Ghana
Africa · Accra · GH
Ghana is the warm, proudly independent West African nation where the Atlantic and the forest meet, a country of golden beaches, palm groves, forts and a lively, friendly urban culture. Accra, the capital, mixes the surf of its coast, the huge Makola market and the modern skyline of the financial district with the nightlife of Osu and the beach bars of Labadi. The coast road carries the slave fort castles of Elmina and Cape Coast, moving and beautifully kept, and the hinterland holds the Ashanti capital of Kumasi with its palace, the great Kejetia market and the goldsmiths and the weavers of its traditional crafts. To the north the land lifts to the savannah, the Mole National Park with its elephants and the mud-brick mosques of the old trading towns of the Sahel. Welcoming, musical and surprisingly easy to travel, Ghana earns its reputation as the gateway of Africa.
Overview
Ghana is a country in Africa. Its capital is Accra and the international dialling code is +233. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include English. Local currency is the Ghanaian Cedi (GHS). Our guide covers 1 airport, including Kotoka International Airport. We also list 1 city in Ghana: Accra.
The Slave Castles of Cape Coast and Elmina
The coast of Ghana is lined by the white forts of the old Atlantic trade, and the two great castles of Cape Coast and Elmina are the most powerful monuments of the entire history of the transatlantic world. The castles were built by the Europeans as trading posts and held the holding pens where the captives waited for the ships, and the tours of the dark dungeons, the doors to the sea and the storerooms of the trade are among the most moving and honest experiences of the African coast. The museums keep the records, the flags and the chains, and the local guides tell the story without softening. Above ground, the ramparts watch over the fishing fleets and the lines of the bright boats of the African shore. The visit is heavy, necessary and never forgotten.
Makola Market and the Energy of Accra
The capital of Accra crowds its energetic centre around Makola market, one of the great trading floors of West Africa, where the cloth, the food, the cosmetics and the everyday goods move in a constant, shouted commerce. The market women carry the goods on their heads and run their stalls with the loud, generous authority that defines the trade of the country, and the yards of the market and the lanes around it hold the fabric shops, the chop bars and the fryers of the street food. Beyond the market, the modern Accra spreads through the offices of the banks, and the coastal districts of Osu and Labadi hold the nightlife, the galleries and the surf clubs. The city is a place of energy, of talent and of the quiet confidence of a nation that gets on with the business of living well.
Kumasi, the Ashanti Palace and the Kejetia Market
The Ashanti capital of Kumasi, in the forested heart of the country, is the royal city of one of the great kingdoms of pre-colonial Africa. The palace of the king, the Manhyia, still stands at the centre of the city's emotional life, and the museum of the palace tells the history of the kingdom, its golden stool and its wars. The great market of Kejetia fills the core of the city, a vast covered trading ground where the kente cloth of the weavers, the beads, the medicines and the food of the region move in the thousands of transactions of the day. The craft villages of the surrounding hills hold the silversmiths, the woodcarvers and the drum makers who keep the centuries-old techniques of the kingdom. Kumasi is proud, busy and deeply connected to the history of the country.
The Mole Park and the Elephants of the Savannah
In the far north of the country, the Mole National Park spreads its rolling savannah and its gallery forests under the wide skies of the Sahel, one of the last great wildlife destinations of West Africa. The elephants of the park, calmer in the dry season when the water concentrates, move through the grassland in the company of the buffalo, the antelope and the troops of the baboons, and the guided walks, unusual in the region, take the visitors quietly into the middle of it all. The birds of the region, from the hornbills to the eagles, fill the trees and the waterways, and the night sky over the park holds no light pollution at all. The park is remote, simple and deeply rewarding, and it shows a Ghana far from the beaches of the coast.
The Beaches, the Surf and the Welcome of the Coast
The Ghanaian coast is a string of fishing villages, beaches and the white breakers of the Atlantic, and the surf of the shoreline has made the local surf scene one of the liveliest in Africa. The beach of the resort town of Busua, the surf camps of the west and the shacks of the fishermen, who paddle out in their long, carved boats at dawn, frame the everyday life of the shore. The forts of the coast, the lagoon walks and the coconut groves of the promenade add the history and the shade, and the beach bars of the evenings mix the reggae, the highlife and the local beer. The Ghanaians are famously welcoming, and there is a warmth to the whole coastline that makes even the most basic seaside village feel like a place of generosity and rest.
Compare hotels, cover your trip and stay connected.
- Capital
- Accra
- Currency
- Ghanaian Cedi (GHS)
- Languages
- English
- Calling code
- +233
- Internet TLD
- gh
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Ghana.
Which nationalities can enter Ghana?
Current visa status for tourism for the origins we cover, with links to the detailed requirements.
Airports (1)
All airports →Cities (1)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to visit Ghana?
For the origins we track, travellers from Morocco currently enter Ghana visa-free for tourism. Entry rules depend on your passport and the purpose of your trip, so check the current requirements for your own nationality with our entry requirements tool.
What is the capital of Ghana?
Accra is the capital of Ghana, and the country sits in Africa.
What currency is used in Ghana?
You pay with Ghanaian Cedi (GHS) in Ghana. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Ghana?
The languages we list for Ghana are English. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Ghana?
The dialling code for Ghana is +233 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which airports serve Ghana?
Kotoka International Airport (ACC) in Accra is the airport we cover for Ghana.
Which cities in Ghana do you cover?
Our guide lists 1 city for Ghana: Accra (capital).