Things to Do in Accra: Museums and Gardens
Accra works best as a city of museums, markets, music and green day trips. Prices below are in cedis (GH₵), at about 11.7 to the US dollar, so GH₵100 is roughly US$8.50. The cedi is the only legal tender, and shops and taxis should not price in dollars. Carry cash for tro-tros, markets and street food, and expect cards or mobile money (MoMo) mainly at hotels and upmarket venues. The US rates Ghana Level 2 (increased caution) and the UK warns against all but essential travel only to the Bawku Municipality in the north, so neither names Accra.
Museums and memorials
The National Museum of Ghana is at 2 Barnes Road in Adabraka, not beside Black Star Square. It opens daily from 9:00 to 16:30. The Ghana Museums and Monuments Board lists GH₵80 for a non-Ghanaian adult, 60 for tertiary students, 30 for junior and senior high students and 20 for primary pupils; see the museum page . Inside are royal regalia, Kente cloth, gold weights, archaeological finds and contemporary Ghanaian art.
Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum stands off High Street, on the old polo grounds where independence was declared on 6 March 1957. It holds the tomb of Nkrumah and his wife Fathia, a museum, an audiovisual tunnel, Adinkra walls, fountains and a vintage state Cadillac. It is a burial memorial, so visit quietly. The park reopened on 11 July 2023, and the official rates page lists GH₵100 for non-Ghanaian adults, 60 for tertiary students and 30 for children. Fees can rise at any time, and the park’s own pages give different opening hours, so check before you go. Photography is allowed only in permitted areas.
Art and craft
The Artists Alliance Gallery at Omanye House on the Accra-Tema Beach Road in Labadi sells art, masks and carved coffins, and is listed as operating in 2026. The Arts Centre, next to Nkrumah Park, has stalls of stools, brass gold weights, beads and drums. Confirm it is trading, and be ready for firm selling and bargaining. Makola Market is dense and loud, with fabrics, spice and produce, and parts of it are being redeveloped, so keep bags in front of you.
Green escapes
Shai Hills Resource Reserve is about 50 km and an hour from the city. Its 51 square kilometres hold baboons, kob and other antelope, bushbuck, zebra and three named caves, with armed guides. Fees are charged by the hour, so ask at the gate. Aburi Botanical Gardens sit on the Akuapem Ridge about 35 km away, usually open 8:30 to 17:00, and cooler than the coast. Legon Botanical Gardens has a canopy walkway and a high-ropes course. Browse Accra guided tours if you prefer a driver and guide.
The coast
The sea at Accra has rip tides and undertows, and the UK Foreign Office says swimming is dangerous on the beaches along the southern coast; its safety page also says pickpocketing is rising in Accra. The major beaches have no lifeguards, so do not swim at Labadi, Kokrobite or Bojo’s ocean side. La Pleasure Beach at Labadi was cleared in October 2026, so check whether it has reopened before planning a visit. Kokrobite is known for surfing, and Mr Bright’s Surf School at Big Milly’s is the listed school; confirm that it is running, and ask about prices.
Getting around
Uber, Bolt and Yango all work in Accra and show a fare upfront. From the airport to Osu or Cantonments, apps run about GH₵30 to 90, while the official airport taxi is about GH₵100 to 200. Yellow-fender street taxis have no meters, so agree the fare first. Traffic is heaviest from about 6:30 to 10:00 and 16:30 to 20:30. Malaria is present all year, so ask a travel clinic about prophylaxis and use repellent at dusk. A yellow fever certificate is required to enter.
Read more: day trips from Accra and sightseeing in Accra .