Blake Walsh

16 Best Things to Do in Accra, Ghana

  • Published 2022/07/08

Ghana’s capital, Accra, is a bustling metropolis.

The best things to do in Accra, Ghana, can be suited to everyone’s taste, with fantastic beaches, excellent nightlife, colorful markets, and inspiring art galleries.

Whether you take a private cab or public transportation, getting anywhere is simple.

While a tour guide is not required, it is a good idea for first-time tourists and ladies traveling alone.

Interested to know more about this place?

Here are the 16 best things to do in Accra, Ghana:

Wander around the Bojo Beach Resort

Aerial view of Bojo Beach Resort

Eddy blaze, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bojo Beach is located near a fishing community at the mouth of the Densu River a boat journey over the Densu River is required to reach the beach.

On the main property, there is a hotel with a swimming pool, along with on-site restaurants, bars, and a beach.

The beach is immaculate, and the natural scenery is stunning.

The waters of Bojo Beach Resort

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It is accessible all week, although outside food and beverages are not permitted because there are restaurants and bars on-site to suit your needs.

Boat and kayak rides, fishing, and jet skiing are just some of the leisure activities offered.

Beach soccer and volleyball are also available on site for guests.

Boats docked at Bojo Beach Resort

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Explore and Learn the History of the National Museum of Ghana

Exterior of National Museum of Ghana

Livinba, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The National Museum of Ghana opened in 1957 and displays the history of this young nation through three main collections: archaeology, ethnography, and art.

Above all, it’s a great site to learn about the tragic history of the slave trade across the Atlantic.

Interior of National Museum of Ghana

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Cultural exhibitions also give a wonderful glimpse into current Ghana’s ethnographic richness.

You may learn about the importance of royal stools and observe how the fabric is produced.

Musical instruments, jewelry, and contemporary paintings are on show.

Pre-colonial royal machetes exhibit in National Museum of Ghana

Dieu-Donné Gameli, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Join in a Chocolate Taste Session

Ghana is one of the world’s top cocoa growers, so it’s surprising there aren’t more chocolate firms there.

All of that is changing as new companies emerge and consumers experiment with various ingredients and flavors.

A delightful day out where you could sample delicious flavors like mocha, coconut, and hibiscus.

’57 Chocolate, for example, is the creation of two local sisters who provide tastings of their handcrafted chocolates from their Legon studio.

If you can’t taste all of the flavors at once, you may box them as take-outs or attractively packaged presents for your loved ones.

Relax and Unwind at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park & Mausoleum

View of the statue and mausoleum of Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park

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After a long day, unwind in the five acres of beautiful gardens, replete with flowerbeds and exquisite water features, at Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.

The park honors Ghana’s first president and founding father, Kwame Nkrumah, and is situated on the site of his 1957 declaration of independence.

Water fountain at Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park

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The architecturally beautiful mausoleum where Nkrumah and his wife are buried is its centerpiece.

The former president’s battle for independence is memorialized in a museum containing an impressive collection of personal items and pictures.

The Mausoleum’s interior has marble floors and a miniature mastaba-style marble grave plaque surrounded by river-washed pebbles.

Front exterior of Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park mausoleum

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Take a Look around Jamestown Lighthouse

Exterior of the Jamestown Lighthouse

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In the 1700s, a population sprang up around the British Jamestown Lighthouse, gradually uniting with Accra as the city grew.

Despite its gorgeously damaged historical architecture, wooden cottages, and wrought iron dwellings, it is alive and well.

View of the city from Jamestown Lighthouse

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Stand on the edge of the golden tower for a breathtaking view of the city and the vibrant maritime harbor.

A fun fact is that several boxing gyms in Jamestown have produced a long line of champions from the community.

Don’t forget to visit the superb Jamestown Cafe and neighboring gallery, which provide entertainment to tourists around the city.

The top part of Jamestown Lighthouse

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Purchase Gifts at the Artists Alliance Gallery

Interior of Artists Alliance Gallery

David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

From children’s books to beads, apparel, paintings, sculpture, and antiques, this is an excellent one-stop shop in Accra for all kinds of locally crafted presents.

This huge area is in Labadi, in a mansion set on a rocky outcropping overlooking a choppy city beach.

