Looking for the best tourist sites in Ghana? You have come to the right place. In this post, we have compiled a list of most popular, and the most visited tourist sites in Ghana.
What Is a Tourist Site?
A Tourist site is a place of interest that tourists visit typically for its or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, offering leisure and amusement. [1] Ghana is a West African country with a lot of beautiful and attractive tourist sites. Ghana is one of the most peaceful countries in the world. It has amazing citizens full of hope and joy.
There are currently 16 regions in Ghana. These are; Greater Accra, Savannah, Northern, Ashanti, North-East, Bono East, Ahafo, Western, Eastern, Volta, Central, Oti, Western North, Bono, Upper West, and Upper East region.
The official language of Ghana is English. Ghana is a multi lingual country with over eighty languages. Government-sponsored languages are Gonja, Akan, Dagbane, Dagaree, Ewe, Ga, Nzema and Kasem.
Some traditional Ghanaian foods are fufu and goat light soup, Tuo Zaafi (TZ), kenkey and fish, kelewele, boiled yam or plantain with kontomire stew, wakye and Jollof rice.
List of Tourist Sites in Ghana
- Kintampo waterfalls
- Kakuum National Park
- Lake Volta
- Mole National Park
- Aburi Botanical Gardens
- Larabanga Mystic Stone
- Lake Bosomtwe
- Cape Coast Castle
- Elmina Castle
- Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum
- The Manyia Palace
- Ussher Fort Museum
- Larabanga Mosque
- Kumasi Zoological Gardens
- James Fort
- Okomfo Anokye Sword Site
- Lakeside Marina Park
- Wli Falls
- Boti Falls
- Labadi Beach
- Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary
- Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary
- Accra Zoo
Kintampo waterfalls
It is one of the best tourist sites to visit in Ghana. Kintampo waterfalls was formerly called Sanders Falls during the colonial days. The site is located in Kintampo municipality, on the Kumasi-Tamale road.
The waterfalls is one of the highest waterfalls in Ghana. It is also located on the Pumpum river, a tribute of the Black Volta.
The waterfall has three stages. The third stage has about 153 steps coming up and and a new 173 steps going down.
Entry fees
Students: GHS5.00
Children: GHS3.00
Adult: GHS10.00
Foreigner: ghs20.00
Kakuum National Park
Located in the Central Region of Ghana, it is one of the famous national parks in the country. The park is made up of undisturbed virgin rainforest. The vegetation type is moist evergreen rainforest with tall hardwood trees up 65m in height [2]
The park is really a home for lovers of nature. There are wide variety of wildlife in the park. Kakuum National Park also has a canopy way and a camping site.
Lake Volta
Lake Volta, located in the Volta Region of Ghana, is the largest artificial lake in the world. The lake is contained by the Akosombo Dam and is used to provide Ghana's electricity.
The lake extends from Akosombo in the South to the Northern part of Ghana. It is also used for transportation. Lake Volta has a serene environment that allows tourists to feel relaxed.
Mole National Park
It is one of the seven national parks in the country. It is the largest national park in Ghana. The park has outstanding natural, physical and cultural values.
Mole National Park is located in the Savannah (formerly Northern) Region of Ghana. The park is a great place for nature lovers. It provides the best wildlife experience in the country.
The park is rich in biodiversity and a home to over 742 vascular plants species, over 90 mammals and other conservative species.
Most of these species include elephants, buffalo, lions, black and white cobus Monkey, leopards, yellow-backed Duiker etc.
Aburi Botanical Gardens
Another interesting tourist site in Ghana is the Aburi Botanical Gardens. The site is a garden situated in Aburi in the Eastern region of Ghana.
The garden is about an hour's drive north of Accra, the capital of Ghana. The garden is said to be the biggest botanical gardens in Ghana.
Entrance fee
The entrance fee to visit Aburi Botanical Gardens is around GHS5.00 for a Ghanaian adult, and GHS10.00 for a Non-Ghanaian adult.
Larabanga Mystic Stone
Another great tourist sites in Ghana is the Larabanga Mystic Stone. The stone is located on the outskirts of Larabanga in the Savannah region of Ghana.
According to legends, the stone returns to its original place of rest after several attempts of moving it to a different location. This compelled some British road constructors to redirect a major road after several attempts to remove the stone.
The sacred site is found closer to the Larabanga Mosque. Some of the locals believe the stone has some connection with Ibrahim, the father of Ismael mentioned in the Qur'an.
Lake Bosomtwe
Lake Bosomtwe is the only true inland lake in the country. The lake is located in Ashanti region of Ghana.
