Ghana is a stable democracy, and most visits to Accra pass without trouble. It is not risk-free, and the risks are specific enough to plan around: theft and robbery, scams aimed at foreigners and the diaspora, the roads, and the sea. The UK government’s travel advice notes that robbery, burglary and serious assault have become more common since 2021.
Crime in Accra
Most crime against visitors is theft: phones snatched from car windows, bags taken on beaches and in crowds, pickpocketing at markets and stations. Armed robbery and burglary happen too, including in the wealthier areas.
The UK’s advice names Airport Residential, Cantonments, Ridge and Kokrobite for burglary, and these roads for attacks on vehicles, mostly at night: Graphic Road, George Walker Bush Highway (the N1), the Accra Mall roundabout, Awudome Cemetery Road, Pokuase to Amasaman, Teshie to Nungua, the Labadi beach area, the GIMPA road, and Kokrobite.
What helps:
- Keep car windows up and doors locked in traffic, and phones out of sight on the seat.
- Use a ride-hailing app or a driver you know at night rather than a taxi hailed on the street.
- Carry a copy of your passport’s photo page, not the passport. Leave the original in the hotel safe.
- At Kotoka, people posing as drivers wait in arrivals. Agree a name and a code word with whoever is collecting you. — Arriving at Kotoka
Scams
These cost visitors and the diaspora more than street crime does:
- Romance and friendship scams that end in a request for money, a fee, or a “customs charge” on a parcel
- Gold and business deals too good to be true, often with a meeting at a hotel and documents that look official
- Job and visa offers, especially work abroad, asking for a fee up front
- Card skimming at ATMs and payment terminals. Use ATMs inside banks
- Self-appointed officials charging to photograph a monument
The rule that covers almost all of them: nobody legitimate needs you to pay before you see what you are paying for. — Online fraud in Ghana — Housing scams
The roads
The roads are the risk visitors most often underestimate. Avoid driving between towns after dark: street lighting is poor or missing, and the UK government advises against road travel outside the main towns at night. On long journeys, travel in daylight and do not stop for people flagging you down. An okada is the most dangerous way to get around the city. — Driving in Accra
The sea
The beaches along Ghana’s south coast have strong rip currents and undertows, and people drown every year, adults and children. Swim only where locals do and lifeguards are watching, and never after drinking. Do not walk the beaches alone, especially after dark. — Accra’s beaches
The law, and what surprises people
- Photographing military sites or the airport is illegal. Ask before photographing a building with a guard outside.
- Wearing camouflage or military-style clothing is illegal.
- Same-sex sexual acts can be punished with prison, and public affection between same-sex couples is not socially accepted. LGBT visitors should be discreet.
- Demonstrations in Accra are usually well policed and peaceful, but leave the area if one starts, and do not photograph it.
- Do not offer money to the police at a checkpoint.
The north
The far north borders Burkina Faso, where armed groups operate. Accra and the south are not affected, but check your government’s advice before travelling near the northern borders.
Health
Malaria is a bigger risk to most visitors than anything on this page. — Malaria and health — Vaccines and the yellow fever card