Two places that between them hold most of Ghana's modern story, and then dinner. Nothing else, deliberately — it is your first full day and you will still be finding your feet.

• Independence Square and the Black Star Gate, the post-independence ceremonial grounds and one of the most photogenic places in Accra.
• Osu Castle — Christiansborg. Built by the Danes in 1661, later the seat of colonial government and then of Ghana's presidency. Courtyards, reception rooms, the cells and the gardens, with a guide who can tell you what happened in each room.
• A long, slow lunch in Osu, then the afternoon free.
• Welcome dinner.

A gold morning and a drumming afternoon. Two things, both unhurried.

• The GoldBod jewellery showroom. GoldBod is the state gold authority, and its jewellery arm is where you can see and buy Ghanaian gold with the provenance documented. Take your time; this is the shopping stop of the trip.
• Warrior King Watch Company.
• Lunch.
• Adowa. A private troupe of drummers and dancers perform for you, and then teach you — the posture, the hand language, the steps. Give it as long as you are enjoying it; there is nothing after.

The best content day of the trip, and almost none of it appears in any guidebook. Two crafts that between them say a great deal about how this country actually works.

• Depart for Ayikuma, in the hills beyond Dodowa.
• Hendy Farms. A working cocoa farm — walk among the trees, open fresh pods, and see the beans fermented and dried. Then the mango orchards, and how the farm turns its fruit into its own products.
• Lunch at the farm.
• The Cedi Bead Factory at Odumase-Krobo, Ghana's best-known glass-bead workshop. Recycled bottle glass, ground, moulded and fired into Krobo powder-glass beads. You make your own strand, and it is yours.
• Return to Accra through Somanya.

The MV Dodi Princess II sails from Akosombo out across Lake Volta — the largest man-made lake in the world by surface area — to Dodi Island. A long day, but not a demanding one: most of it is spent sitting on a boat with a drink and the water going past.

• Depart Accra for Akosombo, north-east through the Shai hills, with the Akosombo Dam and the Adomi Bridge as the day opens up.
• Board at the Dodi World jetty. Roughly two hours out across the lake, with a live band playing the whole way.
• Dodi Island — lunch, drinks and time ashore.
• Sail back, then the drive to Accra with a stop at the Adomi Bridge viewpoint.

The Dodi Princess sails at weekends and on public holidays only, which is why this itinerary starts on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

An early start to beat the traffic, and then the whole afternoon at the resort doing nothing at all.

• Check out and drive west along the coastal road. We leave early deliberately; the roads fill as the day goes on.
• Arrive at Coconut Grove Beach Resort, Elmina. Check in and lunch by the water.
• Afternoon: the beach, the pool, the resort spa. Nothing is scheduled.
• Dinner and live music on the Atlantic. On the festive departure this is New Year's Eve, and your guide can take you to a Watch Night service in Elmina or Cape Coast if you would like to see it.

A slow morning on the coast, then back to Accra to finish the cocoa story you started on day four.

• Breakfast and a last morning on the beach. Check out and drive east along the coast.
• Mansa Gold, Ridge. From bean to bar with your own hands — roasting, grinding, tempering, moulding — finishing with a tasting and a wine pairing. You take home what you make.
• Bioko Treats, Osu. A tree-to-bar tasting flight and a very good place to buy gifts.
• Farewell dinner with a live highlife band.

Please pack this evening. Traffic on the airport road is unpredictable and we would rather wait at the terminal than rush.

A final morning at your own pace, with time for any last shopping, then collection from your hotel and transfer to Kotoka International Airport, Terminal 3, with protocol assistance through check-in.