An Expedition Through Savannahs, Rainforests, and Rare Avian Encounters
14 Days
Tour length
December 5-18
2026
$ TBA
Price From
This 14-day birding tour across Ghana is a journey through one of West Africa’s most rewarding and ecologically diverse countries. From the granite outcrops of Shai Hills to the dense rainforests of Ankasa and the remote escarpments of Mole National Park, each location has been carefully selected for its rich birdlife and immersive wilderness. Travellers can expect encounters with over 400 species, including regional endemics and rare highlights such as the striking Yellow-headed Picathartes and Egyptian Plover. Since 2018, Endemic Explorer has been organising birding and nature tours to Ghana, working closely with local communities and naturalists to deliver deeply enriching experiences. This itinerary is designed for those who seek more than just bird lists—offering meaningful travel through remote habitats, cultural landscapes, and unforgettable moments in the heart of Ghana’s natural heritage.
Track the elusive Yellow-headed Picathartes at a remote forest site during evening hours.
Spot the striking Egyptian Plover along riverbeds on the scenic journey north to Mol
Explore Mole National Park’s savannahs, discovering raptors, nocturnal birds, and over 150 bird species.
Walk the canopy bridges of Kakum Forest, observing hornbills, greenbuls, and forest barbets above.
Trek through Ankasa’s untouched rainforest, home to guineafowl, flycatchers, forest owls, and rare ibis.
Ascend the highlands of Atewa Forest, searching for Bee-eaters and forest-edge endemics alike.
Designed by us, tailored to you
This Tailormade Journey is just the beginning of a beautiful adventure, ready to be customized by you. Choose the hotels you want to stay in, enhance your journey with extra experiences, and tell us where else you want to go.
All our private tours are highly customizable. Share your travel goals, and we’ll create a compelling itinerary together
Day 1 (December 05, 2026) – Shai Hills, Winneba Plains and Drive to Kakum
Explore the Savannah and Woodland of Shai Hills
Violet Touraco and black bellied bustard
Distance: 200 km | Travel Time: 5 hrs
Accommodation: Alisa Hotel
The adventure begins in the open savannah and woodland mosaic of Shai Hills—one of Ghana’s best introductory birding zones. The granite outcrops and dry grasslands here are excellent for spotting species like White-crowned Cliff Chat, Black-bellied Bustard, and Long-crested Eagle. We continue to Winneba Plains, a coastal savannah rich in dry-country species like Croaking Cisticola, Violet Turaco, and Red-winged Warbler. By late afternoon, we reach our rainforest lodge near Kakum, marking our transition into Ghana’s lush forest belt.
Day 2 & 3 (December 06 & 07 , 2026) – Kakum Canopy Forest, Sushen and Ebekampa
Kakum Forest: Canopy Birding
Hornbills, Barbets and Greenbuls
Distance: 21 km | Travel Time: 30 mins daily
Accommodation: Rain Forest Hotel
Kakum Forest offers a rare opportunity to bird from a treetop vantage point. The canopy walkway allows us intimate views of canopy specialists such as hornbills, forest barbets, and greenbuls. Over two days, we explore three major forest zones—Kakum, Sushen, and Ebekampa—each offering unique microhabitats. While Kakum grants canopy access, Sushen offers mid-storey and understorey sightings from its forest tracks. Ebekampa adds valuable edge species, making this trio a hotspot for forest birding with over 200 species possible.