All things are clearly labeled and priced, making it the ideal visit for anyone looking for a true taste of Ghana without the haggling.

The Artists Alliance Gallery is committed to promoting traditional and modern African art around the world.

The gallery’s objective is to give art collectors a diverse range of modern and traditional African art.

The gallery has spent a significant amount of time and effort ensuring that the artists and artworks on exhibit are created of high-quality materials and workmanship to ensure their long-term viability at an affordable price.

Party at Night at the Labadi Beach

Scenic view of Labadi Beach

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The greatest beach on Ghana’s coastline is Labadi Beach, also known as La Pleasure Beach.

Labida beach has a wide beach area, is surrounded by coconut palms, and offers a variety of activities.

Hip-hop, Reggae, and ethnic drumming and dancing are frequently performed on holidays and weekends.

Locals play drums and traditional dance at Labadi Beach

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Visitors skip the waves when it’s too dark and unsafe to swim and instead party until extremely late at night.

For all-night celebrations around bonfires, live bands and reggae performers, disco and pop DJs perform.

Every day of the week, you’ll surely have a terrific time here.

Sunset at Labadi Beach

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Eat Healthy Food at the Green Eats Salad Bar

At the moment, healthy eating is all the rage, and Green Eats Salad Bar is extending it to Ghana.

This ‘create your own salad’ idea is a unique addition to Accra’s emerging healthy eating sector since it is the city’s first fully fitted salad bar.

Green Eats has established growing support since its opening, to the point that lunchtime lines are expected.

They have truly excelled themselves with their dressing selection, and they also make a variety of smoothies with your choice of fruit and vegetable.

Delivery and takeout are also available, or you may enjoy your fresh, nutritious lunch on their delightful small patio.

Take a Photo at the Black Star Square

Gate monument of Black Star Square

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The Accra Sports Stadium and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park surround Black Star Plaza, also known as Independence Square, a public square in Accra, Ghana.

It is now the location of all Ghanaian municipal and army parades.

Unless there are paid events, it is often accessible to the public.

Sunny day at Black Star Square

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The yearly independence festivities, and several other major events, are frequently held on the square.

When photographing the square as well as its monuments, use precaution.

Since 2011, a small group of the army has guarded the Independence Arch, prohibiting tourists from getting close-up images of it.

Before shooting monuments in the plaza, it’s important to get permission first, especially if they’re guarded by officers.

A monument at Black Star Square

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Read a Book at the W.E.B. DuBois Center

This instructive museum, also William Edward Burghardt DuBois’ old house, is located near the American Embassy.

It is dedicated to the life of the famous civil rights pioneer and Pan-Africanist William Edward Burghardt DuBois; you’ll find his personal books and effects within.

President Nkrumah asked Du Bois to live in Ghana in 1961, and at the age of 93, he broke ground on an African Encyclopedia.

It is a museum that provides an excellent account of his life and how he influenced African freedom from colonial forces.

The grounds also include a café, amphitheater, and a much-needed study center for Pan-African history and culture, as well as a mausoleum where he and his wife are interred, surrounded by Asante chairs.

Pick Up Fresh Vegetables at the Makola Market

People shopping at Makola Market

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Makola Market, which opened in 1924 in Accra, was at the center of Ghanaian urban life.

It is a well-known marketplace and retail center run by bold, entrepreneurial African women who know how to run a successful company.

A vendor selling jewelry and fruits at Makola Market

Benggriff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Products ranging from automobile components to land snails are bought in the stalls and surrounding streets.

The market was Accra’s primary retail and wholesale market, the country’s commercial hub, and one of the country’s most prominent social and cultural organizations.

The fresh produce vendors are especially intriguing, with unusual fruits, veggies, and protein that you’ve probably never seen before.

Entrance to the Makola Market

Benggriff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Enjoy the View While Sipping Cocktails at the Sky Bar

At the Villaggio Vista Complex’s Alto Tower, Skybar 25 is Accra’s best rooftop restaurant and bar.

From the highest structure in West Africa, the bar provides panoramic views of the city.

From morning exercise by the roof deck to lunches with girlfriends, the setting is ideal.

They provide a shared meal with fresh vegetables from their garden, as well as an a la carte menu and alcoholic beverages.

