BENIN & TOGO

BENIN & TOGO

ARTISAN TOURS IN GHANA – AN EXPERIENCE
OF EXTRAORDINARY PARTNERSHIPS

  • Arrive in Lomé, a coastal capital where palm-fringed shores meet elegant West African cosmopolitanism and a remarkable collection of modernist and brutalist architecture. You’ll be greeted at the airport and transferred to our charming boutique stay ~ a leafy courtyard escape tucked from the world.

    Take time to rest and reset.

    As evening falls, gather with fellow travelers for a gentle welcome ritual before sharing dinner infused with coastal flavours, spices and seasonal produce.

    Your journey begins slowly, intentionally, with spaciousness.

  • After breakfast.. begin in the storied Grand Marché, home of the legendary Nana Benz ~ the matriarchal textile traders whose mastery of commerce shaped Lomé’s cultural identity. Immerse yourself in textiles, stories, and colour-laden commerce.

    Continue to the Akodessewa Market ~ a profound space of ancestral knowledge, healing objects and tangible spiritual tradition.

    Lunch at a breezy garden café before wandering the lush grounds of the Palais de Lomé, now reborn as a contemporary cultural campus.

    In the afternoon visit Kijian Art Contemporary ~ a living hub of West African creative futurism ~ followed by an intimate studio meeting with Marche Noir, whose work channels waste materials into a new heritage.

    Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure or seaside sundowners.

  • Leave the coast and ascend into the lush, mist-kissed highlands of Kpalimé, a region known for craft lineage and nature-steeped artistry.

    Walk among tropical greenery, coffee trees and butterflies before visiting the Kloto Art Center, where artisans experiment with pigments, batik, murals, sculpture and natural dyes drawn from their environment.

    Share a simple countryside lunch, slow and nourishing.

    Return to Lomé for a relaxed evening and an optional night market wander.

  • This morning, travel across Lake Togo by traditional pirogue to Togoville, a historic spiritual centre where Vodun traditions remain deeply alive.

    Here, we are welcomed into a private Vodun or Kokou ceremony ~ guided with cultural respect, presence and humility.

    Continue into Benin, arriving in Ouidah, where palm avenues, ocean winds and layered histories converge.

    Check into our atmospheric heritage stay ~ clay walls, courtyards and hammocks beneath trees.

    Tonight, a reflective dinner and storytelling around heritage, memory and continuity.

  • Begin with a hands-on indigo dye workshop at Couleur Indigo, where deep ancestral blues tell stories of identity, craft lineage and symbolism. Create your own textile piece under the guidance of master dyers.

    Visit the Sacred Python Temple ~ a reminder of Vodun cosmology, balance and power.

    Walk the Route of Enslaved People to the Door of No Return, a moment of quiet reflection held with gentleness and witness.

    As dusk falls, experience a mesmerizing Zangbeto ceremony ~ the guardians of the night whose swirling woven forms protect community harmony and unseen worlds.

  • Travel to Cotonou, a vibrant, forward-moving port city alive with rhythm.

    Explore the iconic Dantokpa Market, where fabric, beads, wood, bronze and daily life create a kaleidoscope of movement and sound.

    Lunch in a shaded city bistro before visiting the Zinsou Foundation, a pillar of contemporary West African art and cultural preservation.

    The pace today is spacious, gentle and observational.

    Return to your design-forward Cotonou stay to unwind by the pool or lounge terrace.

  • This morning, glide across the still waters of Lake Nokoué to Ganvié, the famed stilt village where life unfolds in fluid motion above water.

    Return to Cotonou for an appliqué art session, where fabric becomes story ~ stitching identity, memory and folklore.

    The afternoon is for rest, reading, journaling, swimming, or wandering Cotonou’s seaside cafés at your own pace.

    Optional final dinner together to celebrate shared journeys, new friendships and the threads woven between us.

  • Enjoy a slow morning, breakfast in the courtyard, final conversations and reflections.

    Transfer to Cotonou Cadjehoun International Airport for departure.

    Carry with you the textures, colours, melodies and connections of Togo and Benin ~ not as souvenirs, but as renewed understanding.