Benin and a fabulous city to get lost in for a few hours as it breathes history everywhere. Morning walk through the Afro-Brazilian neighborhood of Porto Novo. Visit some houses of the descendants of Portuguese traders who discovered the Gulf of Guinea in the 15th century. We will explore on foot this incredible fusion city between the original Yoruba culture of the region and the Portuguese heritage, thus closing a circle in relation to this ethnic group that we began to know in Nigeria at the beginning of the trip.
At the indicated time, transfer to the airport.