20 Top Things To Do In Ghana In Your Twenties

With diverse activities both in and out of cities, Ghana is a fun-filled place for those in their twenties of various interests and likes. From outdoor activities like attending sporting events and watching the sun rise to indoor experiences like tequila nights trying out food from local restaurants, here are 20 things that 20-somethings should try while visiting Ghana.

Explore Jamestown

Hang out at the Jamestown Café, drink in the vinyl-record haven of Tee’s Tavern, and explore the magnificent street-art backdrops for the ultimate selfie and Instagram posts. Jamestown is a mecca for the bright, young, and hip. It is also, appropriately the centre of Ghana’s burgeoning art scene and the focal point of the annual Chale Wote Street Art Festival. A drink in Accra’s Osikan, perched high on the rocks, is a great cap to any Jamestown day.

Jamestown Café, High Street, Opposite Ussher Fort, Accra, Ghana

Tee’s Tavern, Asafoatse Nettey Rd, Accra, Ghana

Osikan, Accra, Ghana, +233 024 324 4803

Party at Asa Baako

For six years, Asa Baako has been the top music festival in Ghana. Thousands make the annual trek to Busua in the Western Region for a long weekend filled with live performances, conservation workshops, trekking, surfing, delicious food, and the now-legendary final night jungle party.

Canoe around Akosombo

Lodge

The area around the Akosombo Dam is lush and teeming with small islands and nature. Spend a Sunday (or any day) having a meal at any one of the peaceful hotels and guesthouses such as Aylos Bay, and take a few hours to explore the Volta’s inlets and tributaries in a traditional fisherman’s canoe or a more buoyant vehicle. Either way, it promises to be a memorable exploration.

Thursday night beach party at Labadi

Ready for a raucous beach night filled with heavy beats emanating from giant sized speakers? Labadi Beach is a great spot. An Accra staple for many years, find a local vibe on a popular city beach where dance contests are the norm. Be prepared to stay until sunrise.

Camp out at Tills

Resort, Hotel

An idyllic spot to do some beach camping, this is something of a surprising rarity in Ghana and a must for the surfers especially. Even those who don’t hang 10, enjoy this spot next to the beach resort that offers clean tranquil sands, coconuts galore, and all less than an hour outside Accra.

Tequila Thursday at Coco Lounge

A lively affair from the every popular eatery inside ICON house, a special Mexican food menu as well as wait staff and clients sporting large sombreros is the perfect backdrop to a tequila-fuelled evening where a couple of salsa dancers will twirl past as customers knock back shots. Grab a group and enjoy a fun night.

Live music and drinks at Republic

Bar, Pub

Try the numerous Akpeteshiand fruit flavoured cocktails and hear the best of the live music in town at this ever popular venue where pub meets street bar in Osu. Never less than packed, rub shoulders with a nice cross section of the city and hear all the new hits from the latest artists.

Friday chill at Teabaa

This unassuming spot in Osu is a hipsters paradise. They serve their ‘tipsy’ teas out of mason jars, grill on the BBQ, and taking over much of the street on Friday night. A tiny hole in the wall with masses of charm to spare, they play soulful smooth DJ sets and is the perfect place to hang, eat, and chat.

Climb Mount Afadjato

Forest

A refreshing challenge, tackling the highest peak in Ghana will get their adrenaline flowing. Bring a good pair of hiking boots to protect against the wild terrain and a camera to capture views that range into Togo and encompass three tiers of magnificent waterfall while the guide provides freshly picked forest mango and bananas.

Check out Chale Wote Festival

The annual street-art festival gets bigger every year with a multitude of exhibitions, installations, food, natural produce, and merchandise vendors as well as live music that goes on well into the night. All held around the lighthouse in Jamestown, this massive event is a must for street life enthusiasts or just those wanting to have a good time.

Sample all the Akpeteshie flavours at Escape Three Points

Lodge

Sometimes heralded as having the best Akpeteshie(local rum) bar in Ghana, this whimsical eco lodge on Ghana’s most southern tip inspires lazy days with its deserted island vibe. Come evening, sit around the communal tables and enjoy locally sourced food as well as the homemade akpeteshie that comes in a multitude of delicious flavours such as honey, watermelon, and sweet apple while getting to know the other guests and perhaps even taking part in a taste test.