Lake Bosomtwe is a place to visit and enjoy nature. The lake is surrounded by interesting legends including souls of departed visiting the area.
There is a stone at the lake side called Abrodwum Stone which is believed to be the spiritual center of the lake. The lake is sacred to the traditionalists in the Ashanti region.
Cape Coast Castle
Another interesting tourist site in Ghana is the Cape Coast Castle. The Castle is a European-built fortress situated on the central coastline of Ghana.
The castle has interesting features such as Dalzel Tower, the slave dungeons, and the canons and mortars used in the castle's defense.
Entrance fee
SHS Students - GHS2.00
Tertiary Students with ID - GHS3.00
Ghanaian Adults - GHS5.00
Foreign Students with ID - ghs30.00
Adult foreigners - GHS40.00
Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum
Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum is one of the best tourist sites in Ghana located in downtown Accra, the capital of Ghana. The memorial park is dedicated to the prominent Ghanaian president, Kwame Nkrumah. It is the resting place of Ghana's first president and Africanist.
Entrance fee
Ghanaian Children - GHS1.00
Ghanaian Adults - GHS3.00
Non-Ghanaian Children - GHS2.00
Non-Ghanaian Adult - ghs10.00
Manyia Palace Museum
The Manyia Palace is the seat of the Asantehene, as well as his official residence. The Palace is located in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti kingdom.
The Museum is built to commemorate the leaders of the Ashanti kingdom, and to communicate the riches of their history and culture to the world. If you consider knowing the culture and history of the Ashanti people in Ghana, it is the best tourist site to visit.
Larabanga Mosque
The Mosque is said to be the oldest Mosque in Ghana. It is one of the most revered religious sites in the country. The Mosque is popularly known as the 'Mecca of West Africa' due its rich historical and architectural values. The Mosque is believed to date back to the 13th century. The Mosque is made of mud and sticks, in Sudanese style.
Kumasi Zoological Gardens
It is a zoo located in the heart of Kumasi in the Ashanti region of Ghana. The zoo has about 40 different species of animals, with individual animals numbering over 135.
James Fort
It is one of the most visited tourist sites in Ghana due to its rich history. The fort was built by the British in the 15th century. The fort serves as a reminder of former colonial rule. Other nearest attraction to James' Fort are Ga Mashie, Brazil House Museum and Ussher Fort Museum.
Okomfo Anokye Sword Site
Another great tourist site to consider visiting in Ghana is the great Okomfo Anokye Sword Site. According to legends, the sword was pushed into the ground almost 300 years ago.
Ashanti traditionalists believe that, the sword can never be removed by anyone despite many attempts. Removing the sword is equal to collapsing the Ashanti kingdom according to reports.
Lakeside Marina Park
It is one of the best recreational sites in Ghana. It is located around a lake, Lake Kalmoni at Lakeside Estates, Accra. Major features of Lakeside Marina Park are recreational, amusement, and ground events.
Wli Falls
Wli Falls is the highest waterfall in Ghana and the tallest in West Africa according to Wikipedia. The falls is located 20 km from Hohoe in the Volta Region of Ghana. Aside the falls, there are other wildlife sanctuary which offer the chance to see a large colony of fruit bats, butterflies, monkeys, birds and baboons.
Boti Falls
Boti falls is a one of the best waterfalls and tourist sites in Ghana. It is a twin waterfall located at Boti in Yilo District in the Eastern region of Ghana. Boti Falls is almost similar to Kintampo waterfalls.
Labadi Beach
Labadi Beach is said to be the busiest beach on Ghana's coast. Labadi beach is one of Accra's beaches and is maintained by the local hotesl.
Labadi beach has a lot of restaurants, and variety of activities such as horse riding, football and other games. It is a nice place for relaxation.
Fees
Entrance fee (Mondays) - GHS10.00
Entrance fee (other days) -. GHS20.00
Drinks - GHS15.00 and above
Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary
Boabeng fiema monkey sanctuary is one of the renowned tourist sites located in Nkoranza North District in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. As the name suggests, Boabeng fiema is a monkey sanctuary. It is the leading monkey sanctuary in Ghana with over 700 monkeys in its natural environment.
Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary
The Hippo Sanctuary is a tourist site located in Wechiau community in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The sanctuary is run by the local communities and is committed to protecting and conserving the Hippocampus and its habitat along the Black Volta River in Ghana.
Conclusion
The above are some of the tourist sites in Ghana as at the time of writing this article. There are other tourist sites and their locations in Ghana which we have not been able to add to this list due to some reasons. Also, it is important to do a lot of research to know their respective fees and other valuable information before visiting any of these tourist sites.
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[1] Source
[2] Source
