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Cape Coast Castle

Travel guide · Coastal castles, Ashanti culture and beaches

Travelling to Ghana

The slave-trade castles of Cape Coast and Elmina, the Ashanti culture of Kumasi, Accra and beaches like Busua. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • Best time: from July to April
  • Where to eat: a chop bar (a local eatery)
Photo: Matti Blume · CC BY-SA 4.0

Ghana in 30 seconds

  • The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Ghana are from July to April.
  • To eat like a local: a chop bar (a local eatery). Don’t leave without trying: Jollof rice, Fufu, Banku and tilapia.

Ghana in November

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Ghana. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

More destinations for November

When to travel to Ghana

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Ghana are from July to April.

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb no warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May with warnings
  6. Jun with warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov no warnings
  12. Dec no warnings

More destinations for those dates: where to travel in January · where to travel in February · where to travel in March · where to travel in April

  • May, June

    Heavy rain

    May and June are the wettest months in the south.

    What to do: The best time is November to March, although the harmattan blows (dust from the Sahara).

What to see in Ghana

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

  • Accra

    Accra

    The capital, with huge markets, the Jamestown district and workshops making fantasy coffins.

    • Jamestown
    • Nkrumah Mausoleum
    • Makola Market
    • Fantasy coffins
    Accra guide
  • Cape Coast

    Cape Coast

    The slave-trade castle and the canopy walkway over the Kakum rainforest.

    • Cape Coast Castle
    • Door of No Return
    • Kakum National Park
    • Fishing village
    Cape Coast guide
  • Kumasi

    Kumasi

    The capital of the Ashanti kingdom, with a palace, a giant market and craft villages.

    • Manhyia Palace
    • Kejetia Market
    • National Cultural Centre
    • Bonwire
    Kumasi guide
  • Elmina

    Elmina

    The oldest European castle in sub-Saharan Africa, beside a lively fishing harbour.

    • São Jorge da Mina Castle
    • Fort St Jago
    • Fishing harbour
    • Posuban
    Elmina guide
  • Busua

    Busua

    A beach village on the west coast, with surfing, coconuts and an old fort nearby.

    • Busua Beach
    • Fort Metal Cross
    • Cape Three Points
    • Akwidaa
    Busua guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

From Accra

From Cape Coast

From Kumasi

From Elmina

From Busua

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

What to eat in Ghana

To eat like a local: a chop bar (a local eatery), and order jollof rice or fufu. And don’t leave without trying:

  • Jollof rice

    Rice with tomato and spices.

  • Fufu

    A dough of cassava and plantain with soup.

  • Banku and tilapia

    Fermented dough with chargrilled fish.

  • Kelewele

    Spiced fried plantain.

  • Waakye

    Rice with beans.

  • Ghanaian chocolate

    From local cocoa.

The typical dish of Ghana, at home

Jollof rice
Photo: Noahalorwu · CC BY-SA 4.0

Jollof rice

West Africa’s red rice, cooked in a sauce of tomato, peppers and spices. Ghana and Nigeria argue good-naturedly over who makes it best.

  • Serves 6
  • 1 h 15 min

Ingredients

  • 500 g long-grain rice
  • 4 tomatoes and 2 red peppers
  • 2 onions
  • 1 Scotch bonnet chilli
  • 3 tablespoons of tomato purée
  • 1 tablespoon of ginger and 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 litre of chicken stock
  • Curry powder, thyme, bay leaf
  • Oil and salt
  • Fried chicken and fried ripe plantain to serve

How to make it at home

  1. Blend the tomatoes, peppers, one onion, the chilli, ginger and garlic.
  2. Soften the other onion in oil, add the tomato purée and fry for a few minutes.
  3. Add the blended mixture and cook for 20 minutes until it reduces and the oil rises to the surface.
  4. Add the spices, stock and washed rice; cover and cook over a low heat for 25 minutes.
  5. Serve with fried chicken and plantain.

The trick: A little toasted rice on the bottom (the “party jollof”) is the best bit.

The typical food of each city, with a recipe

Curious facts about Ghana

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

  • It was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence, in 1957.
  • The castles of Cape Coast and Elmina are World Heritage Sites.
  • It’s one of the world’s biggest cocoa producers.
  • Hand-woven kente cloth is a symbol of the Ashanti.
  • In Accra there are coffins shaped like fish, cars or bottles.
  • Jollof rice sparks a friendly rivalry with Nigeria.

Traditions of Ghana

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

  • July or August Panafest

    A pan-African festival in Cape Coast.

  • Akwasidae

    An Ashanti festival in Kumasi.

  • Kente

    Woven cloth.

  • 6 March Independence Day

    A national holiday.

What not to do in Ghana

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

  • Don’t go to the north (the borders with Burkina Faso and Togo): official travel advice warns against it.
  • Don’t forget the yellow fever vaccination and malaria prevention.
  • Don’t give or receive things with your left hand.
  • Don’t take photos of official buildings.
  • Don’t swim at beaches with strong currents.
  • Don’t drive at night.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Frequently asked questions about Ghana

What people search for most before travelling to Ghana.

What’s the best time to travel to Ghana?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Ghana are from July to April.

What to see in Ghana in a week?

The essentials of Ghana: Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi, Elmina and Busua. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Ghana?

Jollof rice, Fufu, Banku and tilapia, Kelewele, Waakye, Ghanaian chocolate. To eat like a local: a chop bar (a local eatery).

What is the typical dish of Ghana?

Jollof rice. West Africa’s red rice, cooked in a sauce of tomato, peppers and spices. Ghana and Nigeria argue good-naturedly over who makes it best.

What should you not do in Ghana?

Don’t go to the north (the borders with Burkina Faso and Togo): official travel advice warns against it. Don’t forget the yellow fever vaccination and malaria prevention. Don’t give or receive things with your left hand.

Is it worth travelling to Ghana in November?

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Ghana. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

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Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, Matti Blume (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accra, Adotey Hoffman (CC BY-SA 3.0). Cape Coast, Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada (CC BY-SA 2.0). Kumasi, Maven Egote (CC BY-SA 4.0). Elmina, Dave Ley (CC BY-SA 3.0). Busua, Mac-Jordan Degadjor (CC BY 2.0).