Day trips in Ghana

Ghana’s day trips depend entirely on where you start. From Accra you can reach hill gardens and a savannah reserve within about an hour, while the famous rainforest walkway is a long day, and the northern parks belong to a different hub altogether. Prices here are in Ghana cedis (GH₵), at about 11.7 to the US dollar in early October 2026, and they move.

From Accra: Aburi and the Akuapem hills

Aburi Botanical Gardens, established in 1890, sit on the cooler Akuapem ridge about 35 km north of Accra, roughly an hour by road. Royal palms, silk cotton trees and spice trees line the paths, and entry is about GH₵20. The Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm at Mampong, where the first cocoa seeds from Fernando Po were planted in 1879, is a short onward hop with entry reported near GH₵30. Leave before 07:30 to miss the worst of the Accra traffic.

From Accra: Shai Hills and Akosombo

Shai Hills Resource Reserve is about 50 km north-east of Accra on the Akosombo road. Granite outcrops rise over grassland with olive baboons, kob antelope and caves associated with the Shai people. Entry is GH₵70 for an adult and GH₵20 for a vehicle; see fcghana.org for the reserve. Akosombo Dam on Lake Volta lies further north and makes a second stop only if you start early.

From Accra: Kakum and Cape Coast

Kakum’s 333 m canopy walkway, with its seven bridges and drop of up to 27 m, is about four hours from Accra by road, so it works best as a very early start or an overnight in Cape Coast. A chauffeured car for the day is commonly quoted at about GH₵1,500 to GH₵2,200 per vehicle. Public transport is cheaper: Intercity STC coaches run Accra to Cape Coast in 3.5 to 4.5 hours for about GH₵90 to GH₵130, with timetables at stc.gov.gh . The walkway is open daily 06:00 to 16:00 and the fee is shown at the gate. Compare guided Kakum day tours .

From Kumasi: Lake Bosomtwe

About 30 km south-east of Kumasi, Lake Bosomtwe fills a meteorite crater roughly 8 km across, and the Ashanti hold it sacred. Fishermen use traditional wooden boats paddled with planks. Eco-lodges on the shore are good for a long lunch, and the crater rim has walking paths. Allow about an hour each way.

From Tamale: Mole and Larabanga

Mole is a day trip only from Tamale, never from Accra. Fly Accra to Tamale (about 1 hour), then drive about 2.5 hours west; start early and plan for a late return. Foreign adult entry is GH₵60, and the ranger-led walk is GH₵20 per person per hour, so a two-hour walk is GH₵40 each. Larabanga Mosque, built in the Sudano-Sahelian mud style around 1421, is on the road in; non-Muslims stay outside the prayer hall. The US government advises reconsidering travel to parts of northern Ghana, including areas of the Savannah Region, so read the US advisory and the UK FCDO’s Ghana advice before you book. Many visitors prefer an overnight at Mole instead.

Safety and money

The Atlantic along Ghana’s open coast carries strong rip currents and heavy shore break, so swim only where locals are swimming, never alone and never at night. Malaria is present across Ghana all year, so ask a travel clinic about prophylaxis before you fly and use repellent from dusk. Carry cash in cedis for gates, markets and shared transport; larger Accra hotels and restaurants take cards, and mobile money is widely used. UK and US passport holders need a visa, applied for on the official e-visa portal at evisa.immigration.gov.gh , where you can check the current fee. A yellow fever certificate is required, and without one you may be refused entry or vaccinated on arrival.

Verdict: for a first Accra-based day, choose Aburi in the morning and Shai Hills the next; save Kakum for a night on the coast. The 2-day Ghana itinerary shows how to sequence them.

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