Attraction
Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park
The memorial park where Kwame Nkrumah declared Ghana's independence, holding the marble mausoleum of Ghana's first president and his wife, plus a museum and library.
There are plenty of things to do in Accra, Ghana's coastal capital and one of West Africa's most welcoming cities. Its story runs from the Ga fishing settlements of Jamestown and the old colonial forts to the independence monuments of the Nkrumah era, and visitors can see all of it in a few days: the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Black Star Square, the National Museum and the climb up the Jamestown Lighthouse. Osu is the busiest district for restaurants, cafés and nightlife, Labone and Cantonments are leafier and calmer, and the Airport Residential Area and Airport City hold many of the business hotels.
Food is a highlight, from jollof rice, fufu with light soup and grilled tilapia at chop bars to modern pan-African and international cooking in Osu and La. Allow three or four days for the city itself, then add at least one long day or an overnight trip for the slave castles at Cape Coast and Elmina and the canopy walkway at Kakum National Park. Shorter escapes include Aburi Botanical Gardens in the hills, the baboons and caves of Shai Hills and the surf at Kokrobite.
Attraction
The memorial park where Kwame Nkrumah declared Ghana's independence, holding the marble mausoleum of Ghana's first president and his wife, plus a museum and library.
Attraction
Ghana's monumental parade ground, completed in 1961, with the Independence Arch, the Black Star Gate and stands for about 30,000 people beside Independence Avenue.
Attraction
Ghana's oldest and largest museum, opened on the eve of independence in 1957, with archaeology, ethnography and art galleries and a sculpture garden.
Attraction
The former Accra home of W.E.B. Du Bois, now a memorial centre with his tomb, a small museum and his personal library, under restoration from 2026.
Attraction
Opened in 2021, Ghana's National Mosque in Kanda is an Ottoman Revival complex with four 65-metre minarets, room for 15,000 worshippers and a library and school.
Attraction
A red-and-white 1930s lighthouse in old Jamestown, about 28 metres tall, whose spiral stairs lead to wide views over the fishing harbour and Accra's coast.
Café
A Ghanaian coffee company's Osu café serving flat whites made with locally sourced beans, all-day breakfasts and early dinners in a high-ceilinged, art-filled space.
Café
An Osu café and co-working hub with a garden and terrace, serving coffee, smoothies and fresh salads daily from early morning to late evening.
Café
An all-day café on the ground floor of One Airport Square, popular for business brunches and coffee meetings, with bagels, avocado toast, salads and iced drinks.
Café
A North Ridge café by day and cocktail lounge and vinyl listening bar by night, serving breakfast and coffee, then Ghana-inspired cocktails such as a Milo…
Café
A long-established Labone café serving coffee, pastries and panini and baguette sandwiches, with outdoor tables and an air-conditioned bar inside.
Café
A sleek Labone bakery café known for its cakes, cupcakes and cinnamon rolls, plus breakfast, sandwiches, wraps, smoothies and custom birthday cakes.
Hotel
A luxury hotel in Accra's central business district with a three-floor spa, outdoor pool, the Papillon restaurant and a free airport shuttle, close to the main…
Hotel
A five-star beachfront resort in La with tropical gardens, pools, a spa and a choice of restaurants and bars, including the Ghanaian buffet at Akwaaba.
Hotel
A luxury boutique hotel in the leafy Airport Residential Area with sixteen individually designed suites, a brasserie and a gym, close to the airport.
Hotel
A large upscale hotel on Independence Avenue next to the National Theatre, with a lagoon-style pool in gardens, a 24-hour gym and easy access to central…
Hotel
A modern business hotel in Airport City, less than a kilometre from the terminals, with a free airport shuttle, an outdoor pool and the Red Red…
Hotel
A modern hotel and suites on Osu's Oxford Street, launched with Radisson Individuals, with an outdoor pool, spa, fitness centre and Restaurant Uno.
Bar
Accra's best-known rooftop bar, on top of the Villaggio Alto tower, pairing tropical cocktails with panoramic sunset views over the city skyline.
