From festivals to wildlife and concerts, Ghana is a great place to be all year-long. It has a pleasant tropical climate with two distinct seasons: rainy and dry. They each come with their own set of benefits and drawbacks. Because of the scorching heat, the best time to vist the north of the country is during the wet season, but the greatest time to see the region’s animals is during the dusty dry season.
Regardless of your reason for going to Ghana, there are several activities that you can enjoy and we have compiled a list of the times you can visit Ghana depending on your preference. We have broken it down into times to visit depending on the best time to visit, most fun time to visit, cheapest time to visit and least busy time to visit so you can decide the best time to visit.
Times to visit
Best time to visit
Most tourists find that the months of October through March are the most pleasant for traveling to Ghana. Humidity is low, temperatures are slightly lower, and there are a number of cultural celebrations happening.
Most fun time to visit
The most fun time to visit the country is December. Popularly coined “Detty December”, this is the time when Africans in the Diaspora return home, and when tourists visit the country for the first time. There are so many fun activities happening at the time from concerts by local musicians to other forms of arts and entertainment.
Cheapest times to visit
The month of February, the final month of the dry season in Ghana, is typically one of the cheapest times to visit the country. The country is winding down after the hectic end-of-year months, so there aren’t many celebrations or events planned. Also, dry Harmattan winds are blowing through West African countries, making the air hazy and dusty. Another cheap time to visit is October. The summer rains have ended, and the humidity levels across the country are beginning to fall. Most tourists have not yet arrived in Ghana making it a good time to visit.
Least busy time to visit
The least busy time to visit Ghana is from April to October. Photographers can get fantastic images during the rainy season due to the thick foliage (especially from April to August).
The skies are clear and the Harmattan winds haven’t started. North American and European tourists leave the country between September to November. It is also a great time to visit because the harvest celebrations are beginning. Although flooded inland routes may limit movement, you may still see and do a lot in the country’s interior. From April to May, the Eastern area hosts the Dipo Festivals.
As a result, most tourists to Ghana’s beaches and mountains may not get the best of the moments when trying to capture the country’s beauty in photography. Visitors with a keen interest in Ghana’s natural culture are in for a treat: the country is home to a wide variety of exotic animals and tourists will see many breathtaking wildlife sightings.
Overall, there isn’t a bad time to visit Ghana. Just make sure you research the best time to visit based on the activities you want. The great thing about Ghana is that you will always find activities to do and see anytime you decide to go throughout the year.
Festivals and events
Festivals play an important role in Ghanaian culture, and they are often very lively and alive with activity. There are several events you can visit. We have compiled a list of festivals and events you can go to on your trip to Ghana so you can plan your trip around any festivals, national holidays and events you would love to attend.
Afrochella
This festival which happens in December honors African culture by showcasing African music, fashion, art, and more.
The Dipo Festival
This festival is celebrated by the Krobo and celebrates the coming of age for young Krobo women. It takes place in March-April and is a grand celebration when the women are released into the community on the final day of the festival while draped in strings of beads and performing the Klama dance they have been learning all week.
PANAFEST
PANAFEST, also called The Pan African History Theater Festival is a bi-annual festival in Ghana from July 23 to August 2. This festival promotes African unity and Pan-Africanism. It is based on the idea that the arts, particularly theater, can be strong tools for communication and healing and that people must establish new forms of expression and dialogue to mobilize for higher achievement. The event includes Emancipation Day celebrations, academic lectures, musical and dance performances, and commemorative trips to 15th-century slave sites.
Asogli Te Za (Asogli Yam Festival)
Asogli Te Za, also called the Asogli Yam Festival, is held in Asogli State (Ho) and the nearby areas of Sokode, Abutia Klefe, and Akrofu to commemorate the harvest in September every year. The state residents and Chiefs (Togbewo, Mamawo) celebrate this festival dedicated to the gods and ancestors who helped harvest a plentiful crop and the people pray for continued health and wealth.
Homowo Festival
In Ga, Homowo means “to hoot (or jeer) at hunger.” Homowo began because crops in the Greater Accra Area, where the Ga people live, failed to get enough rain. The Ga people created the Homowo celebration to commemorate normal rainfall. Homowo is celebrated throughout Ga, ending in Gamashie.
Planting maize for Kpokpoi or Kpekple festival cuisine begins the festivities. It is a taboo to make noise because it disturbs the gods. The town sprinkles Palm Nut Soup on the dinner. Family and traditional leaders do this. Marching down streets, beating drums, chanting, face painting, singing, and dancing are celebrations. Homowo is a Ga tradition, however other ethnic groups are invited to celebrate. The Ga tribe’s Homowo festival may have come from the Jewish tribe’s Passover feast.
Damba Festival
Somo, Naa, and Belkusi are the three primary Damba festivities. Northern Region Dagbon, Mamprugu, Gonja, and Nanumba celebrate following the lunar calendar. The ceremony celebrates Mohammed’s birthday but glorifies the chieftaincy. Damba festival is a family gathering and thanksgiving festival. It examines and prepares the past and future. At the ceremonies, Dagbamba from outside Dagbon return home.
Odwira Festival
Akropong-Akuapem, Aburi, Larteh, and Mamfi commemorate the Odwira Festival in the Eastern Region. This celebration is held in most Akwapim towns in September and October. Odwira Festival is a weeklong sequence of rites and traditions to purify the town, people, and most especially, the Chiefs’ ancestral Stools. The “new Yams” harvest is also celebrated. Certain activities are banned six weeks before the event, and violators are fined or punished. No drumming, no whistling after dark, no eating yams, and no loud music are among these activities. Odwira Festival comprises six days, each with a purpose from Monday through Sunday.
Kundum Festival
Every district celebrates Kundum differently, yet there are some similarities. They honor their ancestors and seek protection during these holidays. Festivals purify the state as well.
The Secondi Kundum celebration is a harvest festival, but it’s also a time for mourning the dead, purifying the community, and setting new goals for the year. Over time, foreign interaction and economic progress have changed the festival’s celebration. They typically plan development initiatives and fundraising projects while the supreme chief sits in state to receive respect. This festival moves through different towns. If you miss it, you may see it elsewhere.
There are so many different festivals in Ghana you can enjoy and this list is just some of the festivals you can enjoy in Ghana. Festivals and events are a wonderful opportunity to learn about the local culture and we encourage you to go to at least one of these festivals while you are in Ghana. Just remember that regardless of your religious belief, you should be respectful during these festivals as they are an important part of Ghana’s culture.
Heading to Ghana soon? Contact us to plan your private trip. You can also check out our blogposts on bucket list experiences and budget expectations to get started on what to do during your visit.
