Ghana
Republic of Ghana
Western Africa · GHA
Editorial Snapshot
Why Go To Ghana
Ghana is one of the easiest first West Africa trips for travelers who want history, coastline, and a lively urban center with strong cultural depth. It works well as an Accra-based trip with Cape Coast and one inland or nature-focused add-on.
Popular For
Things To See
- Accra
- Cape Coast
- Kakum National Park
- Elmina Castle
- Kumasi
- Mole National Park
Best Months
Know Before You Go
- The dry season makes road conditions and sightseeing easier.
- Accra, Cape Coast, and Kumasi are the clearest first-trip anchors.
- A coast-plus-inland route gives the best sense of the country without overextending.
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Flights
Hotels & Accommodations
Compare stays across major booking options
Open hotel and accommodation options for Ghana.
Guidebooks
📚Browse Ghana Guidebooks on AmazonTours & Activities
Country Data
Stats At A Glance
Practical travel, safety, climate, and quality-of-life stats for Ghana.
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Accra
- Population
- 33,742,380
- Area
- 238,533 km²
- Region
- Western Africa
Languages
- English
Currency
Ghanaian cedi (₵)
GHS
Exchange rate unavailable for USD.
Cost of Living (World Bank)
29.8
Price level index (US = 100)
- Groceries
- 37.0
- Restaurants
- 35.2
- Rent
- 10.9
Safety & Peace
higher score = safer everyday environment · derived from World Bank homicide data
lower score = more peaceful · 1.0–3.5 scale
Monthly Climate Averages
These weather averages are based on data for Accra (5.55°N, 0.22°W).
LGBTQ+ Friendly
15/100
Traveler LGBTQ score
- Legal protections
- 2/100
- Lived safety
- 53/100
This score blends legal protections with lived-safety context so strong laws alone do not automatically push a country to the top of the ranking.
- Homosexuality legal❌
- Relationship recognitionNone
- Adoption recognition❌
- Anti-discrimination laws❌
- Employment protections❌
- Legal gender recognition❌
- Conversion therapy ban❌
Human Development Index (UNDP)
0.628
Medium human development
- 5-year change
- +0.028
- 10-year change
- +0.046
- Trend
- improving
- Data year
- 2023
- Gender Dev. Index (GDI)
- 0.933
- Gender Inequality Index (GII)
- 0.514
- Planetary-adjusted HDI (PHDI)
- 0.604
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (2)
- 🏛️
Asante Traditional Buildings
Inscribed 1980
- 🏛️
Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions
Inscribed 1979
Natural Beauty (World Bank)
- Protected land area
- 14.8%
- Forest cover
- 35.2%
Source: World Bank.
Wildlife & Birdwatching
- Threatened mammal species (IUCN)
- 23
- Threatened bird species (IUCN)
- 25
Source: World Bank / IUCN Red List. Higher counts indicate richer biodiversity, typically in tropical rainforest, island, and savannah ecosystems.
Food & Cuisine
29/100
Food and dining score
Built from two layers: dining-scene breadth and open prestige signals. We combine restaurant density, cuisine diversity, distinguished restaurants, and gastronomy-city recognitions from open data sources.
Luxury Infrastructure
76/100
Luxury & premium accommodation score
Based on OpenStreetMap luxury hotel density and World Bank international tourism receipts.
US Travel Advisory
Updated to reflect threats against women travelers and increased risks in specific regions. Exercise increased caution in Ghana due to crime and violence against women travelers and lesbian, gay, and bisexual travelers. Some areas of Ghana have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Reconsider Travel to: The Upper East Region, North East Region, Upper West Region, and the western portion of the Savannah Region (all areas west of the N12 Highway) that shares a border with Burkina Faso and Cộte d’Ivoire due to civil unrest and crime. Country Summary: Violent crimes, such as carjacking, street mugging, assaults, and rape do occur. These crimes often happen at night and in isolated locations. Sexual assault, such as rape, is significantly underreported and remains a serious problem. While domestic violence is criminal under Ghanian law, police rarely respond to reports of domestic violence. In urban areas and crowded markets When traveling by private or public transportation after dark as criminal elements may use blockades to slow down and restrict movement of vehicles Ghanaian law contains prohibitions on “unnatural carnal knowledge” – generally interpreted as any kind of sexual intimacy – between persons of the same sex, though in practice, the law is largely used to target men. Punishments can include fines and/or incarceration of up to three years. Rhetoric and violence targeting individuals on the basis of sexual orientation have increased in recent years. Individuals have reported safety incidents that include targeted assault, rape, mob attacks, and harassment due to their sexual orientation. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Ghana. If you decide to travel to Ghana: Review our page for health and security risks for Women Travelers. See our Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Travelers Information page and our Human Rights Report for further details. Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. Review the Country Security Report for Ghana. Prepare a plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist. Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel. We highly recommend that you buy insurance before you travel. Check with your travel insurance provider about evacuation assistance, medical insurance, and trip cancellation coverage. Areas Near the Northern Border in the Upper East Region, Upper West Region, and western area of the Savannah Region – Level 3: Reconsider Travel U.S. citizens in Ghana should reconsider travel to the northern border areas near Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire due to civil unrest and crime. Due to the risks, U.S. government employees working in Ghana must obtain special authorization to travel to the Upper West Region, the Upper East Region, the North East Region, and the western area of the Savannah Region. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in these areas. Be sure to read the Burkina Faso Travel Advisory here. Local police may lack the resources to respond effectively to more serious crimes. Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas.
Read full advisory →Data current as of May 2026 and subject to change. Travel advisory information is sourced from the U.S. State Department and reflects conditions at the time of data collection, not real-time conditions. Do not rely solely on this information for travel decisions. Always check current government advisories for your nationality. Terms of Use · About our data