Day 1: ARRIVAL IN LOMÉ

Welcome at the airport and transfer to your hotel in Lomé.

Day 2: LOMÉ - KPALIMÉ (APPROXIMATELY 120 KM)
The adventure begins with an exploration of Togo's bustling capital, Lomé. The city of several million inhabitants, once a fishing village, only became a major maritime trading center during the colonial era of the 19th century. The Germans saw Togo as a model colony, with greater emphasis on education and health than in other territories. After the Germans lost Togo in 1919, it was divided into French and British halves, with the British half now part of Ghana. Immerse yourself in the diversity of a fetish market with its traditional medicines prescribed by a healer after consultation. In addition to monkey skulls, dried chameleons and snakeskin, you'll also find roots, herbs and various medicinal plants. You'll also discover the most important fetishes and good-luck charms. Then stroll through the bustling heart of the city and the central market, where the enterprising "Nana Benz" sells her wares. In the afternoon, you'll head to Kpalimé, the country's fourth-largest city. Its strategic location made Kpalimé, and later Palime, an important trading point under German colonial rule, and led to the establishment of foreign companies such as the German Togo Company. Today, the town near the Ghanaian border is known for its many fabric and fruit markets. Overnight in Kpalimé.

Day 3: KPALIMÉ - KLOUTO - KPALIMÉ (ABOUT 15 KM)
A day full of nature experiences awaits you today. In the morning, enjoy a hike (difficulty: easy) through the rainforest, where you can discover the diversity of local flora and fauna. You'll then meet local artists in the village of Kuma Konda, who fuse their creations with unspoilt nature. Unlike the capital, this mountain village, largely inhabited by the Ewe tribe, is still characterized by traditional rural life. Later, in fine weather, a belvedere offers a breathtaking view of Ghana's Lake Volta, the world's largest reservoir. A short hike takes you to a nearby waterfall in the Klouto region. End the evening with a traditional dance that immerses you in the local culture. Overnight in Kpalimé.

Day 4: KPALIMÉ - SOKODÉ (APPROXIMATELY 290 KM)
We continue to Sokodé, the country's second-largest city. In the afternoon, you'll explore the local market and the former German colonial quarter, now home to administrative facilities. Enjoy the atmosphere of this historic town, now a major commercial center and site for the cotton industry. Overnight in Sokodé.

Day 5: SOKODÉ - KARA (APPROXIMATELY 75 KM)
Today you visit Bassar country. You'll stop in front of a typical blast furnace that has been used to produce iron for around 2,000 years. Iron was once mined here and sold to regional blacksmiths. During your visit, you'll also see the village chief's beautifully decorated farmhouse. The highlight of the visit is a traditional fire dance at dusk. Part of a long tradition of metal production, this dance marks the consecration of a new master. With frenetic drum beats, participants pass glowing coals over each other's bodies without injury. In the afternoon, you'll reach Kara for an excursion into the Kabye Mountains. This hilly landscape is inhabited by the Kabye people, who live in traditional mud huts. A visit to a traditional blacksmith's village will give you an insight into their way of life. Overnight in Kara.

Day 6: KARA - NATITINGOU (ABOUT 150 KM)
Today, you cross the border into Benin and discover the fascinating culture of the Tamberma people in the Koutammakou region. This people live in impressive mud castles that once served as protection against slave hunters and wild animals. The mostly two-storey buildings feature food storage facilities, dormitories and crenellated fortifications. Belief in voodoo, natural healing powers and deceased spirits is omnipresent in Tamberma society. After border formalities, explore the magnificent landscape of Benin's Atakora Mountains. This mountain range boasts peaks just under 1,000 m high. In the Atakora Mountains, you'll visit the village of Koussoucoingou and discover the unique lifestyle of the Somba people who, like the Tamberma, live in mud castles. Overnight in Natitingou.

Day 7: NATITINGOU - DASSA-ZOUMÉ (APPROXIMATELY 350 KM)
Continue on to Dassa Zoumé. In Copargo, make a detour and visit the village of Tanéka, where the Yom live in round-hut villages according to ancient traditions. They are related to the Somba and Tamberma. You'll meet various dignitaries and the village king. On the way to Dassa, you'll pass by West Africa's most powerful fetish, Dankoly, visited by hundreds of pilgrims every day. Offerings such as wooden wedges, schnapps and palm oil are made to appease the gods and spirits, so that the wishes of voodoo believers are granted. Every year, on the Assumption of Mary in August, Dassa becomes a place of pilgrimage for the Catholic faithful from all over Benin and neighboring countries. In the afternoon, take a short hike in the mountains around Dassa and visit the Rochers Sacrés, an impressive rock formation near the town. Overnight in Dassa-Zoumé.

