Ghana offers a rich tapestry of culture, history, and natural beauty on West Africa's Gold Coast. From the historic slave castles of Cape Coast to the vibrant markets of Accra and the wildlife of Mole National Park, Ghana welcomes visitors with warm hospitality and diverse experiences. This English-speaking nation combines beaches, rainforests, and centuries of fascinating heritage.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Cape Coast and Elmina Castles
Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle sit on the coast about 15km apart, and both were built by European traders and later used as holding points in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Elmina Castle, first built by the Portuguese in 1482, is the older of the two; Cape Coast Castle's dungeons and its 'Door of No Return' are the more widely visited memorial site. Because both are worth seeing and the drive out is long, most visitors combine them with the Kakum National Park canopy walkway on the same route.
Highlights: Cape Coast Castle UNESCO World Heritage slave fort with Door of No Return · Elmina Castle oldest European building in sub-Saharan Africa (1482) · Kakum National Park canopy walkway 30 min north of Cape Coast
Aburi Botanical Gardens
Aburi sits in the hills above Accra, and the altitude alone makes it noticeably cooler than the coast - part of why the British established the botanical gardens here in 1890. The gardens hold old rubber, cocoa and silk cotton trees planted over a century ago, laid out in wide lawns rather than dense planting. The nearby town is known for its woodcarving and furniture workshops along the main road.
Highlights: 64-hectare botanical gardens with towering mahogany and iroko trees · Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm birthplace of Ghana cocoa industry · Cool hilltop air with panoramic views over Accra · Aburi craft markets with wood carvings and kente cloth
Boti Falls and Koforidua
Boti Falls is a twin waterfall near Koforidua, the Eastern Region's capital, and the two are usually visited together since Koforidua sits on the way in from Accra. The falls run as two separate cascades that join into one pool, with a set of steps down to the viewing area, and Umbrella Rock - a rock formation shaped like a mushroom - is a short drive further on and often visited the same day.
Highlights: Twin waterfalls with rainbow effects in morning mist · 250-year-old Umbrella Tree with massive spreading canopy · Sacred caves with local legends · Koforidua bead market with traditional glass beads
Akosombo Dam and Lake Volta
The Akosombo Dam, completed in 1965 across the Volta River, created Lake Volta - one of the largest man-made lakes by surface area in the world - and still supplies a large share of Ghana's electricity. The town of Akosombo is small and built around the dam and the lake, and the main visitor activity is a boat cruise onto the lake rather than the dam itself, which is a working piece of infrastructure with limited public access.
Highlights: Akosombo Dam viewpoint and 1960s hydroelectric infrastructure · Sunset boat cruise on Lake Volta the world largest artificial lake by surface area · Fresh tilapia lunch at lakeside restaurants · Volta River ferry to Adawso village
Shai Hills Resource Reserve
Shai Hills is a savanna reserve near Dodowa, notable for being close enough to Accra for a half-day trip while still offering real wildlife viewing - baboons are common and easy to see, alongside antelope such as kob and the occasional ostrich in managed enclosures. The reserve also holds caves in its rocky outcrops that were used historically by the Shai people before their resettlement, and some of the granite inselbergs are climbable with a guide.
Highlights: Baboons antelopes ostriches and warthogs in natural habitat · Ancient Shai tribe cave dwellings and rock paintings · Guided walking safaris through savannah-forest transition zone · Over 175 bird species recorded
Ada Foah Estuary
Ada Foah sits where the Volta River meets the Atlantic Ocean, and the estuary is the main draw - a wide stretch of water with a long sandbar separating river from sea, ringed by beach resorts and reachable by boat trips from town. It's more of a relaxed beach-and-boat day than a sightseeing circuit, popular for river cruises out to the river mouth and for the beaches along the estuary.
Highlights: Volta River estuary meeting the Atlantic Ocean · Boat trips through mangroves and estuary islands · Turtle nesting beaches in season October-February · Kayaking and SUP boarding in calm waters
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
- Tours
- Organized day tours from Accra from $50-100 per person covering Cape Coast, Kakum, or Volta Region with transport, guide, and some meals included
- Private
- Private car or taxi hire $60-150 for full-day return trip depending on distance. Negotiate a full-day rate including waiting time.
- Public
- VIP or STC buses serve Koforidua, Cape Coast, and Akosombo from $8-15 one way. Tro-tros are cheaper but slower and less comfortable
- Rental
- Car rental from $40-80/day from Accra. Gives maximum flexibility for combining multiple stops on the same trip
Multi-day tours from Ghana
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
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Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Leave Accra before 7:30 AM to beat traffic and maximize time at your destination
For Cape Coast, book guided tours at the castle in advance during peak season (December-March)
Combine Aburi Botanical Gardens with a craft market stop in Aburi town for a full half-day outing
Bring cash for all day trips — ATMs are scarce outside Accra and Cape Coast