Many visitors see Ouidah in an afternoon: the beach, the gate, a photo, and the coach leaves. They have seen places. They have understood nothing of what they were looking at.
The four circuits are made for the opposite. One day each, one theme each, and every time someone from here to say what the places do not say. You can take one, or all four.
All four together come to €270. If you are staying the whole week, look first at The Programme: the four circuits are included.
Circuit 1 · Thursday 7 January 2027
Memorial: understand the ground before the ceremonies
You cannot understand what is celebrated here if you do not know what happened here. That is the purpose of this first day, and the reason it opens the official core.
- An in-depth circuit on memory and slavery.
- The route from Savi to the Door of No Return, on the beach.
- Before watching the ceremonies, understanding the ground they take place on.
- When:
- Thursday 7 January 2027, a public holiday in Benin.
- Where:
- From Savi to the beach of Ouidah.
- With:
- Guides from Ouidah, trained alongside the FRABO, historians and the guardians of tradition.
Circuit 2 · Friday 8 January 2027
Vodun: speak with those who keep it
On the day of the Grand Ceremony, the crowd watches. This circuit puts you on the other side: at the table of those who carry the tradition, with time to ask your questions.
- Private meetings and exchanges with crowned heads.
- Sworn guardians of Vodun, who answer your questions.
- The day the whole nation observes, lived from the inside and not from the crowd.
- When:
- Friday 8 January 2027, the day of the Grand Ceremony.
- Where:
- In Ouidah, with the dignitaries of Vodun.
- With:
- Guides from Ouidah, trained alongside the FRABO, historians and the guardians of tradition.
Circuit 3 · Saturday 9 January 2027
Heritage: read the town
After memory and Vodun, Ouidah itself. Its quarters, its cultural spheres, its buildings. We walk, we look, and you are told what you were passing without seeing.
- Ouidah's quarters and their cultural spheres.
- The Portuguese Fort, under renovation: the visit depends on its opening.
- The basilica and the Afro-Brazilian architecture.
- When:
- Saturday 9 January 2027.
- Where:
- Quarters, Portuguese Fort and basilica of Ouidah.
- With:
- Guides from Ouidah, trained alongside the FRABO, historians and the guardians of tradition.
Circuit 4 · Sunday 10 January 2027
Gléxwé: enter the palaces
On the last day, outside the official calendar, the doors of the palaces open. You understand why Ouidah is called the world cradle of Vodun, from the mouths of those who descend from it.
- The royal palaces of Ouidah.
- A meeting with His Majesty, his royal court and the Grand Conseil Vodun Hwendo, with researchers and historians.
- The theme of the day: “Why Ouidah is the world cradle of Vodun”.
- The Story of January 10: His Majesty himself tells the origin of this date.
- When:
- Sunday 10 January 2027, before the Vodun Vibes evening.
- Where:
- Royal palaces of Ouidah.
- With:
- Guides from Ouidah, trained alongside the FRABO, historians and the guardians of tradition.
What we really offer: meetings, not a tour
Any agency can drive you past the monuments. What we open is different: people. Guardians of tradition, crowned heads, families who receive you because the NGO Wa Afriki has earned their trust over years.
You exchange, you ask, you listen. You leave with faces and names, not only with photos.
What is not in the price, said in advance
The price of a circuit is that of the guided day. The night at the Palace, meals and transport are taken separately. No official Vodun Days pass is sold or guaranteed by us. The Vodun Days are the festival of the Beninese State; After Vodundays is a separate programme, run by the NGO Wa Afriki. And the Portuguese Fort, under renovation, will be visited depending on its opening.
Teams are of ten people at most, five in VIP. À la carte tickets are the places left in teams already formed: when they are full, they are full.
The questions we are asked
Does the Vodun circuit give access to the Grand Ceremony?
No. The Vodun circuit is made of private meetings with crowned heads and guardians of Vodun. The Grand Ceremony commented live is a separate activity, and we neither sell nor guarantee any official pass.
How many people per circuit?
Ten people at most in Standard, five in VIP. À la carte tickets are the places left in teams already formed.
Are the circuits included in the packages?
Yes. The first three circuits, from 7 to 9 January, are included in The Core. All four are included in The Programme, from 4 to 10 January.
Will the Portuguese Fort be open to visitors?
It is under renovation. The visit depends on its opening, and we say so now rather than promise it.
A question before you book? Write to us, we answer fast.
One message is enough: the circuit, the date, the number of people.
The other à la carte activities: the two workshops, the night in Ganvié, guided days at the Vodun Days, the Vodun Vibes evening, nights at the Palace.