Accra Activities by Cost and Effort

Accra is spread out and its traffic is slow, so it helps to sort the options by what they cost and how much effort they take. Prices here are in cedis (GH₵), at about 11.7 to the US dollar and liable to move. The cedi is the only legal tender, which means cash for tro-tros, markets and street food, with cards and mobile money (MoMo) mostly at hotels and larger venues. Government warnings for Ghana focus on the far north, and the US and UK advice does not name Accra.

Free or close to it

Walking costs nothing. Jamestown’s lanes, Makola Market’s stalls and the shopfronts of Osu can all be covered on foot, and volunteers with Accra Greeters lead free walks. The Artists Alliance Gallery sits at Omanye House on the Accra-Tema Beach Road in Labadi, with art, masks and carved coffins for sale. It is listed as operating in 2026 and one listing shows no entry charge, so ask when you arrive. Next to Nkrumah Park, the Arts Centre sells stools, brass gold weights, beads and drums. Confirm that it is trading, and be ready for firm bargaining.

The National Museum of Ghana is at 2 Barnes Road in Adabraka and is open daily, 9:00 to 16:30. A non-Ghanaian adult pays GH₵80, roughly US$7, and the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board keeps the full fee table on its museum page . The galleries hold gold weights, Kente cloth, royal regalia and archaeological finds.

Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum is a burial memorial, set on the old polo ground off High Street where independence was declared in March 1957. It reopened in July 2023, and the official rates page gives GH₵100 (about US$8.50) for non-Ghanaian adults, with the right to raise fees at any time. The park’s own pages disagree on opening hours, so check first. Photography is allowed only in permitted areas, and a quiet manner suits the place.

Green space within an hour

Shai Hills Resource Reserve lies about 50 km from the city, an hour’s drive in decent traffic. The reserve covers around 51 square kilometres of savanna and rocky hills, home to olive baboons, kob and other antelope, bushbuck and zebra, with three caves named Adwuku, Sayu and Hieowayo. Trained armed guides go with visitors, and the entry fee is charged per hour, so ask at the gate how it is counted.

Aburi Botanical Gardens climb the Akuapem Ridge about 35 km away, also roughly an hour out. The gardens usually open from 8:30 to 17:00, and the ridge is noticeably cooler than the coast. Legon Botanical Gardens, closer to the university, has a canopy walkway, a high-ropes course and weekend canoe rides. Fees for both gardens could not be confirmed, so ask on arrival. A driver and guide can be arranged through Accra tour listings if you would rather not navigate the roads yourself.

The coast

Treat the sea as a view, not a swimming spot. The UK Foreign Office warns that swimming is dangerous on the beaches along Ghana’s southern coast because of rip tides and undertows, and its safety page also reports rising pickpocketing in Accra. The big beaches have no lifeguards at any time of year.

La Pleasure Beach at Labadi was closed in October 2026 after its buildings were cleared, so check whether it has reopened before planning around it. Kokrobite, west of the city, is the surfing beach; Mr Bright’s Surf School at Big Milly’s is the named school, and you should check that it is running and ask about lesson prices. Even surfers go in at low tide only.

Getting around and staying well

Uber, Bolt and Yango all work in Accra and show the fare before the ride. Yellow-fender taxis have no meters, so fix the price before you get in. Rush hours run from about 6:30 to 10:00 and from 16:30 to 20:30, and a trip across town can stretch well beyond the map estimate. Malaria is present all year, so ask a travel clinic about medicine and wear repellent from dusk. Proof of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter Ghana, and travellers without it may be refused entry or vaccinated on arrival.

Read more: sightseeing in Accra , walking tours in Accra , the Accra guide and the 3-day itinerary .