How many days in Accra? 3 days, from Jamestown to the Aburi hills
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Accra does not have one grand monument to tick off; it is a sprawling coastal capital of about 5 million people where the interest is in the neighbourhoods, the markets, the music and the history of independence. Give it three days: one for old Accra and Jamestown, one for Osu, the galleries and the beach, and one to escape the heat in the Aburi hills. The rule that matters: traffic decides everything, so plan each day around one part of the city and move early.
Short answer
Two days covers Jamestown, the Nkrumah Memorial Park, Makola Market, Osu and a Labadi sunset. The third day adds the cool air and gardens of Aburi, or a gallery and craft-market day in the city.
The 3-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Independence Accra, Jamestown and Makola
Morning. Start at Black Star Square (Independence Square) at 8:00, before the heat: the Independence Arch and the Black Star Gate face the Gulf of Guinea. Take a taxi 5 minutes to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum, where Ghana's first president is buried; the small museum shows his life and the 1957 independence. Foreign visitors pay roughly GH₵ 100-150; check the current rate at the gate.
Afternoon. Walk or ride 10 minutes to Jamestown, the oldest part of the city. Pay a local guide (about GH₵ 100-200 for an hour) to climb the Jamestown Lighthouse, walk past Ussher Fort and James Fort, and see the fishing canoes and boxing gyms of the Ga community. Then cross to Makola Market, the huge central market for fabric, beads and cooking pots.
Evening. Eat at a chop bar near the old town, where banku with tilapia costs about GH₵ 80-120, or head back to Osu for dinner. Taxis or Uber/Bolt rides between the old centre and Osu cost about GH₵ 40-70.
In Jamestown, ask before photographing people and only go with a guide from a known operator or the lighthouse caretakers; unofficial 'guides' will ask for large fees afterwards.
Day 2: Osu, galleries and Labadi Beach
Morning. Visit the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre in Cantonments (about GH₵ 50-100), the home and grave of the African-American scholar who moved to Ghana in 1961. Then go to the Artists Alliance Gallery at Labadi, three floors of Ghanaian painting, sculpture and kente.
Afternoon. Walk Oxford Street in Osu, the city's main strip of shops, cafes and street food, and look at Osu Castle (Fort Christiansborg) from the outside; it was the seat of government for decades. Buy fabric or a kente strip at the Centre for National Culture (Arts Centre) craft market, where bargaining is expected.
Evening. Head to Labadi Beach (about GH₵ 20-50 entry at the managed sections) for sunset and, on weekends, drumming and dancers. Later, catch live highlife or Afrobeats at a bar in Osu or East Legon; many places charge no cover on weeknights.
Swim at Labadi only where lifeguards and other swimmers are present; the Atlantic currents along Accra's coast are strong.
Day 3: Day trip to the Aburi hills
Morning. Leave by 7:30 for Aburi, about 40 km north on the Akuapem ridge (roughly 1-1.5 hours by car, depending on traffic). The Aburi Botanical Gardens, laid out in 1890, are several degrees cooler than the coast; entry for foreigners is about GH₵ 50-80. Walk the avenues of royal palms and the old silk-cotton trees.
Afternoon. Stop at the Aburi wood-carving village along the main road for drums, stools and masks, where prices start high and drop with patient bargaining. Have lunch on a terrace with views back over the plain to Accra.
Evening. Return to the city before the evening rush (leave by 15:30) and finish at a rooftop bar in Airport Residential or Osu with grilled kebabs (suya, called 'khebab' locally) and a cold Club beer.
A driver with a car for the day costs about GH₵ 900-1,500 including fuel; agree the price and the return time before you leave.
Only have 2 days?
With 2 days, do Day 1 as written and combine Osu and Oxford Street with an afternoon at the Arts Centre and Labadi on Day 2. You lose Aburi and the Du Bois Centre.
Got extra days?
Add two days for Cape Coast and Elmina: the castles there were centres of the Atlantic slave trade and are UNESCO-listed (about 3-4 hours by road each way, so stay a night). Combine them with the canopy walkway at Kakum National Park. Another option is the Volta Region for waterfalls and Lake Volta.
