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Back to Kumasi

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Voykit pocket guide · Ghana

Kumasi

Give Kumasi 2 nights: Manhyia Palace and Kejetia market on day one, craft villages or Lake Bosumtwi on day two. Skip if you only have 4 days in Ghana.

Kumasi is Ghana's second city and the seat of the Asantehene, the Asante king. It is a working market and university city rather than a monument city: the draw is Kejetia market, the Manhyia Palace Museum, the craft villages north of town and Lake Bosumtwi in the crater ring 35 km south. Two nights covers it; the 4–5 h road transfer from Accra is the main cost in time.

Cape CoastSekondi-TakoradiTamaleKumasi100 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Ghana
Best months
Nov–Mar (dry, less rain)
Avoid
Apr–Jul and Sep–Oct (heaviest rain); the Adae Kese durbar date moves each year, check before booking around it
Stay
2 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
GHS
Money
Currency is the Ghanaian cedi (GHS, GH₵). Cards work in larger hotels, malls and some restaurants in Accra; most other payments are cash.
Daily spend
Budget GH₵250–450 excl. bed · Mid GH₵450–900 excl. bed · High GH₵900+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
MTN has the widest coverage, with Telecel (ex-Vodafone) and AT as alternatives; SIMs need a passport and Ghana Card-style biometric registration for foreigners at a company shop — check.
Emergency
Police 191 · Fire 192 · Ambulance 193 · All emergencies (mobile) 112
Plugs
Types G, D · 230 V · 50 Hz · UK three-pin sockets are standard; bring a surge-protected adapter for power cuts ('dumsor').
Tipping
Chop bar or street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is added.; Driver day: GH₵50–100 a day.; Castle or park guide: GH₵30–60 per group.; Hotel porter: GH₵5–10.
Water
Not safe from the tap. Bottled water or sealed sachets from known brands are sold everywhere.
Toilets
Western toilets in hotels, malls and restaurants; public toilets charge a few cedis. Carry tissue.

What things cost

ItemPrice
Coffee or tea in a caféGH₵15–30
Local plate: fufu, banku or rice with stewGH₵25–60
Beer: bar bottle / shop bottleGH₵20–35 / GH₵12–20
Taxi across the city centreGH₵30–60
Tro-tro rideGH₵3–10
Museum entry (Manhyia, Prempeh II, Kumasi Fort)GH₵20–100
Kente cloth, per strip or metreGH₵50–400

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

KMS · Kumasi Airport
Flights from Accra take about 45 min; small aircraft with tight luggage limits. Road from Accra is 4–5 h in daylight.

Typical fares

Kumasi Airport → city centre, taxi
GH₵50–100, 20–30 min (check)
Accra → Kumasi, coach
GH₵100–150, 4–5 h (check)
Accra → Kumasi, flight
about 45 min, small aircraft, tight luggage limit (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

Taxis and ride-hailing cover the centre; agree the fare before you get in. Tro-tros are cheapest but the central station is chaotic and traffic jams are constant — many travellers pick tro-tros up along the ring road instead. Car rental runs about US$75–100 a day (2026 estimate, check).

See and do

Known for

  • Kejetia market, the largest single market in West Africa
  • Manhyia Palace Museum and the Asantehene's court
  • Kente and adinkra craft villages (Ntonso, Ahwiaa)
  • Lake Bosumtwi meteorite crater lake
  • Asante gold, beads and sandals

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Lake BosumtwiTaxi or tro-tro southwest via Lake Rd, about 35 km (22 mi)About 1 h each way
Ntonso adinkra villageTaxi or tro-tro north of the cityAbout 45 min each way
Ahwiaa carving villageTaxi or tro-tro on the Mampong roadAbout 45 min each way
Owabi Wildlife SanctuaryTro-tro to Esaase or Owabi, then 1–2 km (0.6–1.2 mi) on foot, or a private taxiAbout 1 h each way
AccraVIP or similar coach from the bus terminal; flights about 45 min4–5 h by road, about 3 h door to door by air

Sleep

Adum and Kejetia (city centre)
Walk to the market, Manhyia and the museums. Loud, congested, best if you are here to see the city and not to rest.
Nhyiaeso and Harper Rd (south of centre)
Hotels with grounds, near Rattray Park and the golf club; 10–15 min by taxi to Kejetia.
KNUST and Ayeduase (university side)
Cheaper beds, student food, botanical garden on campus; 20–30 min to the centre.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
Good morningMaakyemaa-cheh
Thank youMedaasemeh-daa-seh
How much is it?Ɛyɛ sɛn?eh-yeh sen
PleaseMepa wo kyɛwmeh-pa wo chow
I don't want itMempɛmem-peh
Where is the toilet?Tualɛt no wɔ he?too-ah-let no wor heh

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Handshake with the right hand, ask after health and family; avoid: Starting with a question
  • Elders: Stand when an elder enters and let them speak first; avoid: Crossed legs in front of chiefs
  • Hands: Right hand for everything; avoid: Passing money with the left
  • Dress: Smart clothes for churches, offices and palaces; avoid: Beachwear in town
  • Photos: Ask first; offer to show the picture; avoid: Photographing police, soldiers or funerals without permission
  • Funerals: Weekend funerals are public events; guests wear black, red or white as the family specifies; avoid: Treating them as a sight

Scams and watch-outs

  • Pickpockets work Kejetia market and the surrounding streets; carry a small amount of cash and keep bags in front.
  • Traffic in the centre can add 30–45 min to any cross-town trip; build it into your day.
  • At Lake Bosumtwi, people at the Abono drop-off point have asked visitors for large 'community donations' — agree any guide fee before you start.
  • Drive between cities in daylight only; night driving outside Kumasi is not advised.
  • Some sights and small hotels have no working website or current phone: confirm hours the day before.

Kumasi is generally calm for visitors; the real risks are pickpockets in Kejetia market, traffic, and unlicensed 'guides' asking for large fees at Lake Bosumtwi. Keep cash split, avoid walking unlit roads at night, and use a hotel-arranged taxi after dark.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Kumasi yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Kejetia market, the largest single market in West Africa
  • Manhyia Palace Museum and the Asantehene's court
  • Kente and adinkra craft villages (Ntonso, Ahwiaa)
  • Lake Bosumtwi meteorite crater lake
  • Asante gold, beads and sandals

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Kumasi

Kɔ me adrɛs yi so, mepa wo kyɛw

Take me to this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

No embassies in Kumasi; the US, UK, Canadian and Australian missions are in Accra. Honorary consulates may exist — check before you travel.

Prices in cedis, 2026 estimate. Carry small notes for markets and tro-tros.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/kumasi). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.