They also have a lounge, late-night food, outdoor space, and a scenic rooftop where they offer skybar specials.

Skybar also showcases live bands and the top DJs in town; it’s a one-of-a-kind experience; therefore, reservations are required.

Visit a Fantasy Coffin Workshop

Exterior of a Fantasy Coffin Workshop

René Edward Knupfer-Müller, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

These fantasy coffins, a one-of-a-kind Ghana experience, come in a variety of shapes and sizes, limited only by the judge’s imagination.

Coffins are made to order and, therefore, can be shaped like exotic animals to food, vintage items, or religious signs.

Take a stroll around one of these charmingly laid-back artistic shops, which caused the former president of the United States of America, Jimmy Carter, to purchase a cigar-shaped coffin.

A bird-shaped coffin from Fantasy Coffin Workshop

René Edward Knupfer-Müller, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Most coffin businesses let visitors watch their craftsmen at work or examine their final items for a minimal fee.

You never know; you could be inspired to get your own statement coffin.

You could have one sent to you in advance of your journey to the next life.

A fish-shaped coffin at Fantasy Coffin Workshop

David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Relax and Dine at Buka Restaurant

As it is known locally, Buka was established to serve the needs of the top half business sector and sophisticated foreign travelers.

This well-known eatery can be found on 10th Street in Accra, Ghana

The restaurant is a vibrant picture of the African landscape’s enthusiasm and way of life.

Their menu is created to provide an innovative combination of current traditional African food for any palette.

They choose the best ingredients and present each meal in a unique Buka style.

The calm and breathtaking environment sets the mood, and a taste of one of their delectable dishes rounds off the fascinating Buka culinary experience.

Tourists may enjoy a wide selection of activities in Accra, Ghana; however, there are several additional trip sites worth visiting not far from Accra.

Below are some tourist spots not far from Accra, Ghana, that you won’t want to miss seeing on your vacation.

Other Things to Do Nearby

Come Upon the Cape Coast Castle

Aerial view of Cape Coast Castle

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Cape Coast Castle, originally known as the Gold Coast of West Africa, was one of about forty slave castles that served as prisons and evacuation sites for enslaved people in the Cape Coast region of West Africa.

Thousands of enslaved Africans were carried from far and wide, usually miles and miles away, to these castles to be sold to slave ships.

Exterior of Cape Coast Castle

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One of the most well-known parts of Cape Coast Castle that you may visit today is the “Door of No Return,” which enslaved people out of the castle and onto ships going on the Middle Passage.

The world’s largest and deadliest forced exodus passed through Cape Coast Castle.

It is located on Victoria Rd in Ghana, about a 3-hour drive from Accra.

Cannons at Cape Coast Castle

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Rent a Bike at the Aburi Botanical Garden

A pathway at Aburi Botanical Garden

Nkansahrexford, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Aburi Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden located in Aburi, Ghana’s Eastern Region, about 33.2 kilometers from Accra.

Large lawns with native and imported trees and plants stretch through the lush Akwapim hills in these gardens.

Aburi and Aburi Gardens are two of Ghana’s most popular tourist destinations.

An aircraft display on the grounds of Aburi Botanical Garden

Erik Kristensen, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The people are kind, the place is beautiful, and the history is intriguing.

The availability of renting bicycles for mountain climbs has recently added to Aburi’s allure to daring travelers.

In the Aburi area, there are three self-led mountain bike routes that last 2 to 3 hours, as well as a network of guided trails that last up to five days.

A vibrant flower at Aburi Botanical Garden

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Final Thoughts

Accra, Ghana, provides a unique combination of tourist attractions for people’s amusement.

Whether it’s a bar and restaurant, historical buildings, or museums, there’s something for everyone.

Tourists get to discover exceptional and fascinating sites they have never heard of before.

These locations provide some of the most enjoyable times possible.

Furthermore, it is also an excellent opportunity to learn more about the culture and history of Accra, Ghana.

Best Hotels in Accra

604 hotels in Accra, Ghana.Great savings on hotels in Accra, Ghana online. Good availability and great rates. Read hotel reviews and choose the best hotel deal for your stay.c9b35bf29a75cac2f430f80a5d4bc7fd961d21a7 14Booking.com684491

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