Day 8: DASSA-ZOUMÉ - ABOMEY (ABOUT 140 KM)
Departure from Dassa-Zoumé for Abomey. On the way, you'll stop at a village selling the popular gari, a cassava flour used in various dishes in Benin and Togo. We continue to Abomey, the former capital of the Kingdom of Dahomey. Here, you'll tour the city and visit the royal palaces of the Fon kings. The palaces of the Guézo and Glélé kings are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a museum, and are due to be renovated by mid-2025. You can also visit the recently restored palaces of other kings, such as Gbéhanzin I. In the afternoon, attend a Guélédé mask dance near Abomey. At this festival, which originated in the 16th century, masked dancers represent the gender roles of men and women. The dance, accompanied by traditional drum music, aims to appease the evil side of feminine powers. Overnight in Abomey.

Day 9: ABOMEY - COTONOU (ABOUT 140 KM)
After breakfast, you leave Abomey for Abomey-Calavi. Enjoy a boat trip on Lake Nokoué to the stilt village of Ganvie, the "Venice of West Africa" and the largest village in Africa built on a lake. Continue on to Porto Novo, Benin's capital and second-largest city. Here, you'll visit the colorful mosque in the style of a Brazilian church, originally a chapel under the French. Then stroll through the market before returning to Cotonou, Benin's economic center. Overnight in Cotonou.

Day 10: COTONOU - OIUDAH (APPROX. 50 KM)
In the morning, you'll visit the country's largest city, Cotonou. The city is situated on a lagoon and grew from a fishing village already declared a center of maritime trade under the kings of Dahomey. Today, it is one of the most important ports in West Africa and the largest port in Benin, supplying the landlocked states of Burkina Faso and Niger. In Cotonou, you'll see the Statue de l'Amazonie, a 30 m-high monument depicting an Amazon warrior. the Kingdom of Dahomey, as well as the Graffiti Wall, Africa's longest graffiti wall and an open-air museum of street art. Then stroll through the Dantopka market, one of the largest in West Africa. Then on to Ouidah, a town founded by the Portuguese and today a center of spirituality in the country. The afternoon is free. If you have booked the experience package, you will take part in a voodoo ceremony. Experience a traditional straw skirt dance and immerse yourself in the mystical world of voodoo (duration: approx. 2 to 2.5 hours). Overnight in Ouidah.

Day 11: OUIDAH - GRAND-POPO (ABOUT 50 KM)
The day is devoted to the history of slavery and the voodoo religion. By visiting the Python Temple and the sacred forest, you'll discover some of the deities of the voodoo religion and their significance. In the Temple des Pythons, designed as a zoo, wild pythons are worshipped in a spiritual way. The python is considered an important totem among followers of the voodoo faith. You'll then visit the Slave Route, where you'll learn about the tragic history of the slave trade, from the slave market at Place Cha Cha to the Gate of No Return. In the afternoon, we continue to Grand-Popo, where you will also spend the night.

Day 12: GRAND POPO
Today is your free time. When you book the excursion package, you can take a morning boat trip on the Mono River to its mouth, the so-called Bouche du Roi. For several kilometers, the Mono forms the border with Togo. It rises in Benin and is Togo's longest river. You reach the Atlantic Ocean along a magnificent backdrop of sand dunes, palm groves, mangroves and dreamy fishing villages. In the afternoon, you'll attend a Zangbeto ceremony. The Zangbetos are night guards who keep public order. They belong to a secret society whose temples are strictly off-limits to all non-members, and even punishable by death. Before going about their nocturnal business, the spirit-possessed Zangbetos dance. Let yourself be enchanted by the rhythms of the drums and the magic of the show! Overnight in Grand Popo.

Day 13: GRAND-POPO - LOMÉ (APPROX. 70 KM)
After breakfast, you cross the border into Togo. Just across the border, on the shores of Lake Togo, lies the historic town of Togoville. The treaty establishing German patronage was signed here in 1884 between King Mlapa III and Gustav Nachtigal. You can reach the town after a half-hour pirogue ride on Lake Togo. The dominant feature is the cathedral, built under the Germans in 1910, whose stained-glass windows depict the sufferings of African saints. You'll also visit the animist quarter, where you'll come across numerous fetishes. On the way to Lomé, visit the slaves' house in Agbodrafo. The peculiarity of this house is that slaves were held there illegally, even after the abolition of the slave trade. In the afternoon, you'll reach Lomé, where you'll spend the night.

Day 14: DEPARTURE FROM LOMÉ
An unusual trip comes to an end. In the morning, you'll finally visit an artisanal market, where you'll have time to buy the last souvenirs before being driven to the airport in the afternoon or evening, depending on your departure time, and your flight back to Germany.

Day 15: ARRIVAL IN GERMANY.

Transfer to the airport and return flight to Germany. 

Program subject to change!

(We recommend that you take out foreign health and cancellation insurance).

Good to know: After booking, you'll receive detailed information about your trip. This includes the complete program, travel formalities and everything you'll need to make the most of your stay. Your travel documents will be sent to you before you leave! We're delighted that you'd like to discover UGANDA with Berge & Meer (Organization and responsibility).

Please note that due to flight schedules, arrival in Frankfurt will be one day later on some dates.