10 most visited tourist sites in Ghana

The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people “traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business, and other purposes. In Ghana, tourism has become a major socio-economic activity and one of the most important and fastest-growing sectors of the Ghanaian economy. There are interesting sites in all ten regions of Ghana where tourists from various parts of the world usually troop to Ghana to see these tourist sites.

These places have historic and cultural significance linked to the Ghanaian community. Some of these places that attract tourism revenue for the country are listed below.

1. Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park & Mausoleum

The Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Memorial Park is located in downtown Accra, the capital of Ghana. Over the years, the park has attracted visitors from around the world, with an annual count of approximately 98,000 individuals who visit to pay homage to Ghana’s first President and learn about his life and legacy. As one of the top 10 most visited sites in the country, the park holds immense cultural and historical significance.

2. National Museum of Ghana

The National Museum of Ghana is one of the largest and oldest of the six museums under the administration of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB).

The museum building was opened on 5 March 1957 as part of Ghana’s independence celebrations. 

3. Aburi Botanical Gardens

Aburi Botanical Gardens is a garden in Aburi in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The Garden occupies an area of 64.8 hectares. It was opened in March 1890 and was founded by Governor William Brandford-Griffith and Dr. John Farrell Easmon, a Sierra Leonean medical doctor. Before the garden was established, it was the site of a sanatorium built in 1875 for Gold Coast government officials. Aburi Botanic Garden has had many roles over the years including plant introduction and teaching scientific methods of agriculture.

4. Akosombo Dam

The Akosombo Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Volta River in southeastern Ghana.

The primary purpose of the Akosombo Dam was to provide electricity for the aluminum industry. The construction of the dam flooded part of the Volta River Basin and led to the subsequent creation of Lake Volta. Lake Volta is the largest man-made lake in the world by surface area. It covers 8,502 square kilometers (3,283 sq mi), which is 3.6% of Ghana’s land area. With a volume of 148 cubic kilometers, Lake Volta is the world’s third-largest man-made lake by volume.

5. Kakum National Park

Kakum National Park is located in the coastal environs of the Central Region of Ghana. Established in 1931 as a reserve, it was gazetted as a national park only in 1992 after an initial survey of avifauna was conducted. The area is covered with tropical forest. The uniqueness of this park lies in the fact that it was established at the initiative of the local people and not by the State Department of Wildlife who are responsible for wildlife preservation in Ghana. It is one of only 3 locations in Africa with a canopy walkway that is 350 meters (1,150 ft) long and connects seven tree tops which provide access to the forest.

6. Village of Stilts (Nzulezo)

Nzulezo is a village located near the village of Beyin, 90 kilometers west of Takoradi, in the Jomoro District in the Western Region of Ghana. Over 500 people live in the community. Nzulezu overlooks Lake Tadane and is entirely made up of stilts and platforms.

In 2000, it was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a major tourist attraction area. The site is a source of tourism, with tourists coming to experience the village as well as the local alcohol produced in the village.

7. kintampo Falls

Kintampo Waterfalls is one of Ghana’s highest waterfalls located in Bono East. It was formerly known as Sanders Falls during the colonial days. It is located on the Pumpum River, a tributary of the Black Volta

It is just after the Falls Rest Stop when moving Northwards, on the right side of the road. This waterfall is hidden in the forest and formed by three main drops, with the longest measuring), followed by several steps and cascades, and the river, which falls about 70 meters (230 ft).

8. Independence Square

Independence Square is a public square in Accra, Ghana, bordered by the Accra Sports Stadium and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. Kwame Nkrumah commissioned the construction of the square to celebrate the nation’s independence.

The square often hosts the annual independence celebrations as well as other national events and is the site for all civic and military parades and other national gatherings. It was completed in 1961, in time for the state visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Ghana.

9. Manhyia palace

The Manhyia Palace Museum is a historical museum located in Kumasi, Ashanti, Ghana, and situated within the Manhyia Palace. First established in 1925 as a private residence for Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh I the Museum currently provides fair insight into the culture of Ashantiland and Ghana’s cultural legacy from before its colonization by Great Britain. It primarily serves “to commemorate (the Ashanti people’s) own kings, queens and leaders and to communicate the riches of their history and culture to future generations and generally features video presentations and key historical items about Ashantiland and Ghana’s ancestry.

10. Mole National Park

Mole National Park, one of Ghana’s seven national parks, is the country’s largest wildlife refuge. The park is located in the Savannah region of Ghana on the savanna. The park’s entrance is reached through the nearby town of Larabanga.

Mole National Park protects an area of savannah and forest in northern Ghana. It’s home to elephants, leopards, and rare birds such as the white-backed vulture. In the western part of the park, the Konkori Escarpment has panoramic views and overlooks waterholes where animals drink. There are waterfalls along the Kparia and Polzen rivers. To the south, Larabanga village has a centuries-old, Sudanese-style mosque.

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