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Turquoise waters along the shore near Dakar, Senegal

The Slavery Coast: Cruise from Senegal to Ghana

Dakar to Tema - Example 15 Day Cruise aboard SH Diana
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Set sail on this 15-day cruise along West Africa’s coast from Senegal to Ghana aboard SH Diana. Immerse yourself in diverse cultures, history, and natural beauty. Start your journey in Dakar where vibrant markets, museums, and seaside dining await. Next to Banjul and explore the Albert Market filled with traditional clothing and crafts. Visit the Bijagos Archipelago, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, where you’ll witness unique cultural traditions and pristine ecosystems. Visit Freetown historical landmarks. Uncover Monrovia's rich history and bustling markets. Explore Abidjan, known for its vibrant arts scene and tropical atmosphere. Visit the historic Elmina Castle, a UNESCO site, and take in the natural beauty of Kakum National Park before you end your journey in Tema.
Panoramic photo of beach in SenegalKwame Nkrumah Memorial Park & MausoleumTurquoise waters along the shore near Dakar, Senegal
Highlights
  • Discover Banjul’s Albert Market and meet local ethnic communities
  • Explore the untouched natural beauty of the Bijagos Archipelago
  • Visit Abidjan’s lively art galleries, markets, and tropical atmosphere
  • Tour the historical Elmina Castle, a key site of slave trade
Places Visited
  • Africa
  • West Africa
  • Gambia
  • Senegal
  • Sierra Leone
  • Abidjan
  • Banjul
  • Dakar
  • Freetown
  • Ghana
  • Ivory Coast
  • Liberia
  • Monrovia
  • Takoradi
  • Tema
Activity Level: Variable
Activity options vary depending on destination and operator. Activity level is determined by the range and intensity of activities you choose to participate in. Discuss with your Trip Planner which options are best for you.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Dakar

Arrive in Dakar, relax, and spend the overnight here preparing for your adventure.

*specific hotel and location to be announced

Day 2-3: Dakar | Embark

Dakar is a city full of rich culture, where you can enjoy world-class museums, a lively art scene, and stylish seaside restaurants. The busy Medina quarter, with its mosques, tea shops, and street markets, offers a glimpse of traditional life, while the city's French-influenced architecture and cuisine add a European touch. At night, Mbalax music fills the air, creating a vibrant atmosphere. For a special souvenir, visit the Soumbédioune market, known for its beautiful wood carvings and paintings.

Day 4: Banjul

At the meeting point of the Gambia River and the Atlantic, Gambia’s relaxed capital city, Banjul, sits on a little island filled with colonial buildings and vibrant markets. The 19th-century Albert Market sells souvenirs and the vibrant traditional clothing of The Gambia’s diverse ethnic groups. Locals invite visitors to their typical Gambian home or ‘compound’ and tell stories of their heritage while offering herbal tea and traditional snacks.

Day 5-7: Bijagos Archipelago

The remote Bijagos archipelago off Guinea-Bissau has 88 islands of mangroves, mudflats, savannahs, and palm forests, protected as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. On Canhabaque island, local culture retains coming-of-age ceremonies like difuntu and fanado. The former capital Bolama, now sits abandoned, while Orango National Park’s biodiverse ecosystems include wooded savannahs and isolated villages led by matriarchal queen-priestesses.

Day 8: Freetown

Sierra Leone’s portside capital city occupies a major position in history as the home of formerly enslaved people from North America and Britain. Sites like Cotton Tree and the King’s Yard Gate symbolize the town’s somber past. Freetown today is a diverse city with a rich heritage – colorful Krio architecture, hearty, rice-based cuisine, and lively beaches. Nearby, the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary rescues endangered primates in a rainforest.

Day 9: Day At Sea

Sea days are rarely dull. Take the time to sit back and let the world go by. The ship’s observation decks provide stunning views of the passing ocean. A day at sea gives you the opportunity to mingle with other passengers and share your experiences of this incredible trip or head to the library which is stocked full of reference books. Get an expert’s view in one of the onboard lectures or perhaps perfect your photography skills with invaluable advice from the onboard professional photographers.

Day 10: Monrovia

The bustling capital of Liberia, Monrovia, was founded in the 1800s as a settlement for formerly enslaved people from North America. The National Museum is a custodian to the region’s history and art. Today’s city is a mix of architectural styles, lively beaches, and street markets, such as the jumbled Waterside Market, filled with colorful fabric and crafts. Liberia's Creole cuisine fuses flavors brought from West Africa to America.

Day 11: Day At Sea

Sea days are rarely dull. Take the time to sit back and let the world go by. The ship’s observation decks provide stunning views of the passing ocean. A day at sea gives you the opportunity to mingle with other passengers and share your experiences of this incredible trip or head to the library which is stocked full of reference books. Get an expert’s view in one of the onboard lectures or perhaps perfect your photography skills with invaluable advice from the onboard professional photographers.

