1. Health First: Consult a travel medicine clinic in advance, get recommended vaccinations, and pack preventive medications and mosquito repellent.
2. Carry Your Yellow Card: Proof of yellow fever vaccination will be checked upon entry—keep it with your passport.
3. Cash and Currency Exchange: Bring US dollar cash to exchange for Ghanaian cedis at banks or authorized exchange points, and have small bills on hand.
4. Mobile Payments: Local mobile money services are not widely used by tourists; rely mainly on cash and card payments.
5. Drink Safe Water: Only drink bottled or purified water, and be cautious with raw street food, uncooked items, and ice in drinks.
6. Use Ride-Hailing Apps: In Accra, use Uber or Bolt to avoid haggling over fares.
7. Avoid Rush Hours: Traffic in Accra is congested—build buffer time when scheduling connections.
8. Respect Local Culture: Use your right hand to pass items, and dress modestly when entering mosques or villages.
9. Visit Slave Castles Respectfully: These sites relate to the history of the slave trade—remain solemn and respectful of local emotions.
10. Emergency Contacts: Save local emergency numbers, and keep the contact details of your country’s embassy or consulate in Ghana handy.

Pre-Trip Checklist

• Ensure you have your passport, visa, and yellow card ready, and print backup copies of your itinerary and accommodation details.
• Have travel insurance, preventive medications, and mosquito repellent prepared.
• Bring US dollar cash and some Ghanaian cedis, with plenty of small bills.
• Install Uber or Bolt on your phone, and download offline maps.

Local Life Tips

Ghanaians are generally warm and friendly—handshakes and polite greetings are common. Things tend to move at a slower pace, so build flexibility into your plans. Haggling is normal when shopping, but stay polite. Most places are welcoming to tourists, but if you have issues, ask hotel staff or your guide for help, and stay in touch with your country’s embassy or consulate in Ghana.