Kumasi

Ancient capital of the Ashanti Kingdom, where Kejetia Market, West Africa's largest, and Manhyia Palace bear witness to royal tradition; nearby kente and adinkra craft villages and Lake Bosumtwi are well worth a visit.

Kumasi is Ghana's second-largest city and the capital of the Ashanti Region, located in the forest belt of south-central Ghana about 250 km from the capital, Accra. It has been the seat of the Ashanti Kingdom since the 17th century, and the current Asantehene still lives at Manhyia Palace, which is why the city is regarded as Ghana's centre of traditional culture. Highlights in town include the Manhyia Palace Museum, the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum and the Centre for National Culture, where you can learn about the Golden Stool and the kingdom's history; Kejetia Market and Central Market, among the largest markets in West Africa; and the Okomfo Anokye Sword Site and the Kumasi Fort and Military Museum. Northeast of the city, a "craft village" circuit links the Ahwiaa woodcarving village, the Ntonso adinkra printing village, the kente villages of Bonwire and Adanwomase, and the World Heritage-listed Besease shrine; about 30 km southeast lies Lake Bosumtwi, a meteorite crater lake. The dry season from November to March is the best time to visit, though the harmattan brings dust; April–June and September–October are the rainy seasons. Flights from Accra to Kumasi take about 45 minutes, and the bus takes about 5 hours. Plan on 2–3 days. Traffic in town is congested, so hiring a car is best for the craft villages; when visiting the palace, respect local etiquette and use your right hand to give and receive objects.

Top sights

Manhyia Palace Museum – The former royal palace of the Asante king, built by the British in 1925 and now a museum, displaying the thrones, costumes and wax figures…
Kejetia Market – One of West Africa's largest open-air markets, with thousands of stalls crowded into the city centre, selling everything from kente cloth a…
Lake Bosomtwe – Ghana's only natural lake, formed by a meteorite impact about one million years ago. It is about 8 km across and surrounded by hills and vi…
Bonwire Kente Village – Said to be the birthplace of kente cloth, where weavers on wooden looms produce brightly striped fabric that you can watch being made, try…
Besease Shrine (Asante Traditional Buildings) – One of the better-preserved buildings in the World Heritage “Traditional Architecture of the Ashanti,” its earthen walls decorated with rel…
Ntonso Adinkra Village – The home of adinkra printed cloth, where you can watch the full process, from bark boiled into dye to symbolic motifs stamped onto fabric w…
Centre for National Culture – A city-centre cultural complex with craft workshops, shops and exhibitions, where you can see brass casting, wood carving and kente weaving.
Prempeh II Jubilee Museum – A small museum inside the Centre for National Culture, displaying Ashanti royal regalia, drums, stools and replicas of the Golden Stool, wi…
Okomfo Anokye Sword Site – The sword that the founding priest of the Ashanti Kingdom is said to have driven into the ground. No one has managed to pull it out in over…
Kumasi Fort and Ghana Armed Forces Museum – A stone fortress built by the British in 1897 on the site of the former Ashanti fort, now a military museum recounting the 1900 War of the…
Adanwomase Kente Village – Another kente weaving village near Bonwire, famous for its community tourism, where you can join in weaving, visit a cocoa farm and take a…
Ahwiaa Wood Carving Village – A wood-carving village on the northern outskirts of Kumasi, where rows of workshops line the road, selling Ashanti stools, Akua’ba fertilit…
Bobiri Forest and Butterfly Sanctuary – A tropical rainforest reserve about 35 km east of Kumasi, with hundreds of butterfly species recorded. Forest trails offer birdwatching and…
Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary – A small forest reserve on the northwestern outskirts of Kumasi, built around a reservoir, where hiking trails offer sightings of monkeys, b…
Kumasi Zoo – An older zoo beside the National Culture Centre in the city centre, housing chimpanzees, lions and crocodiles. It is a favourite leisure sp…

Where to eat

Yaa Serwaa Chop Bar – A popular traditional chop bar in the Adum area, frequently recommended by local food bloggers, specializing in fufu wi…
Ike's Cafe & Grill – A popular restaurant inside the Centre for National Culture in Kumasi, offering poolside dining, grilled tilapia, fufu…
Noble House – A highly-rated Chinese-Indian restaurant in Kumasi, featuring golden fried prawns and special fried rice, suitable for…

Itineraries

Ghana Traverse: Mole, Kumasi & the Castle Coast – Fly to Tamale to see the elephants of Mole, then head south to Kumasi and the coastal castles, covering Ghana from nort…
Ghana, Togo & Benin Coastal Cultural Journey – Travel from Accra to Cotonou, connecting coastal castles, Ashanti heritage, Voodoo culture, and stilt villages.