Accra Sightseeing: A Two-Day Route

October 18, 2026

Accra’s sights fall into two clusters, the old colonial waterfront at Jamestown and the monuments and museums further inland, and they work best as two separate days. Several of the stops are memorials, so dress simply and keep your voice down. Fees are in cedis (GH₵), at about 11.7 to the US dollar, and are for non-Ghanaian adults. Opening hours shift, so confirm them before you set out.

Day one: the old coast

Jamestown is Accra’s oldest district. Its lighthouse is about 28 m tall, was built in 1932 and is run by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority. No official ticket office exists, and unofficial guides at the base lead visitors up the stairs for a tip, so agree the amount before you climb. A 2013 Time Out entry called the stair possibly not overly safe, so take care.

A short walk away, Ussher Fort Museum has exhibits on the slave trade, and the building served as a prison until 1993. It opens Monday to Saturday, 9:00 to 16:30. Listings give the fee as anywhere from GH₵40 to 80, so confirm it at the desk. This is a solemn place and deserves an unhurried visit.

Brazil House stands on Brazil Lane and honours the Tabom, people who returned from Brazil and settled here. It has been a museum since 2007, and one listing gives an entry fee of about GH₵10, but it is sometimes shut for works. In the lanes of Ga Mashie, ask before you photograph anyone.

Day two: the centre and Cantonments

Begin at Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, off High Street, where Ghana’s independence was declared in 1957. Budget one to two hours. It holds the tomb of Nkrumah and his wife Fathia, a museum, an audiovisual tunnel, Adinkra walls and fountains, and it reopened in July 2023. The official rates page gives GH₵100 for non-Ghanaian adults and warns that fees can rise. Pages from the park itself disagree about opening hours. This is a burial memorial, so photograph only where permitted.

The Arts Centre sits beside the park, with stalls of stools, beads, drums and brass weights. Check that it is trading and expect firm bargaining. Independence Square, with its Black Star Gate and parade ground facing the sea, was commissioned in 1961 for a visit by Queen Elizabeth II. Visitors look from outside, and state events can close it at short notice. Next door, Nationalism Park opened on 20 December 2024 and charges an entry fee.

The National Museum of Ghana lies away from all this at 2 Barnes Road in Adabraka. Admission is GH₵80, and the museum page lists the student and child rates. It holds gold weights, royal regalia, Kente and modern art.

The W.E.B. Du Bois Centre is at 22 First Circular Road in Cantonments. A visit on 3 October 2026 found the campus being renovated and the bungalow where he lived closed, with the photo exhibit and archive lab open by private tour. A dedication is projected for February 2027. Weekday hours are typically 9:00 to 16:00, and Saturday hours 10:00 to 15:00. No fee is confirmed, so ask when you contact the centre.

Osu Castle

Fort Christiansborg began as a Swedish trading lodge in 1652 and became a Danish-Norwegian fort in the 1660s, serving as a base of the Danish slave trade on this coast. It later housed the government until the presidency moved to Jubilee House. Access for visitors is contested, with some sources saying it is closed to walk-ins, so see it from the road, check with the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, and do not plan a tour around it. Ask permission before photographing it or any government or security building.

Status at a glance

Site	Status	Fee	Hours
National Museum	Open	GH₵80	Daily 9:00 to 16:30
Nkrumah Memorial Park	Open	GH₵100	Check before going
Ussher Fort Museum	Open	GH₵40 to 80, confirm	Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 16:30
Du Bois Centre	Partly open	Not confirmed	Typically weekdays 9:00 to 16:00
Jamestown lighthouse	Open, unofficial guides	A tip, agreed first	Daylight
Osu Castle	Access contested	None to plan on	Seen from the road

Getting around

Uber, Bolt and Yango quote a fare before the ride, and yellow-fender taxis have no meters, so settle the price first. Pickpocketing is rising in central Accra, so carry little. If you would prefer someone to link the sights for you, Accra city sightseeing tours lists a range of private and group options.