Ghana Activities by Effort Level
Things to do in Ghana, from easy to demanding
Ghana’s best activities ask for very different amounts of effort, from an afternoon among market stalls to a two-leg journey for elephants. Sorting them by workload makes it easier to fit a few of each into a long weekend or a fortnight. Prices are in Ghana cedis (GH₵), about 11.7 to the US dollar in early October 2026, and they move.
Easy: a few hours and no planning
Makola Market in central Accra, off Kojo Thompson Road, is the simplest big day out. Stalls stack Dutch wax prints, Woodin batik, shea butter, dried fish, Scotch bonnet peppers and old trade beads. Go in the morning, and take a local guide if you dislike getting lost in the lanes.
Eating is an activity here too. Jollof rice with fried plantain, waakye with shito pepper sauce, and fufu in light soup are the dishes to try, and a full sit-down meal usually costs GH₵70 to GH₵180.
Active: a morning on your feet
Kakum National Park in the Central Region lies about 33 km north of Cape Coast. Its canopy walkway strings 7 bridges across 333 m of rainforest, up to 27 m above the ground. Visits are in guided groups and last about an hour, and the walkway is open daily from 06:00 to 16:00. Wear closed shoes, listen for hornbills and look for Diana monkeys. Check the fee at the gate, and read more at visitghana.com or the Wildlife Division’s fcghana.org .
Near Kumasi, the villages of Bonwire and Ntonso sit 18 to 25 km north-east of the city. At Bonwire weavers work Kente cloth on narrow wooden looms. At Ntonso artisans stamp Adinkra proverbs onto cloth with calabash stamps, and visitors can stamp a scarf of their own.
Demanding: a trip in its own right
Mole National Park is the country’s headline wildlife experience, and it needs a plan. It is never a day trip from Accra: the road is about 690 km, roughly 10 hours. Instead fly Accra to Tamale (about 1 hour; schedules at flyafricaworld.com ) and drive the remaining 146 km, about 2.5 hours.
Foreign adults pay GH₵60 to enter, and a ranger-led walk costs GH₵20 per person per hour, so a two-hour walk is GH₵40 each. Rangers carry arms, and the rule is to keep your distance from elephants; 20 to 30 m is the working minimum. Roan antelope, waterbuck, warthogs and baboons share the savannah. Details are at molenationalpark.org . On the way in you pass Larabanga, home to a mud-built mosque dating from about 1421; non-Muslims stay outside the prayer hall. The US government advises reconsidering travel to parts of northern Ghana, including areas of the Savannah Region, so read the US advisory and the UK FCDO guidance for Ghana before you go.
Entry and health
UK and US passport holders need a visa, requested on the official e-visa portal at evisa.immigration.gov.gh ; check the portal for the current fee. Bring your yellow fever certificate: if you cannot show one, you may be refused entry or vaccinated on arrival. Malaria occurs all year, so ask a travel clinic about prophylaxis and use repellent at dusk.
Open-coast beaches have rip currents, so swim only beside local swimmers and never alone. Carry cash in cedis for gates and markets; larger Accra hotels and restaurants take cards, and mobile money is widely used.
You can compare guided Kakum tours if you prefer not to drive.
Verdict: if you only have energy for one outing, make it Kakum. For hub-by-hub options see the day trips guide , and for city streets the walking tours guide .