Three weeks in Ghana is the grand tour — the trip that takes you the full length of the country, from the Atlantic surf and slave castles of the south to the elephants, mud mosques and painted villages of the deep north, with the Asante kingdom and the green Volta hills in between. With 21 days you can travel at a human pace, linger where it matters, and reach the corners most visitors never see. Here’s the complete north-to-south (well, south-to-north-and-back) Ghana itinerary, week by week and day by day.
The route at a glance
| Week | Focus | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Accra & the coast | Capital, castles, Kakum, western beaches |
| Week 2 | Ashanti & the north | Kumasi, Mole safari, Upper East crafts |
| Week 3 | Volta & the east | Waterfalls, mountains, Lake Volta, Ada |
Week 1 — Accra & the coast (Days 1–7)
- Days 1–2 Accra: Black Star Square, Nkrumah Memorial, Jamestown, Makola, galleries and nightlife.
- Day 3 Aburi & Akosombo: hill gardens and a Lake Volta cruise.
- Days 4–5 Cape Coast & Elmina: the castles, the Door of No Return, Assin Manso, and Kakum’s canopy walk.
- Days 6–7 Western beaches: slow down at Busua, Cape Three Points and Nzulezo’s stilt village.
See our Cape Coast and Western Region guides.
Week 2 — Ashanti & the north (Days 8–14)
- Days 8–9 Kumasi: Manhyia Palace, Kejetia Market, and the kente and adinkra craft villages.
- Days 10–12 Mole & the Savannah: fly to Tamale, walking safari with elephants at Mole, the Larabanga mosque and a Mognori canoe trip.
- Days 13–14 Upper East: push to Bolgatanga for the Paga crocodiles, the painted village of Sirigu and the Tongo Hills.
See our Kumasi, Savannah and Upper East guides.
Week 3 — Volta & the east (Days 15–21)
- Days 15–16 transit south: fly or drive back toward the Volta, breaking the journey (Kintampo Falls is a fine stop).
- Days 17–19 Volta hills: climb Mount Afadja, walk to Wli Waterfalls, meet the Tafi Atome monkeys, and explore Amedzofe.
- Day 20 Ada Foah: a sandbar-and-estuary day where the Volta meets the sea.
- Day 21 Accra: final shopping and departure.
See our Volta Region guide.
Where to stay
You’ll move bases roughly weekly: Accra, Cape Coast/Elmina and a western beach in week one; Kumasi, Mole’s escarpment lodges and Bolgatanga in week two; the Volta (Hohoe/Amedzofe) and Ada in week three. Book Mole lodges and any festival-period stays well ahead.
Tips for the grand tour
- Fly the long legs (Accra/Kumasi–Tamale) to save days; drive the rest with a hired driver.
- Pace yourself — three weeks is a marathon; build in rest and flexible days.
- Carry cash and Mobile Money for the rural north (see our money guide).
- Time a festival — with three weeks your odds of catching an Akwasidae or a Volta festival are good.
- Sort the essentials early: visa, vaccinations, timing.
The bottom line
Three weeks is Ghana at its fullest — the coast and castles, the Asante kingdom, the northern safari and crafts, and the Volta hills and lake, all at a pace that lets the country breathe. Fly the long northern legs, hire a driver, leave slack for festivals and rest, and you’ll come home having truly seen Ghana. Shorter on time? Our two-week and one-week itineraries trim it down.
