10 Best Things to Do in Ghana for First-Time Visitors
From slave castles and rainforest canopy walks to kente villages and beach sunsets — here are the 10 experiences every first-time visitor to Ghana should have, and exactly how to make each one happen.
10 Best Things to Do in Ghana for First-Time Visitors
Ghana is one of West Africa's most rewarding travel destinations — stable, welcoming, and packed with history, culture, and natural beauty. But with so much to see across a country roughly the size of the United Kingdom, knowing where to start can be overwhelming.
This guide cuts through the noise. These are the 10 experiences that matter most for a first visit — chosen not just for their popularity but for the genuine impact they leave on visitors long after they return home.
1. Walk Through the Door of No Return at Cape Coast Castle
No experience in Ghana is more powerful or more important than a guided tour of Cape Coast Castle. Built in 1653 and expanded under British colonial control, this UNESCO World Heritage Site was one of the largest holding fortresses for enslaved Africans before the transatlantic crossing.
- Walk through the male and female slave dungeons where thousands were held in appalling conditions
- Stand at the Door of No Return — the last point of African soil for millions of enslaved people
- Visit the governor's quarters directly above the dungeons — the brutal contrast is deliberate and devastating
- The museum inside the castle holds artefacts, maps, and first-hand accounts
Allow at least 2 hours for the guided tour. The experience is emotional and deserves your full attention. Many visitors — especially those from the diaspora — describe it as life-changing.
Nearby: Elmina Castle is just 15 minutes away and should be visited on the same day. Built by the Portuguese in 1482, it is the oldest European building in sub-Saharan Africa.
How to get there: Private day tour from Accra with Chris Mobility Africa — 145km west of Accra, approximately 3 hours.
2. Cross the Kakum Canopy Walkway
Seven rope-and-plank bridges suspended 30 metres above the rainforest floor — the Kakum canopy walkway is one of only a handful in the world and the most famous attraction in Ghana's Central Region.
- The walkway stretches 350 metres through the treetops of Kakum National Park
- Views across 375 square kilometres of intact tropical rainforest
- Listen for birds — over 400 species have been recorded in Kakum including the rare white-breasted guineafowl
- The uphill walk to the walkway takes about 15 minutes on a forested path
Go early. The walkway opens at 8:00 AM and is best experienced before the midday heat. Mist in the trees in the early morning makes for extraordinary photographs.
Combine it with: Cape Coast Castle and Elmina in a single day trip from Accra.
3. Explore Accra's Arts and Culture Scene
Accra is one of West Africa's most vibrant creative cities — and most visitors barely scratch the surface.
Must-visit spots in Accra:
- Labadi Beach — the most popular public beach in Accra, lively on weekends with music, food, and local life
- Makola Market — the beating commercial heart of Accra, overwhelming in the best way
- National Museum of Ghana — Ghana's history from prehistoric times to independence, well curated and undervisited
- Jamestown Lighthouse — climb for panoramic views over the oldest part of Accra and the Atlantic
- Chale Wote Street Art Festival (August) — one of Africa's largest street art events, held annually in Jamestown
- Osu Oxford Street — restaurants, bars, craft shops, and the social centre of expat Accra
Accra rewards slow exploration. Hire a driver for a half-day city tour rather than rushing between sites in a taxi — you will see far more and with much less stress.
4. Visit a Kente Weaving Village in Kumasi
Kente cloth is Ghana's most recognisable cultural export — the bright woven fabric worn at graduations, weddings, and state occasions across the African diaspora worldwide. Seeing it made by hand is extraordinary.
- Bonwire, just outside Kumasi, is the home of kente weaving and the most visited kente village
- Watch master weavers work traditional wooden looms at extraordinary speed
- Buy directly from the weavers — prices are fair and the quality is genuine
- Visit the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi to learn about the Ashanti Kingdom — one of West Africa's most powerful pre-colonial empires
Kumasi is 4 hours from Accra by road or 45 minutes by domestic flight. It deserves at least one overnight stay to do it justice.
5. Spend a Night at a Beachfront Property in the Central Region
Ghana's coastline stretches over 500 kilometres and has some of West Africa's most beautiful and least-crowded beaches. The Central Region between Accra and Takoradi is the most accessible stretch.
Top beach spots:
- Coconut Grove Beach Resort (Cape Coast) — well-maintained beachfront property, good restaurant, steps from the Atlantic
- Busua Beach (near Takoradi) — quieter, more laid-back, popular with surfers
- Anomabo Beach Resort — historic town between Accra and Cape Coast, beautiful stretch of sand
Falling asleep to the sound of the Atlantic Ocean on the same coast that witnessed the slave trade is an experience that sits with you long after you leave Ghana.
6. Take a Volta Region Road Trip
The Volta Region is Ghana's most scenic and most undervisited region — a landscape of rolling hills, waterfalls, forest reserves, and the vast Lake Volta, one of the world's largest man-made lakes.
Key stops:
- Wli Waterfalls — the highest waterfall in West Africa, a 45-minute hike through forest
- Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary — walk among wild mona monkeys in a community-protected forest
- Hohoe — the main town in the Volta Region, relaxed and authentic
- Dodi Island — boat trip across Lake Volta to a small island community
- Amedzofe — Ghana's highest settlement, incredible views across the Volta escarpment
The Volta Region is Chris Mobility Africa's home territory — our team knows every road, waterfall, and guesthouse in the region. Ask us to build a custom Volta itinerary for your dates.
