A little more
Ghana.
A lot less roaming.

Travelling to Ghana: what to know before you go

Ghana is one of West Africa's most welcoming countries to travel in: English-speaking, relaxed and rich in history, from the slave-trade castles of the Cape Coast to the Asante kingdom around Kumasi. It suits travellers interested in culture, music, markets and history, and those happy with road journeys that take longer than the map suggests.

Where to go

• Accra. The capital is busy and sprawling, with the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the fishing harbour and lighthouse at Jamestown, the huge Makola Market and a lively food and music scene in districts such as Osu and Labadi.
• Cape Coast and Elmina castles. These whitewashed coastal forts, part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing, were central to the transatlantic slave trade.
• Kakum National Park. A tropical rainforest north of Cape Coast, known for its canopy walkway of rope bridges strung high among the treetops.
• Kumasi and the Asante heartland. Ghana's second city was the seat of the Asante kingdom.

Best time to visit

The dry season from roughly November to March is the most comfortable time to visit, with less rain and easier roads, although the dusty harmattan wind from the Sahara can bring hazy skies from December to February. The south has two rainy seasons, roughly April to June and a shorter one in September to October, while the north has a single wet season in the middle of the year.

Staying online in Ghana

Mobile data is good in Accra, Kumasi and other cities and along the main highways, with 4G widespread. Coverage becomes weaker in the rural north, in national parks such as Mole and in remote parts of the Volta Region. Hotels and some cafés offer Wi-Fi, but it can be slow or interrupted by power cuts. Mobile money is a big part of daily life, so having working data is useful. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.