Day 4 (December 08, 2026) – Kakum to Ankasa
Wetland birding
Hartlaub's Duck and Reichenbach's Sunbird
Distance: 200 km | Travel Time: 3 hrs
Accommodation: Forest Lodge, Ankasa
We journey westward toward Ankasa, Ghana’s most pristine rainforest. En route, birding stops target wetlands and riverine zones for Hartlaub’s Duck, Orange Weaver, and Reichenbach’s Sunbird. These detours may also yield Brown Sunbird and African Darter. Upon arrival at Ankasa, we take a short evening walk in search of Cassin’s Flycatcher, Blue-throated Brown Sunbird, and White-bellied Kingfisher, along the serene streams by our lod
Day 5 & 6: (December 09 & 10, 2026) Ankasa Forest
Explore Ankasa
Eagles,rails and owls
Distance: 0 km | Travel Time: 0 hrs
Accommodation: Forest Lodge, Ankasa
Ankasa is a biodiversity jewel, featuring untouched lowland rainforest. These two full days are dedicated to exploring its dense canopy, forest trails, and wetlands. We aim to find rarities such as White-breasted Guineafowl, Nkulengu Rail, and Spot-breasted Ibis. Raptors like Long-tailed Hawk and Crowned Eagle soar above, while understorey treasures include Red-fronted Antpecker, Forest Robin, and Illadopsis species. Nocturnal birding may reveal several owl species, including Akun’s Eagle Owl and Fraser’s Eagle Owl.
Day 7 (December 11, 2026) – Ankasa to Kakum Area via Brenu Beach
Land of Northern Red Bishop
Green turaco and march tchagra
Distance: 200 km | Travel Time: 4 hrs
Accommodation: Rain Forest Lodge
After morning birding in Ankasa, we return eastward toward Kakum with a stop at Brenu Beach Road. This coastal habitat is excellent for finding Green Turaco, Compact Weaver, and Marsh Tchagra. The late afternoon light at Brenu enhances the chances of photographing vibrant species like Northern Red Bishop and Yellow-crowned Gonolek. Nightfall sees us returning to our rainforest lodge near Kakum.
Day 8 (December 12, 2026) – River Pra, Aboabo Forest and Picathartes Site
A rare rendezvous with Picathartes
Meet the prehistoric bird
Distance: 150 km | Travel Time: 7 hrs
Accommodation: Anita Hotel, Kumasi
We start the day exploring Aboabo Forest, hoping for views of White-spotted Flufftail and African Piculet. This forest also holds Blue Cuckooshrike, Forest Wood Hoopoe, and White-crested Hornbill. After a mid-day break, we embark on a thrilling hike to a secretive nesting site of the iconic Rockfowl (Picathartes), one of Africa’s most sought-after birds. Watching these prehistoric-looking birds return to roost is an unforgettable experience.
Day 9 (December 13, 2026) – Kumasi to Mole National Park
Going North
Long drive to mole. stop for the Egyptian plover
Distance: 600 km | Travel Time: 6 hrs
Accommodation: Mole Motel
Today’s long journey north includes productive forest stops at Opuro and the geographical midpoint of Ghana, Kintampo. Highlights include Capuchin Babbler, Fiery-breasted Bushshrike, and Blue-headed Bee-eater. Closer to Mole, we detour to a riverbed to seek Ghana’s famed Egyptian Plover. After dark, we head to Mole Airfield to look for Standard-winged Nightjar and Greyish Eagle Owl before settling in.
Day 10& 11 (December 14 & 15, 2026) – Mole National Park
Explore Mole National Park
Saddle billed stork and martial eagle
Distance: 0 km | Travel Time: 0 hrs
Accommodation: Mole Motel
Two full days in Mole reveal the richness of Ghana’s northern savannah. Waterholes attract Saddle-billed Stork, Bateleur, Forbes Plover, and Martial Eagle. The dry woodlands and escarpments are home to Spotted Creeper, White-crowned Robin-Chat, and Oriole Warbler. Nocturnal birding might yield up to five owl species. We also explore less-travelled trails for rarities like Cabani’s Bunting, Emin’s Shrike, and Square-tailed Drongo. Over 150 species are possible here.
Day 12 (December 16, 2026) – Mole to Bobiri Forest
Journy back to Southern Ghana
arrive bobiri forest zone
Distance: 300 km | Travel Time: 6 hrs
Accommodation: Anita Hotel, Kumasi
After a morning bird walk in Mole, we begin our descent toward southern Ghana. The drive includes strategic birding stops along transitional habitats, arriving at Bobiri Forest by late afternoon. If time permits, we explore the edges of the forest for early evening activity and prepare for night birding
Day 13 (December 17, 2026) – Bobiri to Atewa
Birding in Butterfly County
FRase's eagle owl and African wood owl
Distance: 100 km | Travel Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
Accommodation: Bemkoff Hotel.
