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Tourist Office

The Ghana Ministry of Tourism website provides helpful resources and an overview of the country's main attractions and events. Their regional Accra office can be contacted at +233 302 238330 / 244612 / 231817.

Time Out Accra is another helpful online resource. It is an online directory and series of reviews covering all things Accra.

Sightseeing in Accra

• Osu Castle: A former Danish colonial castle that now houses the government. Entering the castle is no longer permitted, but you can marvel at it from the shore.
• Makola Market: One of West Africa's largest and most chaotic markets.
• Jamestown and the Jamestown Lighthouse: The oldest neighbourhood in Accra and home to the heart of the city's fishing industry. Climbing to the top of the lighthouse offers excellent views of the city.
• Labadi Beach: A popular beach for rest, relaxation and parties.

Tours

Tour operators are generally quite limited in Accra. The main local favourite is the Nima walking tour, led by the ever-charismatic Charles Sablah. There are also a number of international operators that organize country-wide tours for groups and individuals.

Festivals in Accra

Ghana celebrates an enormous number of festivals each year. The country's various tribes each have a series of festivals that commemorate their history, ancestors and culture. There are also a number of festivals that mark national events and seasonal changes that are celebrated more broadly throughout Ghana.

Easy Track Ghana provides an excellent month-by-month overview of the country's many festivals, their dates and a brief description. Many festivals will include elaborate processions of local chiefs, adorned in traditional garb. They will often also include dancing, food and mass amounts of people. A few of the larger ones that occur in Accra include:

• Kpledjoo: Celebrates the opening of the Sakumo lagoon for fishing and occurs during the first week of April
• Asafotu-fiam: Celebrates war victories and occurs between the last Thursday in July and the first Saturday in August.
• Homowo: The Mocking Hunger event occurs from the last week of August to the first week of September
• Ngmayen: A celebration of the harvest and thanksgiving, held in October

Discounts

Discounts are not often extended to expatriates in Ghana. Often, pricing will be divided into national and foreigner rates, with occasional discounts for students.