Volunteer and Travel Ghana in 2025

Join our Volunteer and Travel trip to make a positive impact whiles enjoining the rich culture and warm hospitality of Ghana!

Are you an individual or a group who love to make a positive impact helping people/communities with solutions to local problems, love a challenge, yet know how to relax and have fun? Then join our volunteer and travel trip to not only give back to the community but meet likeminded individuals and locals in our program and explore this beautiful country of Ghana.

Our travel entails volunteering and traveling for 4 weeks all inclusive for $1884USD per person. You will volunteer in any of our programs (teaching, early childhood education, special needs, sports, and medical/mental health). You will experience the adrenaline side of Ghana with hiking, abseiling a 100ft Vulcan rock, and kayaking.

You won’t miss out on wildlife safari activities either. There will be an afternoon safari, nighttime safari, learn the process of extracting shea butter, canon/boat ride, enjoy beautiful beaches, canopy walkway, visit slave castles, chase waterfalls, see Ghana’s landmarks, visit a large open air market, have food lessons and cultural experiences.

Dates

4th May 2025 - 1st June 2025 and 6th July 2025 - 3rd August 2025

Check itinerary below. Register and pay $199 to secure a spot

Arrival in Accra

DAY 1 - Sunday

On your arrival in Accra, you will be met at the Kotoka International Airport by a staff from The Sunshine Volunteers Organization. You will be transported to your accommodation so you can relax and settle in after a long flight. On arrival day you are responsible for your own expenses. Most of the flights come in the evening but if you are arriving earlier, we can advise some great places to get a meal close to your accommodation. You will receive a sim card to contact your family and let them know you have arrived safe and sound. Please ensure you have an unlocked cell phone that can take a foreign sim card with you. Some of your accommodations on the tour part of the trip may provide Wi-Fi but in Ghana, it’s never a guarantee that it will be working, so plan to have a little spending money for data.

NOTE: Should in case your luggage gets delayed, we’ll make arrangements to get it for you.

Arrival in Kumasi

DAY 2 - Monday

After meeting the entire group for breakfast, you will receive a brief orientation of what to expect over the subsequent weeks of volunteering and travelling and be told some tips and tricks to make sure things go smoothly. You will head to the bus station and set off for your 5-6 hours ride to Kumasi where you’ll be volunteering for the next couple of weeks. You’ll have a bathroom break along the way and get some snacks. Once you arrive in Kumasi, you will go straight to the volunteer house. You will be shown into your room and unpack. You will have a walk in the community to know a bit about your immediate surroundings. You’ll have dinner later and have a meeting to brief you on plans for the next day before you go to bed.

 DAY 3 - Tuesday

You’ll have breakfast in the morning and leave for orientation afterward. You’ll visit the placement you will be working at and get introduced to the staff. You’ll visit the central market (the largest open-air market in West Africa). Arrangements will be made for you to exchange money if you need to. Back at the house after the orientation, you’ll have a language studies (Twi). You will be taught some basic local words to help bridge the gap in language barrier. You will be informed of the house rules and allowed to ask questions if you have any. You will have dinner afterwards.

DAY 4 - Wednesday

Today will be the official day for you to begin your volunteering at your choice of program. After breakfast, you will be accompanied by a staff member to make sure you are comfortable and be there to assist. We will find out how your first day went and have an evening activity today (Discussion with you on what you'll like to do). Dinner afterwards.

DAY 5 & 6 - Thursday & Friday

You will work at your placement with the assistance of a staff from the organization. You can chill on your own on Thursday and we will have a movie night with popcorn on Friday.

DAY 7 - Saturday

Today after breakfast, you will take a trip to Adanwomase Kente Weaving and Eco Tourism Center. You must bring some water and snacks with you. At this village, you will learn how the kente cloth is made and get a hands on experience. The Kente cloth is a legendary fabric worn by African kings down the centuries. It is still made in the traditional way in this village. Kente has symbolic significance and there are over 300 patterns, each with its own name and meaning derived from proverbs and historical events.

You will visit a cocoa farm to learn some history about it and try some raw cocoa beans. You will learn about palm wine tapping and try this local drink produced from palm trees. You will be taken through the process of how it is made.

You will get dressed in some traditional outfits and enjoy some drumming, dancing and storytelling presented by the village cultural troop.

When you return to the accommodation, you will relax a bit, have dinner and get ready to party. You will have a night out to experience how it is like and have fun

DAY 8 - Sunday

You will have a late breakfast as we presume you will be sleeping in a bit to recover from the previous night. After breakfast, you can decide to either chill at the house, go to the pool or the mall at your own cost.

 DAY 9, 10, 11, & 12 - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday

You will work at your placement on these days with the regular routine. Breakfast, placement, dinner and evening activities.