Day 12: Abidjan

A city pulsating with energy, Abidjan, the former capital of Côte D’Ivoire, stands as a hub of creativity and innovation. The thriving arts and music scene interweaves with the cultures, cuisines, and traditions that define Abidjan. Serving as a window into West Africa, the infectious tropical mood permeates the city. Abidjan's unique atmosphere, galleries, and markets, along with the fascinating National Museum, make it a captivating destination.

Day 13-14: Takoradi | Elmina

The twin cities of Sekondi-Takoradi, known as Tadi, are a key commercial hub on Ghana’s deepwater port, featuring a 17th-century Dutch fort, a relaxed beachfront and Africa’s largest market offering coconuts, dried fish, and tangy jollof rice. Nearby Kakum National Park hosts an endangered Ghanaian rainforest with native wildlife, lush plant life, exotic birds, vibrant butterflies, and a Canopy Walkway, suspended 100 feet above the ground.

A solemn reminder of the past, the 15th century Elmina Castle in Ghana was a key slave trade hub, originally protecting the gold trade before Dutch and British slave trade involvement. This UNESCO site exemplified the era's contradictions, with Europeans in luxurious quarters above filthy, cramped slave dungeons. The infamous Door of No Return opened to ships on the grueling Middle Passage.

Day 15: Tema (Accra) | Disembark

  • 1 Breakfast
Tema is a short drive from Ghana’s fast-paced capital, Accra, a city that's culturally rich, modern, and historic all at once. European-built forts and Black Star Independence Square’s public monuments offer a glimpse at the past. The neighborhood of Jamestown, a 17th-century fishing community with old colonial buildings, is its pulse with an art scene and local bites like waakye­ – rice and beans with sides – at a low-key ‘chop bar’.

After breakfast, bid farewell to your fellow travelers as you disembark today. Then, head to the airport for your flight home.

Ship/Hotel

SH Diana

SH Diana
SH Diana Observation Lounge
SH Diana Swan Nest

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
$10,180 2-3 travelers
Rates are subject to change without notice. Book early to get the best rate.
SH Diana Oceanview D4
Oceanview D4
Oceanview staterooms features 2 single beds, bedroom and living room and a luxurious ensuite bathroom.
SH Diana Oceanview M4
Oceanview M4
Oceanview staterooms features 2 single beds, bedroom and living room and a luxurious ensuite bathroom.
SH Diana Balcony D5
Balcony D5
Located on decks 5, these balcony staterooms feature 2 single beds or a double bed, distinct bedroom and living room areas, a luxurious bathroom and your own private 6 sq. m balcony.
SH Diana Balcony M5
Balcony M5
Located on decks 5, these balcony staterooms feature 2 single beds or a double bed, distinct bedroom and living room areas, a luxurious bathroom and your own private 6 sq. m balcony.
SH Diana Balcony D6
Balcony D6
Located on decks 6, these balcony staterooms feature 2 single beds or a double bed, distinct bedroom and living room areas, a luxurious bathroom and your own private 6 sq. m balcony.
SH Diana Junior Suite
Junior Suite
SH Diana’s Junior Suites features a Super King Size bed, separate living room area with homely flame-effect fireplace, private kitchen, luxurious en-suite bathroom and a 7 sq. m private balcony.
SH Diana Suite
Suite
Our Suites features a superking bed and separate living room with and a soothing flame-effect fireplace a luxurious ensuite bathroom and a 12 sq.m. private balcony.
SH Diana Premium Suite
Premium Suite
SH Diana’s Premium Suites feature a Super King Size bed, separate living room with homely flame-effect fireplace, luxurious en-suite bathroom, spacious walk-in wardrobe and a 12 sq. m private balcony.
Included
  • 14 Breakfasts, 13 Lunches, 13 Dinners
  • 14 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Wifi
  • Self-service laundry 
  • Coffee, tea, soft drinks and selected alcoholic beverages available 24-hours per day
  • Lecture programs by our experienced expedition team and guest speakers
  • Onboard gratuities & port taxes
  • Branded Swan Hellenic expedition parka and use of rubber boots in Polar Regions.
  • Group return transfers from the airport to the cruise port (via our included accommodation where applicable)
  • One night pre-cruise accommodation with breakfast in a 4/5-star hotel or onboard
  • 24-hour room service
Excluded
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Passport and Applicable Visa Expenses
  • We recommend every traveler to take out a travel cancellation insurance, travel interruption insurance and a travel health insurance policy with an assumption of the return transport costs of repatriation

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Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Meyer Smolen

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