Shai Hills Safari from Accra: Hike, rock climb, see wildlife

Climb rocks and spot zebras, baboons, and colorful birds just outside Accra

Shai Hills Safari is a guided tour from Accra to Shai Hills Reserve, the closest nature reserve to the city, where you hike nature trails, rock climb, and watch for game and birds. The tour runs 3 to 5 hours with a live English-speaking guide and hotel pickup included. You can hike the trails or rent a vehicle to drive through the safari area if long walks aren't your preference. Bottled water and an air-conditioned vehicle are provided.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hike and see wildlife at Shai Hills

• Arrive at Shai Hills Reserve
• Hike and explore nature trails
• Rock climbing activities
• Game viewing and bird watching
• Option to rent car for safari drive

The Experience

Getting to wildlife without leaving Accra means heading to Shai Hills Reserve, a reserve built around rock formations and open grassland where dozens of animal species live. The tour starts with pickup from your hotel and moves straight into the reserve, where you choose between hiking nature trails with rock climbing sections or driving through the safari area in a vehicle. A live guide in English leads either way, pointing out what moves through the landscape: ostriches, antelopes, green monkeys, zebras, baboons, monitor lizards, guinea fowls and kobs are common sightings, along with birds like the green turaco, violet turaco, Paradise Flycatcher and red-billed hornbill.

The hike itself covers the reserve's trails and rock formations over a morning or afternoon. Those who want to see the animals without covering long distances on foot can rent a car through the operator and drive the same routes instead, still with the guide and still watching for the same wildlife. Either way, you spend the time moving through the reserve rather than sitting in one spot, so sightings depend on where the animals are that day and the time of year. The tour wraps in 3 to 5 hours, and the air-conditioned vehicle gets you back to your hotel.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return.
• a live guide in English.
• an air-conditioned vehicle.
• bottled water.
• WiFi on board.
• the choice to hike trails with rock climbing or rent a vehicle to drive through the reserve instead.

Days and timesDaily · 09:00

Ages5 to 80 years · Under 5 — No ticket type: can't be added to a booking

Meeting point and pickupPickup optional · ends where it starts10 pickup points to choose from.Meeting point, per the operator: “meeting point is set at Accra mall gate 1 or better call or WhatsApp the numbers on the website..”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Best of Africa Travels Ltd

Is this one for you?Choose the hiking option if you're comfortable with moderate physical activity and want to move through the landscape on foot. Pick the vehicle rental if you prefer to see the wildlife and rock formations from a car and keep walking to a minimum.

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Top questions

What animals am I likely to see at Shai Hills Reserve?

Shai Hills is home to ostriches, antelopes, green monkeys, zebras, baboons, monitor lizards, guinea fowls and kobs, plus dozens of bird species including the green turaco, violet turaco, Paradise Flycatcher, red-billed hornbill, yellow-fronted tinker bird and red-necked buzzard. Sightings vary by season and time of day.

Can I do this tour if I don't want to hike the whole time?

Yes. If you can't walk or hike long distances, you can rent a car and drive through the safari area with the guide instead, seeing the same animals and landscape from the vehicle.

How long does the Shai Hills tour take?

The tour runs between 3 and 5 hours from pickup at your hotel to return, depending on how much time you spend on the trails or driving through the reserve.

Is the guide included, and what language do they speak?

A live guide in English is included with the tour and leads either the hiking or the vehicle route through the reserve.

What's included in the tour price?

Hotel pickup, an air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water and a live English-speaking guide are included. WiFi is available on board.