Weekend at Kokrobite

The ultimate Accra getaway, this lively beach resort centres around a strip in a local fishing village. Sun and surf during the daytime and prepare for a lively evening. On Friday night, listen to some highlife at the lovely beachfront Dizzy Lizzie’s while eating dinner and relaxing. On Saturdays, don’t miss the festivities at Big Milly’s Backyard where a band from Burkina Faso, local acrobats, and the ever popular reggae party will keep patrons dancing and entertained until dawn.

Dizzy Lizzie’s, Kokrobite, Ghana, +233 020 560 0990

Big Milly’s Backyard, Kokrobite, Ghana, +233 024 999 9330

Paraglide at Kwahu

The biggest party in Ghana during the Easter weekend is now held at Kwahu. Over recent years, it has now expanded to include many people from all walks of life and nations and incorporates paragliding, hiking, live music performances, street carnival processions, and street jams all from an elevated spot in the hills of Kwahu.

Friday night in Osu

The ultimate neighbourhood for a big night out, Osu teems with bars, clubs, and restaurants of every description including seafood, Mexican, and pizza. Street bars and laid-back venues such as Purple Pub and Kona Cafe & Grill intermingle with more upmarket fare like Shisha Lounge, and there are always places on hand to dance like the Firefly Lounge and Plot 7 that attracts the best DJs in town.

Purple Pub, Ring Rd E, Accra, Ghana, +233 024 819 4653

Kona Cafe & Grill, Oxford Street, Accra, Ghana, +233 026 446 4712

Shisha Lounge, Adjoate Street, Accra, Ghana, +233 026 580 6935
Firefly Lounge Bar, H P Nyemitei St, Accra, Ghana, +233 030 277 7818

Plot 7, Osu, Accra, Ghana, +233 050 273 4228

Relax with friends at Meet Me There

Lodge

An idyllic and unique spot, this eco home lodge in Dzita, a coastal village in the Volta Region, is the perfect place for a weekend getaway. Set on a stunning lagoon, take part in canoeing, visit the nearby slave fort, take a Volta River trip, and revel in the sea turtles and rare bird life.

Explore Osu’s night market

Once a month, the Ga fishing community hold a night market, closing down a long road off of Osu’s Oxford Street and filling it with stalls that sell local produce such as kenke, banku, fried fish, fresh avocado, and a multitude of drinks from cold beer to wine and akpeteshie. Tables fill the area and a live band plays jazzy, Afrobeat hits. Drinking, dancing, and reveling are a must here, and it is a unique opportunity to mix with the local inhabitants and have a great time.

Go to a football match

Football is huge in Ghana, and fans are super passionate. If the Black Stars (the national team) are in town, watch them play a match in Accra or Kumasi. If possible, try to catch one of the national club teams duke it out with one another. Atmospheric and exciting, cheer passionately while guzzling beers.

Sunrise at the beach

With such an expanse of coastline and an exhaustive supply of beach resorts, it’s only fitting to watch a sunrise either solo after waking early or with friends. Returning from a beach party at Labadi or while visiting Axim or Ankroba beaches, a beach sunrise is never too far away.

Axim Beach Hotel, Axim, Ghana, +233 031 209 2397

Ankobra Beach Resort, Axim Ankobra River Rd, Axim, Ghana, +233 031 209 2323

Cycle at Aburi

Spend a day at the botanical gardens perched high on a hill above Accra. Temperate, breezy, and too high up for pesky mosquitoes to bother, bikes are available to rent at the entrance. Two wheels are the best way to explore this oasis that has been around since 1890 and is filled with diverse and wonderful flora as well as a decommissioned army helicopter that is always nice to stumble upon.

Sleep under the stars at Castle Fredericksburg

A one-of-a-kind experience, sleep near the ancient cannon of this 17th-century German-built fort that overlooks a deserted beach in Princesstown in the Western Region. The stars light up at night like a planetarium in this secluded spot and the watchman is on hand to grill freshly caught seafood in the evening and provide a good breakfast in the morning for up to 10 people.

Fort Gross Fredericksburg, Princesstown, Ghana, +233 33 213 2529