Accra City Tour: Colonial Forts, Casket Shop & Arts Market

Walk through Old Accra's divided colonial quarters and see caskets built as earthly professions for the afterlife

An Accra city tour with a professional guide covers the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Memorial Park, Independence Square, a casket shop where coffins reflect the deceased's profession, Old Accra's Dutch and British sections, and the Arts and Crafts market. The tour runs between two and six hours depending on your choice, and includes an air-conditioned vehicle and guide in English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese or two other languages.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Memorial Park45m · entry included
2. Independence Square20m · entry included

Explore Accra city highlights

• Visit Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Park
• Photo stop at Independence Square
• See uniquely designed casket shop
• Drive through Old Accra and see forts
• Shop at Arts and Crafts market

The experience

The casket shop is where the tour reveals something most visitors don't expect: coffins designed as buses, books, syringes and fishing nets. Each one shaped to the profession of the person who will be buried in it, based on the Ghanaian belief that the deceased continues their work in the afterlife. It's a working studio, not a museum, and the guide explains the cultural logic behind each design as you move through.

Old Accra itself is the geography lesson. Less than a square kilometer, it was split between Dutch and British colonizers who set up operations in different corners of the same township. You'll drive past James Fort, built by the British in 1662, and see Ussher Fort, one of only three European forts in Accra still standing. The Post Office and Old Accra Square anchor the route through streets that still carry the imprint of that divided past.

The Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Memorial Park is the formal stop: the final resting place of Ghana's first president, visited by world dignitaries over decades. Independence Square, Accra's open-air ceremonial ground where national celebrations happen, gives you a photo moment in the city's civic heart. Your last stop is the Arts and Crafts market, where the guide leaves room for you to haggle with vendors over textiles, carvings and local goods.

What’s included

• A professional tour guide fluent in English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese or two other languages.
• all entrance fees and taxes.
• pickup and transport in an air-conditioned vehicle.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (16 to 70 years) · Child (6 to 15 years) · Infant (1 to 5 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, German, Chinese, Dutch and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessibleInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Hausa Tours

Is this one for you?Choose the half-day tour if you want to fit Accra's highlights into a morning or afternoon and leave time for other plans. The full-day version gives you a slower pace through each stop and more time to browse and bargain at the Arts and Crafts market.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, German, Japanese, Chinese and Dutch.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 15 years); Infant (1 to 5 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the casket shop actually like when you visit it?

The casket shop is an active workshop where coffins are built to match the profession of the person being buried. A bus driver gets a bus-shaped casket, a teacher a book, a doctor a syringe. The guide walks you through the designs and explains the Ghanaian belief that the deceased continues their work in the afterlife, which is why each coffin takes its shape.

How much time do you spend at the Arts and Crafts market?

The tour ends at the Arts and Crafts market, and the length of your stay depends on which version you book (the half-day or full-day option), and how long you want to spend haggling with vendors. The guide is there to help, but the market time is yours to use.

What is Old Accra and why is it divided?

Old Accra is a township of less than one square kilometer that was split between Dutch and British colonizers, each operating from a different location within the same area. You'll drive past James Fort, built by the British in 1662, and Ussher Fort, one of three European forts in Accra that have survived, to see how that colonial division shaped the streets.

Who was Kwame Nkrumah and why visit his mausoleum?

Kwame Nkrumah was Ghana's first president, and his mausoleum and memorial park are his final resting place. The site has been visited by many world dignitaries over the decades and is a significant stop on any tour of Accra's political and historical landmarks.