SAFARI/WATERFALLS TOUR

DAY 13 - Friday

You will leave very early today for your roughly 9 hours trip to Mole National Park. There will be rest breaks in between the ride to use the bathroom and stretch out a bit. Once in Mole, you will be checked into your room and have lunch afterwards. You can choose to swim in the pool or take a nap. You will join the afternoon safari around sunset. You will have dinner later in the evening. Mole National Park was designed in 1971 as a protective area and it is home to many endangered fauna and antelope species. The park is dense with African elephants and is home to over 93 mammal species. You can hope to see warthogs, many different species of antelopes, baboons, monkeys, and crocodiles. There are over 300 species of birds who call this park home including storks, egrets, herons, white-headed vultures and martial eagles. The park is heavily guarded by rangers to prevent poaching.  

 DAY 14 - Saturday

After breakfast, you will visit Mognori Eco Village which is a 30minutes drive from the park to learn about the process of extracting sheabutter with the women in the community. You can purchase some raw sheabutter from the women to support their business. You will go for a canon ride afterwards. You will head back for lunch at your accommodation and chill by the poolside. In the evening after dinner, you will begin your night time safari!

DAY 15 - Sunday

After breakfast, you will make your journey back to Kumasi. On your way, you will make a stop at Kintampo waterfalls. Kintampo waterfalls is one of the highest waterfalls in Eastern Ghana. This natural beauty is hidden in a forest rich in mahogany trees and is formed by three main drop sites. The best part about this is you are able to swim at the base of the falls. You will have lunch at a nearby restaurant afterwards and drive straight home from there. You will have dinner at the volunteer accommodation.

 DAY 16, 17, & 18 - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

You work at your placement on these days with the regular routine. Breakfast, placement, dinner and evening activities.

DAY 19 & 20 - Thursday & Friday

You will visit a school on each of these days and teach the students how to recycle eg. plastic bottles and bags, plastic spoons, old clothes etc. (Open to some ideas from volunteers on this project). Plastic waste is a big problem in Ghana and this education will be your contribution to improving the situation.

 DAY 21 - Saturday

You can decide to go to the pool, the mall or just chill at the house. You will go for karaoke in the evening.

 DAY 22 - Sunday

Food lessons with a local family

You will leave the accommodation in the afternoon to go learn how to make some local dishes like fufu, jollof rice, and 3t) (mashed plantain mixed with peanut) with a local family. You will play some local games in between the food preparation.

DAY 23 - Monday

Today will be your last day at placement. It will be emotional to say goodbye. But your impact on the lives you’ve touched will always be remembered. We will have a short meeting in the evening for some reflections and discuss plans for the impending trip.

TRIP TO CAPE COAST AND ACCRA

DAY 24 - Tuesday

You will leave very early in the morning after breakfast for Cape Coast. You will first visit the Kakum National Park, check into your accommodation and have lunch afterwards. Kakum National Park was established in 1931 as a reserve and bloomed into a tropical forest over the years. This park is known for its incredible amount of bird species as well as butterflies. The canopy walkway spans over 7 bridges at 40 meter in height. Connected by platforms, the views you will experience are hard to beat! You will visit the Cape Coast Castle after your lunch. Cape Coast Castle was used in the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade by the British and other European countries over the years. Slaves were held in dungeons to await their export to the Americas. These dungeons are a jarring juxtaposition to the luxurious living quarters the Europeans stayed in above. This tour can be very emotional and is a very important part of history for the entire world. This castle is now a UNESCO Heritage Site.

DAY 25 - Wednesday

You will have breakfast and chill on the beach. After lunch, you will travel to Elmina Castle for a tour. Elmina Castle is also recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This original fort was the first building of European design in sub-Saharan Africa in the 1400’s. By the 17th century, they were operating as a slave trading center. The historical town of Elmina is believed by many historians to be the first point of contact between Europeans and sub-Saharan Africans. We will have a boat ride onto the ocean afterwards and explore the fishing village. We will have dinner later and if possible, a bonfire night (not guaranteed).

 DAY 26 - Thursday

You will leave for Accra (the capital) today. You will have breakfast and start the 3 hours journey afterwards. You will have lunch in Accra and visit some popular tourist sites (the Independence square, Arts center, Kwame Nkrumah Museum, Osu Oxford street,) and see some fantasy coffins. You will check into your accommodation afterwards and relax. You will have dinner later.

 DAY 27 - Friday

After breakfast, you will travel about two and a half hours to join The Trident for an adventure experience! The Trident team will assist and provide all safety gears and explain the repelling process to you.  You will take a boat down the River Volta (which drains south into the Gulf of Guinea) to the 100-ft Vulcan rock. The team will guide you to abseil this Vulcan rock. A great spirit of adventure is required for this abseil. You will do some kayaking on the lake afterwards. The Kayaking adventure begins with an introductory class on paddling techniques and water safety protocols. Then the trip starts across the 600m expanse of River Volta through a channel between the Trident Island and a break-away Island to your right. The return to open water involves a capsize drill that is mandatory and assures safety in an emergency on the river. You will have lunch in between this experience. You will have dinner back in Accra.

