Ghana
Cape Coast Castle, Diaspora Heritage, Kente Cloth, Ashanti Culture, Jollof Rice, Afrobeats, Festivals, Beaches
Ghana, on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, is known across the continent for its warmth and hospitality, summed up in the word "Akwaaba", meaning welcome. In 1957 it became one of the first African countries to gain independence from colonial rule, and it remains proud of its history, music, food and culture.
Accra, the capital, is a lively coastal city of markets, art galleries and beach bars. Visit the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, explore the old neighbourhood of Jamestown with its lighthouse and fishing harbour, and spend evenings in Osu, the heart of the city's restaurant and nightlife scene. Every year from November to January, the "December in GH" season fills Accra with concerts, festivals and celebrations of African and diaspora culture.
Along the coast west of Accra stand the castles and forts built during the Atlantic slave trade, among them Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle, now part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are powerful places of remembrance and central to Ghana's role in reconnecting the African diaspora with the continent. Nearby, Kakum National Park's canopy walkway leads high above the rainforest.
Inland, Kumasi is the historic capital of the Ashanti Kingdom, where you can visit the Manhyia Palace Museum and nearby villages known for kente weaving. In the north, Mole National Park is Ghana's largest wildlife reserve and one of the best places in West Africa to see elephants on foot with a ranger.
Best Time to Visit Ghana
The dry season from November to March is the best time to visit, with the festive December in GH programme at its peak around Christmas and New Year. The Harmattan wind can bring dusty haze between December and February. The main rains fall from April to June, with a second, shorter rainy season in the south around September and October.
Top Reasons to Visit Ghana
1. Cape Coast and Elmina Castles
Guided tours of Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle tell the story of the transatlantic slave trade through the dungeons and the Door of No Return. They are among the most moving heritage sites in Africa.
2. December in GH
From November to January, Ghana's festive season brings a calendar of concerts, fashion shows, food festivals and cultural events officially endorsed by the Ghana Tourism Authority, drawing visitors and the diaspora from around the world.
3. Kakum National Park
Walk the canopy walkway, a chain of rope bridges suspended high among the treetops of Kakum's tropical rainforest. Early mornings give the best chance of spotting birds and butterflies.
4. Ashanti Culture in Kumasi
Discover the history of the Ashanti Kingdom at the Manhyia Palace Museum, browse Kejetia Market, one of the largest in West Africa, and visit Bonwire to watch kente cloth being woven by hand.
5. Wildlife at Mole National Park
Join a ranger-led walking safari to see elephants, antelope, warthogs and baboons in Ghana's largest national park, then visit the nearby Larabanga Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in the country.
6. Ghanaian Food and Music
Taste jollof rice, waakye, kelewele and grilled tilapia with banku from chop bars and street stalls, then experience live highlife and Afrobeats in Accra's bars and clubs.
