Things to Do Alone in Accra

Accra is easiest alone when you build days around institutions with their own programmes: a national museum, a contemporary gallery with free admission, a national theatre that runs classes, and wildlife reserves close to the city. Each gives you a fixed place to be and something to look at, so nobody needs to talk to you for the day to work.

Last checked 2026-11-01. For other African cities on this site, see Cape Town, Johannesburg and Marrakech.

The museum circuit

The National Museum of Ghana is at 2 Barnes Road, Adabraka. It was established on 5 March 1957 and is run by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB). Its page lists visiting hours of 9:00 to 16:30 daily, collections across archaeology, ethnography and art, and temporary exhibitions (National Museum of Ghana). Going alone, you can pick one gallery and stay as long as you like. Entry fees are on the board's fees and charges page.

The same board lists a Museum of Science and Technology in Accra, opened in 1963, with objects of scientific and technological interest. It also gives technical assistance to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park Museum and the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre Museum, both in Accra (GMMB museums). Check their hours before you go.

The board's page names Ussher Fort Museum, Cape Coast Castle Museum and St. George's Castle (Elmina Castle) Museum as places that offer guided tours and exhibitions on the slave trade in Ghana, and says tour guides are available at the museums (GMMB museums). A guided tour is a gentle format for going alone: the guide sets the pace and you only need to turn up.

A gallery you can walk into free

Gallery 1957 has three spaces in Accra, at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast and Galleria Mall in Ridge. Its contact page lists Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 18:00 during exhibitions, with free admission. Its home page lists current shows, including Theresah Ankomah's "The Lore of Care" in Gallery I, running 29 October to 5 December 2026. (Gallery 1957, contact). It is a good first outing: a gallery is quiet, you can leave whenever you like, and no one expects you to buy.

The National Theatre: shows and classes

The National Theatre of Ghana was built in 1992 and has three resident groups: Abibigromma for drama, the Ghana Dance Ensemble and the National Symphony Orchestra (theatre FAQ). It has an event calendar and a What's On section.

For something you do rather than watch, its dance classes page offers GHrobics, described as learning traditional dances through aerobics, with a registration form that lets you choose 1 on 1 or group tutoring (dance classes). Joining a class gives you a ready-made reason to talk to others, without needing to start a conversation.

Learn a language

The Goethe-Institut Ghana is at 30 Kakramadu Road in Cantonments, next to NAFTI. It offers German courses and a library, and lists reception open Monday to Friday, 8:00 to noon and 13:00 to 17:00, with separate course and library hours on its site (Goethe-Institut Ghana). A course is a regular weekly seat among people who are also new to the room.

Reserves and wetlands near the city

The Wildlife Division describes Shai Hills Resource Reserve as the wildlife park closest to Accra, about 50 km away and under an hour by road. It names large bands of olive baboons seen in the mornings and evenings, green monkeys, kobs and bushbucks, and three caves (Adwuku, Sayu and Hieweyu); climbing Adwuku to the top gives a view over the Accra plains (Shai Hills).

Closer in, the Densu Delta lies 11 km west of Accra and supports 57 species of seashore birds, with mangrove stands (Densu Delta). Sakumo Lagoon, west of Tema, has 70 recorded species of water birds (Sakumo Lagoon). Both pages say the lagoon's chief priest closes it to public activity on some days for purification rituals, so check before you go.

A day trip to the rainforest

Kakum National Park is a rainforest park with a canopy walkway of seven bridges between treetops. Its visitor page suggests sturdy shoes, light clothing, a guide and a rain jacket, and says to check the park for fees and opening hours. For public transport it names "Abura station" and "Pedu Junction", from where a route taxi or trotro runs to the entrance, or you can hire a taxi from Cape Coast (Kakum plan your visit). It is a longer day, so plan the way back before you set off.

Read the official advice first

Entry rules, health and safety come from governments. The UK's travel advice for Ghana carries a warning for the Bawku Municipal area in the Upper East region and links sections on entry requirements and health, and the Canadian and Australian governments publish their own advisories (GOV.UK, Canada, Smartraveller). The Ghana Tourism Authority has visitor information. Conditions change, so read the current versions before you travel.

First solo outings

1. Easy: an hour at Gallery 1957, during its listed hours, to see one exhibition and leave.
2. Medium: the National Museum of Ghana, choosing one gallery, or a guided tour at one of the GMMB museums.
3. Bolder: a GHrobics class at the National Theatre, or a morning at Shai Hills Resource Reserve.

Solo Era for iPhone

Practise a weekend in a city where you know nobody

Solo Era (an iPhone app) has a travel mission at level 4: "Spend a weekend in a city where you know nobody." Its prompt: two nights, your own plan, and nobody to agree with about lunch. Accra's museum, gallery and theatre offer clear things to do around that plan. Free to download. A subscription is required to start missions. Prices and any free trial are shown in the app and depend on the offer and eligibility.

More cities are in the cities hub. For general tips, see the new-city guide, the first solo trip guide and alone at a museum.

Sources (checked 2026-11-01)

• National Museum of Ghana, GMMB
• GMMB museums and fees and charges
• Gallery 1957 and contact
• National Theatre of Ghana, FAQ, dance classes and event calendar
• Goethe-Institut Ghana
• Shai Hills, Densu Delta and Sakumo Lagoon, Wildlife Division
• Kakum National Park, plan your visit
• GOV.UK Ghana travel advice, Canada, Smartraveller
• Ghana Tourism Authority

Solo Era for iPhone

Try it with Solo Era

Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.