7. Watch the Sun Set Over the Atlantic at Elmina
Of all the moments available to a visitor in Ghana, few match the experience of watching the sun set from the walls of Elmina Castle over the fishing harbour below.
- Time your visit to Elmina to arrive in late afternoon (3:00 – 4:00 PM)
- After the castle tour walk down to the Elmina fishing harbour
- Watch the brightly painted fishing boats (called pinas) coming in with the evening catch
- The colours — orange sky, painted boats, white castle walls — are extraordinary at golden hour
- The fish market below the castle walls comes alive in the late afternoon
This is one of the most photographed scenes in Ghana and one that no photograph fully captures. Be there in person.
8. Cross the Border into Togo for a Day
Ghana shares its eastern border with Togo and the crossing at Aflao-Lomé is one of the busiest land borders in West Africa. For visitors based anywhere in the Volta Region or eastern Accra, a day trip to Lomé is surprisingly easy.
- Lomé is Togo's capital and sits right on the border — you can walk across
- The Grand Marché in Lomé is one of West Africa's great markets — fabrics, food, crafts, and energy
- Lomé Cathedral and the Fetish Market are worth a visit
- French is the official language — useful phrases help but English is understood in tourist areas
- Currency changes to West African CFA Franc (XOF) across the border
You will need your passport and a valid Togo visa or visa-on-arrival to cross. Chris Mobility Africa provides cross-border transport from Denu to Lomé and beyond — we know the border process inside out.
9. Eat Your Way Through Ghanaian Food
Ghana's food is one of its great undiscovered pleasures. Rich, bold, and deeply satisfying — Ghanaian cuisine deserves as much attention as the country's history and nature.
Dishes every first-time visitor should try:
| Dish | What it is |
|---|---|
| Jollof rice | Ghana's version of the West African classic — smoky, tomato-based, fiercely debated |
| Fufu with light soup | Pounded cassava and plantain served with a delicate chicken or goat broth |
| Kelewele | Spiced fried plantain — the best street food snack in Ghana |
| Waakye | Rice and black-eyed peas with a variety of accompaniments — a Ghanaian breakfast staple |
| Grilled tilapia | Fresh river fish grilled over charcoal, served with banku and pepper sauce |
| Kontomire stew | Cocoyam leaves cooked with palm oil and smoked fish — earthy and deeply Ghanaian |
| Chichinga | Spiced kebabs grilled on the street — beef, chicken, or offal |
Ask your driver or guide where the local chop bars (traditional restaurants) are near each destination. The best Ghanaian food is never in the tourist restaurants — it is in the places locals eat.
10. Visit the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre in Accra
Less visited than the slave castles but equally significant, the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture in Accra is the final resting place of one of America's most important civil rights thinkers.
- Du Bois renounced his American citizenship and moved to Ghana at President Kwame Nkrumah's invitation in 1961
- He died in Accra in 1963, aged 95, on the eve of the March on Washington
- The centre contains his personal library, study, and archives
- The mausoleum in the garden is simple, dignified, and moving
For diaspora visitors — particularly those from the United States — this site carries enormous emotional weight. It connects the history of the slave castles to the ongoing story of the African diaspora in a way nothing else in Ghana does.
Location: Roman Ridge, Accra — approximately 20 minutes from the city centre.
How to See All of This
Ghana is not a small country and the best experiences are spread across several regions. The most efficient way to cover significant ground — especially on a first visit — is with a private driver and guide who knows the country well.
Suggested itineraries:
| Duration | What you can cover |
|---|---|
| 3 days | Accra city + Cape Coast day trip |
| 5 days | Accra + Cape Coast + Kumasi overnight |
| 7 days | Accra + Cape Coast + Kumasi + Volta Region |
| 10 days | All of the above + Mole National Park or cross-border |
| 14 days | Full Ghana experience including northern regions |
Talk to us about building a custom itinerary for your specific dates and interests. We have been running private tours across Ghana and West Africa for years and can put together something that fits exactly what you want to do.
Practical Tips for First-Time Visitors
- Visa: Most nationalities can get a Ghana e-visa online before travel at evisa.gov.gh
- Yellow fever vaccination: Mandatory for entry — carry your yellow card
- Currency: Ghana Cedi (GHS) — ATMs widely available in Accra and major towns
- Language: English is the official language — widely spoken across Ghana
- Safety: Ghana is one of West Africa's most stable and visitor-friendly countries
- Best time: November to March for dry season travel
- Transport: Hire a private driver for any multi-site itinerary — public transport is cheap but slow
Start Planning Your Ghana Trip
Whether you have 3 days or 3 weeks, Ghana has something that will stay with you for the rest of your life. The slave castles alone justify the journey. Everything else is a bonus.
Browse our Ghana tour packages — private tours, multi-day experiences, and custom itineraries across Ghana and West Africa.
Or tell us what you want to do and we will build it:
WhatsApp us your travel dates — we will send you a custom itinerary and quote within 24 hours.
Chris Mobility Africa is a Ghana Tourism Authority licensed tour operator and chauffeur service based in the Volta Region, Ghana. We specialise in private tours, airport transfers, and cross-border travel across West Africa.