Where to stay in Accra
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Osu (guesthouses) | Walk to Oxford Street, bars and cheap food; easy taxis everywhere. | GH₵ 600-1,100 |
| Mid-range | Osu / Labone | Quiet leafy streets close to the nightlife and 15-20 minutes from the airport. | GH₵ 1,300-2,200 |
| Mid-range | Airport Residential / East Legon | Close to Kotoka airport, newer hotels and restaurants. | GH₵ 1,400-2,500 |
| Comfort | Cantonments / Ridge | International hotels with pools, generators and security. | GH₵ 3,000-6,000 |
Getting around
Accra is not walkable between districts: distances are long, pavements patchy and the heat strong. Use Uber or Bolt, which work well and show the fare upfront; most rides across the centre cost GH₵ 40-90. Street taxis are cheaper but you agree the price first. Tro-tros (shared minibuses) cost a few cedis but are crowded and hard to read for newcomers. From Kotoka International Airport to Osu takes 20-40 minutes depending on traffic. Avoid moving between 7:00-9:30 and 16:30-19:30, when a 10 km trip can take an hour.
What to eat in Accra
Ghanaian food is built on starch plus a rich soup or stew. Try jollof rice (the cause of a friendly rivalry with Nigeria), waakye (rice and beans, a breakfast favourite sold from roadside stands for GH₵ 30-50), banku or kenkey with grilled tilapia and pepper sauce, and fufu with light soup or groundnut soup, eaten with the right hand. Kelewele, spicy fried plantain, is the evening street snack. Chop bars serve a full plate for GH₵ 60-120; a restaurant meal in Osu costs GH₵ 200-400. Drink fresh coconut from street sellers, sobolo (hibiscus juice) and local beers such as Club or Star.
Best time to visit
November to March is the dry season, with highs around 31-33°C; from December to February the harmattan wind from the Sahara brings dust and hazy skies. The main rains run from April to June, with a shorter wet spell in September-October. Accra is hot all year, so time doesn't change the temperature much. December is busiest, with diaspora visitors, festivals and concerts, and hotel prices rise.
Month-by-month weather for Accra →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | GH₵ 350 | GH₵ 850 | GH₵ 2,200 |
| Food & drink | GH₵ 200 | GH₵ 450 | GH₵ 900 |
| Sights & tickets | GH₵ 100 | GH₵ 250 | GH₵ 500 |
| Local transport | GH₵ 80 | GH₵ 200 | GH₵ 600 |
| Total per person, per day | about GH₵ 730 | about GH₵ 1,750 | about GH₵ 4,200 |
Approximate 2026 prices in Ghanaian cedis; the cedi moves a lot against the dollar and euro, so check the current rate and expect some hotels to quote in US$.
Before you go
Common questions
Do I need a visa for Ghana?
Most visitors need a visa arranged before travel, through a Ghanaian embassy or the official online system, and a yellow fever vaccination certificate is checked on arrival. Citizens of ECOWAS countries and some others are exempt. Rules have been changing, so confirm on the Ghana Immigration Service website at least a month before your flight.
Is Accra safe for visitors?
Accra is one of the calmer capitals in West Africa. Petty theft happens at Makola Market and on beaches, so keep phones out of sight in crowds. Use Uber or Bolt at night rather than walking, and avoid empty beaches after dark. Drive with care: road traffic is the bigger risk.
Is it worth going to Cape Coast from Accra?
Yes, if you have at least one extra night. Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle are the most important slave-trade sites in Ghana, and the guided tours of the dungeons are deeply moving. The drive is about 150 km but takes 3-4 hours, so a same-day return is exhausting.
Can I pay by card and mobile money?
Hotels, malls and better restaurants take cards. Most daily life runs on cash and mobile money (MTN MoMo), which visitors can rarely set up easily. Carry cedis for taxis, markets and chop bars, and use bank ATMs inside branches or malls.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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