 DAY 28 - Saturday

After breakfast, you are heading to the beach for some surfing! Your surfing instructor will give you some lessons before you start surfing. You will have lunch afterwards and go back to your accommodation. You will have your last night out in Ghana. You will go for dinner at a restaurant that also plays live band music for a fun last night.

 DAY 29 - Sunday

After four amazing weeks, it is time to say goodbye to all your new friends. This will be a sad day for you and for us, but the memories made here will last a lifetime.  You will have breakfast and have a discussion about the overall experience. You will check out of the accommodation around noon and be taken to the airport for your flight.

This trip requires a minimum number of 8 persons to run.

  • Accommodation

    Meals

    Please indicate all dietary restrictions and allergies when you apply. Some breakfasts may include tea, coffee, and nuts but it is not a guarantee.

    Clean Drinking water – please bring a reusable water bottle to fill

    All entrance fees and tour fees

    24/7 support

    All Transportation/luggage costs

    Local Sim Card

  • No expenses are included on arrival day

    - Flights

    - Visa

    - Travel Insurance

    - Cost of transportation to your program placement

    Snacks

    All additional beverages, alcohol

    Wi-Fi may be available at some of your trip accommodations, but we cannot guarantee it.

    You will receive a free sim card and will need to purchase data for it.

  • Essentials for this adventure tour

    • Sturdy running shoes or hiking shoes. Many of the excursions will be hours on your feet and some include trail walks and moderate hikes. Ensure you have appropriate footwear, clothing and socks packed.

    • Sunscreen, please bring a generous amount of sunscreen on this trip. You will be spending long days out in nature and will need to reapply many times to prevent nasty burns.

    • Hat, to prevent sunburn it would be great to bring a hat for those long days out in the sun.

    • Bathing suits, in Cape coast you will be right on the beach so make sure you have a swimming suit so you can splash around and enjoy the ocean. We do ask that you refrain from thong suits or anything extra revealing as the locals will find it disrespectful. Regular 2-piece bikinis, one-piece suits, or tankinis are fine. Any trunks or regular speedos for men are acceptable.

    • Mosquito Spray, In the forest of Kakum National Park and the shores of Lake Volta the mosquitos can be relentless make sure you have plenty of strong mosquito spray to prevent any chance of malaria. Also consider bringing long light fabric pants and long sleeve tops to wear at night and avoid bites.

    • Reusable water bottle. In Ghana we have sachets of fresh drinking water that can be a bit awkward to carry around. Please bring a reusable water bottle so you can fill it and take it with you all day long.

    • Day Backpack, on some days of the tour, you will leave your accommodation early in the morning and not return until the evening. Bring a backpack you can fit all your essentials in like sunscreen, mosquito spray, medications, water, wallet, camera, and possible swimwear or change of clothes and footwear. Make sure it is something you will be comfortable carrying for long periods of time.

    • Sweater or light jacket, warm pants. Although Ghana is generally a very warm climate the night breeze especially by the ocean can be a bit cold. Please make sure you pack something warm to wear. Some of the accommodations also have air-conditioning so it can get chilly during the night; a long sleeve/long pants pajama set is recommended.

    • Camera, we highly recommend bringing a camera or having a cell phone with a great camera on it. There will be so many amazing moments on this trip, you will want to capture them and share with friends and family back home.

    • Power bank, it's recommended you bring a power bank to keep your phone charged up all day when you may not have access to a charging port outside the accommodation.

    • Adapter, the accommodations will have UK plugs known as type G so if you are coming from Canada or the USA you should bring an adapter for the tour.

    • Spending money. It's recommended that you budget some money for that delicious pina colada on the beach, crunchy plantain chips as a snack or some souvenirs you may want to pick up along the way. You will also want to have some money set aside for data.

  • We will send you an invitation letter which is needed to apply for your visa. Note: Each country has different requirements for visa applications. We will walk you through the process best we can but unfortunately are unable to contact embassies on your behalf so it is ultimately your responsibility to make sure you know all the required documents. Some countries require you to have a return flight booked before your application. You will need to have a proof of yellow fever vaccination.

  • Participants must register before February 16th, 2025. The total fee is $1884USD. The registration fee of $199 will be paid at the time of registration and the remainder $1685 will be due by April 7th 2025.

    Please read through the terms of service and find our registration form at the bottom of that page.

    This trip requires a minimum of 8 participants to run. If this minimum is not met participants will receive a full refund minus the 3.5% transaction fee applied to all payments.