Accra is easier to love from ninety minutes outside it. Everything here is reachable for a day or a weekend, and the roads are better than the reputation — the main highways are good, and it is the last few kilometres that test a car.
Under two hours
Aburi — up into the Akuapem hills, about an hour. The Botanical Gardens are the classic outing: colonial-era gardens under enormous trees, noticeably cooler than the city. Woodcarvers line the road, and the view back down over the plain on the drive up is the point as much as the destination.
Shai Hills Resource Reserve — about an hour east on the Akosombo road. Baboons, antelope, ostriches, caves used historically by the Shai people, and hills you can walk up. The easiest wildlife from Accra.
Ada Foah — two hours east, where the Volta meets the sea. Estuary, islands, sandbars, kayaking and river trips. The best weekend within reach. — Accra’s beaches
Kokrobite — an hour west. Drumming, live music, guesthouses.
Akosombo — about two hours north-east. The dam that made Lake Volta, one of the largest artificial lakes in the world, and the reason much of Ghana’s electricity is hydroelectric — and, when the water is low, part of the reason for dumsor. Boat trips on the lake, and the Adomi Bridge nearby.
Boti Falls — near Koforidua, roughly two hours. Twin falls, at their best in the rainy season, with the Umbrella Rock walk nearby.
Half a day more
Cape Coast and Elmina — two and a half to three hours west. The castles, and for a great many visitors the entire reason for coming to Ghana. Do not attempt this as a rushed day trip if you can avoid it. — Cape Coast and Elmina
Kakum National Park — near Cape Coast. The rainforest canopy walkway, seven rope bridges strung between emergent trees. Usually combined with the castles. Go early for the best chance of wildlife and the smallest crowds.
Volta Region — Ho, Wli Falls (the highest in West Africa), Mount Afadja, Tafi Atome monkey sanctuary, Amedzofe. Green, hilly, and utterly different from the coast. A proper weekend rather than a day.
Further, worth planning for
Kumasi — four to five hours north, or a short flight. The Ashanti capital, Manhyia Palace, Kejetia market (one of the largest in West Africa), and the kente village at Bonwire. The cultural heart of Akan Ghana.
Mole National Park — the far north. Elephants, on foot if you are lucky. A long drive or a flight to Tamale. Worth several days.
Wa, Bolgatanga, Paga — the Upper regions, with their own architecture, crafts and the crocodile pond at Paga.
Busua and Axim — the Western Region beaches, better than anything near Accra, four to five hours out.
Getting there
Chartered taxi or Bolt for the day. Negotiate a day rate. The simplest option for a group, and the driver waits.
Hired car, with or without a driver. A driver is usually the better idea — they know the roads, the police checkpoints and where to park.
Intercity coach — STC, VIP, and the private lines. Cheap, air conditioned, and they run to fixed schedules from stations in Accra. Good for Kumasi, Cape Coast, Takoradi and Tamale.
Trotro to the nearest town, then a local taxi. Cheapest, slowest, and the most interesting. — Getting around Accra
Domestic flights to Kumasi, Tamale and Takoradi. Under an hour, and reasonably priced.
Practical
- Leave early. Genuinely early. Getting out of Accra is the slow part, and 6am makes a two-hour difference on a Saturday.
- Carry cash in small notes. Entry fees, guides, food and tolls.
- Every attraction has a guide fee, usually separate from entry, and often a camera fee. This is normal.
- Avoid returning to Accra after dark on a long road. Unlit roads, unlit vehicles and animals.
- Book accommodation ahead for weekends and any public holiday. — Public holidays
- Rainy season makes unpaved final approaches difficult, and waterfalls spectacular. Trade-off. — Weather and seasons