Ghana 5 Day Itinerary

Ghana 5-Day Travel Itinerary

Ghana switched its entire visa system in 2026 to an online eVisa portal, and if you are African you now travel in for free on an electronic travel authorization instead of paying the old fee. That single change is worth knowing before anything else on this list, because it affects how far ahead you need to plan the paperwork.

Day 1: Arrival in Accra

Kotoka International Airport sits close enough to the city that most hotel transfers run twenty to thirty minutes barring traffic, and Accra traffic is genuinely unpredictable, so build in slack either direction. Start at Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum, the resting place of Ghana’s first president and independence leader, then walk Independence Square, one of the largest public squares in the world and still used for state events. In the afternoon, cross town to Osu, where Oxford Street gives you the city’s densest strip of shops, bars, and street food stalls. Christiansborg Castle, better known locally as Osu Castle, sits at the end of that district facing the Atlantic; it now operates as a presidential museum and you can only enter with an assigned guide, walk-up visitors get paired with one on arrival, and security checks mean arriving early is not optional. Labadi Beach makes a fine sunset stop but skip the paid-entry section on a Sunday if you want anything other than a packed dance floor of a beach; go on a weekday for quiet, or embrace the crowd on the weekend, either is a legitimate way to see it.

Day 2: Jamestown

Jamestown is the old fishing quarter and colonial core of Accra, and it rewards walking slowly rather than rushing between named stops. James Fort and the lighthouse anchor the area, and the surrounding lanes carry murals from the Chale Wote street art festival alongside the daily business of a working fishing harbor, canoes coming in, fish being sold straight off the boats. A local guide from the neighborhood, not a citywide tour company, will get you further into the community and explain what you are looking at better than a self-guided walk. Bargain hard at any craft stalls; asking prices here run two to three times what a fair local price actually is.

Day 3: Cape Coast and Elmina Castles

The drive from Accra to Cape Coast takes three to four hours depending on traffic through Kasoa, and shared tro-tros or a hired car both work, though a private car gives you control over stops. Cape Coast Castle costs around 80 Ghanaian cedi for foreign adults, Elmina Castle runs closer to seven US dollars equivalent, both open roughly nine to five daily. These are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and both were active departure points in the Atlantic slave trade; the Cape Coast Castle tour ends at the Door of No Return, and I would not recommend rushing this, the guides here are trained historians and the material deserves the full hour rather than a speed-run between two castles in one afternoon. If you only have time for one, Cape Coast Castle has the stronger on-site museum.

Day 4: Kakum National Park

Kakum sits about 33 kilometres north of Cape Coast, roughly a forty-five minute drive through Abrafo village, and a tro-tro toward Jukwa from any Cape Coast stop gets you close, though a shared taxi is more reliable on time. Park gate entry runs in the mid-thirties of Ghanaian cedi, with the canopy walkway itself adding a further charge, all told a modest cost by regional standards. The walkway strings seven rope bridges up to 40 metres above the rainforest floor and gets busy with tour groups by mid-morning; arriving at opening time gets you a quieter walk and a better shot at spotting forest hornbills and colobus monkeys before the noise picks up. Skip the guided night walk unless you have a genuine interest in nocturnal wildlife tracking, it is a long, humid slog for a modest payoff.

Day 5: Return to Accra

Head back to Accra and spend the day on art and craft rather than more history. The National Museum of Ghana holds the country’s best archaeological and Ashanti gold collection, though renovation work has periodically limited access in recent years, so check ahead if a specific gallery matters to you. The Nubuke Foundation shows contemporary Ghanaian and West African art in a gallery format that generic guidebook lists routinely skip, and it is worth the detour for anyone who wants art rather than only artifacts. Finish at the Arts Centre for kente cloth, wood carving, and beadwork, haggling is expected and a fair opening counter is roughly half the asking price. Depart from Kotoka International Airport, and confirm your eVisa or ETA printout is on your phone or in hand, immigration checks it on the way out as well as in.

Additional Tips:

Food: banku with tilapia, red red (bean stew), jollof rice, and kelewele (spiced fried plantain) cover the essentials; eat street food from stalls with high turnover and a visible queue of locals, that turnover is your best food safety signal.

Visa: Ghana now runs an online eVisa system through the official immigration portal, with approval typically arriving within 72 hours of a normal application, faster paid tiers exist for urgent travel. African passport holders travel on a free electronic travel authorization instead of a paid visa as of May 2026. Apply well before departure regardless of your tier; do not rely on a same-week approval.

Transportation: Taxis and ride-hailing apps operate throughout Accra; agree a fare or confirm the meter before moving if not using an app. Tro-tros are the cheapest way to move between towns but run on informal schedules, budget extra time. Intercity travel to Cape Coast is faster and more comfortable by private car or a reputable shared shuttle than by tro-tro if your schedule is tight.

Health: Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for entry and checked at the airport; carry your certificate physically, not just as a photo on your phone. Malaria prophylaxis is strongly recommended given year-round risk.

Electricity: Ghana uses type D and G sockets at 230V, 50Hz, the same as the UK, so UK travelers need no adapter while most others do.

Money: The Ghanaian cedi (GHS) is the only currency accepted for cash transactions; carry small notes for tro-tros, markets, and rural stops where card machines are rare.