Ghana is where most operators start in this region, and for good reason. English is the official language. The main road from Accra west to Takoradi and north to Kumasi is paved and busy. Domestic flights link Accra, Kumasi and Tamale in under an hour.
Two things bring people here specifically. The first is the coast between Cape Coast and Elmina, where the forts used in the transatlantic slave trade still stand and are open to visitors. The second is December, when Accra fills with returning diaspora and the city runs a month of concerts and events. The 2019 Year of Return campaign turned both into a sustained flow of visitors rather than a single year's spike.
The rest of the country is quieter than either suggests. Mole in the north is a real savannah park with a walking-safari operation. Kakum has the canopy walkway. The Volta Region has waterfalls, the lake and the highest ground in the country. Outside Accra and Kumasi, hotel standards drop off quickly, and outside the main tourist sites, so does the availability of English-speaking guides.
When to go
| Months | What it is like |
|---|---|
| Nov-Mar | Dry season. Roads north to Mole and east into the Volta Region are passable. Harmattan, roughly late December to February, carries Saharan dust south: flat grey light, poor long-distance visibility, and dry air that is hard on asthma and contact lenses. |
| Dec | Detty December. Accra runs three to four weeks of concerts, beach parties, gallery openings and club nights aimed at returning diaspora. Flights and hotels sell out by September and rates climb steeply. Book early, or pick another month deliberately. |
| Apr-Jun | Main rains in the south. Heavy afternoon storms, green forest, few visitors. Unpaved roads in the Volta Region and the far north become slow or impassable. |
| Jul-Oct | A drier gap in August and September in the south, then a second, shorter rain. Emancipation Day on 1 August and the PANAFEST events bring ceremonies and crowds to Cape Coast and Elmina. |
Before you go
- Visa: most non-ECOWAS visitors need a visa arranged before travel. Ghana has been changing its entry rules, including for African passport holders. Check the current position with the Ghana High Commission or embassy for your country before booking flights.
- Health: yellow fever vaccination is required for entry, and the certificate is checked at Accra airport. Carry it. Malaria is present countrywide all year; take prophylaxis. Confirm current requirements for your nationality before you travel, as they change.
- Money: the cedi (GHS). Mobile money is used everywhere for small payments. Cards work in Accra hotels and larger restaurants and almost nowhere else. Carry cash outside the cities, and expect ATM queues around payday.
- Getting around: Accra traffic is the main constraint on any itinerary; budget two hours for cross-city moves. The Accra-Cape Coast road takes about three hours, Accra-Kumasi about five. Domestic flights to Kumasi and Tamale save a full day each way and are worth it for Mole.
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