Kotoka is small by the standards of the hubs it connects to, and that is mostly good news: you can cross it quickly. What catches people out is the terminals, the traffic, and the touts.
The terminals
| Terminal | What uses it |
|---|---|
| Terminal 3 | All international flights — long haul, Europe, the Gulf, and the West African regional carriers |
| Terminal 2 | Domestic flights — Kumasi, Tamale, Takoradi, Sunyani, Wa |
Terminal 1 no longer handles scheduled passengers. If somebody tells you to go to Terminal 1, check.
They are a short distance apart but not connected airside. Connecting from a domestic flight to an international one means leaving Terminal 2, going landside, and checking in again at Terminal 3. Leave real time for it.
How early to get there
- International, Terminal 3: three hours. Not because security is slow, but because the road can be.
- Domestic, Terminal 2: an hour to ninety minutes.
- Any flight during morning or evening peak: add an hour to the journey, not to the airport time.
The traffic is the risk, not the queue
Kotoka sits inside the city, which sounds convenient and means the drive is hostage to Accra traffic. A journey that takes twenty minutes at ten in the morning takes an hour and a half at five in the afternoon. — Getting around Accra
Getting there and away
Ride-hailing is the default and the cheapest predictable option. There is a designated pickup arrangement at the airport; follow the signs rather than the first person who offers.
Airport taxis are metered by negotiation, which means agree the price before the boot is opened.
Ayalolo and public transport exist but are not practical with luggage.
— Ride-hailing and delivery apps — Getting around Accra
The people who approach you are not staff
Anyone who greets you by name at arrivals, offers to carry your bag, or tells you the taxi rank has moved, is working for themselves. Uniformed airport staff stay behind desks. Keep walking, be polite, do not hand over your passport or your bag to anyone who is not at a counter.
Money at the airport
- ATMs work and are the simplest way to get cedis.
- The forex counters at the airport are the worst rate you will get all trip. Change fifty dollars if you need a taxi, and do the rest at a bureau in town.
- Take a small amount of cash, because not every driver takes MoMo at one in the morning.
— Mobile money — Opening a bank account
A SIM card
You can buy one at the airport with your passport, and it saves you the first day. Registration against a Ghana Card or passport is compulsory and is done at the counter.
What is actually airside at Terminal 3
Enough, and not much more: a few cafes and bars, duty free, a couple of lounges, prayer rooms, and charging points that are always in use. Wi-fi exists and is variable.
Eat before security if you have a choice, and carry water bought after it.
Lounges
There are contract lounges accessible on the usual cards and memberships as well as airline lounges. If your card includes lounge access, this is an airport where it earns its keep, because the general seating fills up when three long-haul departures bank together in the evening.
Where you can actually fly
— Every nonstop destination from Accra, mapped — Flying into Accra — Flying out of Accra