Senior travel: Accra

Pace for a day

About 2 stops a day. 5 h out − 45 min rest, divided by an average visit of 57 min (from this city’s guide) + 30 min to move.

Getting around in Accra

Accra is hard going on wheels. Pavements are broken, high-kerbed or absent in most districts, and step-free access exists mainly in malls and larger hotels. Plan door-to-door car rides and pick a hotel with a lift.

Pavements:

Broken, high kerbs, open drains in places, especially in Jamestown and Makola.

Getting around:

App cars (Uber, Bolt) are the step-free option. Trotro minibuses are not step-free.

Hotels:

International-standard hotels in Osu and Ridge have lifts and accessible rooms on request; smaller guesthouses often do not.

Toilets:

Accessible toilets in malls (Accra Mall, West Hills Mall) and larger hotels; rare elsewhere.

Medicines and health on the ground

The Ghana guide lists no medicine paperwork. Check the official customs page for your medicines.

Malaria:

Present year-round citywide: take prophylaxis as advised by a travel clinic, use repellent from dusk, and sleep with AC or a net.

Yellow fever:

Vaccination is often required for entry and may be checked on arrival; get the certificate before you fly.

Heat:

Shade and AC every 60–90 minutes, drink bottled water, avoid midday exertion at exposed sites like Independence Square.

Food and water:

Bottled or filtered water only; busy chop bars with fast turnover are generally safer than quiet ones.

More: how much medicine to pack, medicine times across time zones.

Ask your insurer

Age limits and prices differ by policy and the guides do not hold them, so put these to the insurer before you buy.

• What is the oldest age the policy covers, at purchase and on the last day of the trip?
• Does the price or the cover change after a certain age?
• Are existing conditions covered, and what must be declared?
• Does the cover include medical evacuation and trip interruption?