Kyebi Bobiri is a butterfly haven and birding hotspot. The forest road offers chances at Long-tailed Hawk, Congo Serpent Eagle, and Narina Trogon. We target nocturnals like Fraser’s Eagle Owl and African Wood Owl. Post-lunch, we drive to Atewa, where we spend the afternoon at the base of the hill—an area teeming with edge-loving species and a perfect primer for tomorrow’s highland asc
Day 14 (December 18, 2026) – Atewa Forest to Accra
Back to Accra and returen
Blue-headed bee-eater and chocolate-backed kingfisher
Distance: 120 km | Travel Time: 3 hrs
Our final day takes us into the highland forest of Atewa. Rising to 770 metres, the gentle ascent offers rewarding forest birding. We seek the prized Blue-headed Bee-eater and a supporting cast including Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Narrow-tailed Starling, and Fire-bellied Woodpecker. After a fulfilling morning on the hill, we descend and drive to Accrafor evening departures, concluding our incredible 14-day birding expedition through Ghana.
Tour Highlights
Comprehensive List of Birds:
Number of Days: 14
Tour Start: 5th December 2026 – Accra, Ghana
Tour End: 18th December 2026 – Accra, Ghana
Photographic Opportunities: Excellent
Difficulty Level: Easy, with a few long road journeys and a moderate trek to the Picathartes nesting site
Group Size: 6 participants + 1 team leader
Bird List
Target birds:
African Darter, African Piculet, African Wood Owl, Akun’s Eagle Owl, Bateleur, Black-bellied Bustard, Blue Cuckooshrike, Blue-headed Bee-eater, Blue-throated Brown Sunbird, Brown Sunbird, Cabani’s Bunting, Capuchin Babbler, Cassin’s Flycatcher, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Compact Weaver, Congo Serpent Eagle, Croaking Cisticola, Crowned Eagle, Egyptian Plover, Emin’s Shrike, Fiery-breasted Bushshrike, Fire-bellied Woodpecker, Forbes Plover, Forest Robin, Forest Wood Hoopoe, Fraser’s Eagle Owl, Green Turaco, Greyish Eagle Owl, Hartlaub’s Duck, Illadopsis species, Long-crested Eagle, Long-tailed Hawk, Marsh Tchagra, Martial Eagle, Narina Trogon, Narrow-tailed Starling, Nkulengu Rail, Northern Red Bishop, Orange Weaver, Oriole Warbler, Red-fronted Antpecker, Red-winged Warbler, Reichenbach’s Sunbird, Rockfowl (Picathartes), Saddle-billed Stork, Spot-breasted Ibis, Spotted Creeper, Square-tailed Drongo, Standard-winged Nightjar, Violet Turaco, White-bellied Kingfisher, White-breasted Guineafowl, White-crowned Cliff Chat, White-crowned Robin-Chat, White-crested Hornbill, White-spotted Flufftail, Yellow-crowned Gonolek.
Tour Cost
Tour Cost : US$ TBA Pp
on twin-share basis.
If you are traveling solo, we will do our best to match you with another guest who is willing to share. If no match is found, the single room supplement will apply. Since this expedition takes you to some of the remotest birding sites in Ghana, you may find that some accommodations are modest and basic.
- Please read our booking and cancellation policy for terms, conditions, and related information.
Special Notes
Included & Excluded
Included: All accommodation as per the itinerary, three meals a day, bottled water, services of an expert local birding guide, dedicated driver with private vehicle, and all park entry fees and permits.
Not Included: International and domestic airfare, visa fees, travel insurance, taxes, additional food and beverages, personal expenses such as laundry, and gratuities.
Tour Map