Bar
A stylish beachfront club in La with an infinity pool, sunset cocktails and a Euro-Latin menu by day, turning into a party venue late on weekend…
Bar
A relaxed Osu bar known for cocktails built on Ghanaian flavours, such as the hibiscus-based Kokoroko, plus jollof, yam fries and weekend DJs.
Bar
Accra's best-known live music bar, hosting jazz, highlife and blues bands, the Jazz In January festival and an annual International Jazz Day concert.
Bar
A quirky three-level restaurant and bar in La with an Afrocentric dining room, a treehouse-style middle floor, a small rooftop bar and a famous coco-lime margarita.
Bar
A light-filled, post-industrial cocktail bar in a former alley next to Jamestown Coffee in Osu, known for local-spirit cocktails and weekly DJ nights.
Restaurant
A long-running Osu restaurant cooking traditional Ghanaian and wider West African dishes, from light soup and fufu to jollof and kelewele, in a two-level dining room.
Restaurant
A traditional Ghanaian buffet restaurant in Roman Ridge serving fufu with goat light soup, waakye, banku with tilapia and other home-style classics every day.
Restaurant
A polished Japanese restaurant at the base of the Villaggio towers near the airport, known for sushi, sashimi and a menu developed with Nobu-trained chefs.
Restaurant
A Labone kitchen and bar since 2014, serving steaks, seafood pasta, burgers and grilled fish indoors or on a leafy terrace, with cocktails until late.
Restaurant
A beachside pan-African restaurant at Sandbox Beach Club in La, pairing ocean views with creative dishes such as yaji lamb with moi moi and gari-crusted wagashi.
Restaurant
A sleek indoor-outdoor Italian restaurant in Osu serving Neapolitan-style pizza, truffle pasta and slow-braised beef cheek, with a sister bar alongside.
Thing to do
Accra's best-known market, run largely by women traders, where crowded lanes sell everything from fresh produce and fabrics to beads, pots and tools.
Thing to do
University of Ghana-owned gardens near Legon with a 138-metre canopy walk, high ropes and zip lines, canoeing at weekends and plenty of shade.
Thing to do
The nearest wildlife reserve to Accra, where baboons, kob and over 170 bird species live among rocky hills, caves and grassland once home to the Shai…
Thing to do
A fishing village beach west of Accra that has become the city's surf hub, with lessons for beginners, canoes on the sand and a relaxed weekend…
Thing to do
Built by the Portuguese in 1482, Elmina's St George's Castle is the oldest surviving European building in sub-Saharan Africa, toured with a guide through dungeons, chapels…
Tour operator
A Ghana Tourism Authority-licensed Accra operator running Old Accra walking tours, food tastings, day trips and tailor-made tours across Ghana, Togo and Benin.
Tour operator
A Friday-night bus tour of Accra's landmarks and nightlife run by the state-backed Ghana Tourism Development Company, launched in 2025 and now held most weeks.
Tour operator
An Accra tour operator established in 1994, running historical, cultural, educational and eco tours in Ghana and across West Africa for individuals and groups.
Tour operator
A Ghanaian-owned destination management company in Accra offering cultural, heritage, festival and birding tours in Ghana and neighbouring countries.
Tour operator
A licensed eco-tourism operator based just outside Accra, running tailor-made nature and culture tours in Ghana, Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso, with its own lodges.
Three or four days covers the main sights, markets and food scene, plus one or two extra days for trips to Cape Coast, Elmina, Kakum or Aburi.
Osu suits first-time visitors who want restaurants and nightlife on the doorstep, Labone and Cantonments are quieter and leafy, and Airport City and the Airport Residential Area are convenient for business trips and flights.
Kotoka International Airport is close to the city, and ride-hailing apps, airport taxis and hotel transfers are the usual options; journey times depend heavily on traffic.
Local food, trotros and markets are inexpensive, while international hotels, imported goods and upmarket restaurants can cost as much as in Europe.
Most visits are trouble-free, but take normal precautions: watch for pickpockets in crowded markets, use registered taxis or ride-hailing apps at night and be careful of strong currents at the beaches.