Travel Smart
Honest, sourced guidance so you travel confident. Most of any country is calmer than the headlines suggest.
Safety
Countrywide advisory (Government of Canada)
Exercise increased cautionExercise a high degree of caution
Source: Government of Canada · Verified 2026-07-26
Southern Coast (Accra, Tema, Cape Coast, Elmina, Takoradi)
Exercise normal precautionsThe primary tourist belt and safest zone. Tourist infrastructure is developed; crime is manageable with standard precautions. Petty theft occurs in crowded areas; violent crime is rare.
Avoid: Avoid certain Accra neighborhoods after dark (Jamestown, Nima, parts of Teshie). Do not walk alone in isolated areas. Use registered taxis at night.
Common scams: Unofficial guides offering inflated tours; street vendors overcharging tourists; fake 'NGO workers' soliciting donations.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
Central Interior (Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Akan territories)
Exercise normal precautionsCulturally rich and safe. Kumasi is Ghana's second-largest city with traditional authority (the Asantehemaa) and sophisticated cultural institutions. Excellent for heritage tourism.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
Northern Ghana (Tamale, Bolgatanga, Wa)
Exercise increased cautionIncreasingly accessible and generally safe. The north is less developed but welcoming. Sahel border regions (northern parts of Northern Region) have elevated security concerns but are not closed.
Avoid: Avoid the Burkina Faso border areas in Northern Region. Avoid road travel at night in the far north.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
4 zones rated separately against Government of Canada, UK FCDO. Oldest check on this page: 6 July 2026.
Emergency Contacts
Ghana Police Service emergency line
police
Police Headquarters, Ring Road East, Cantonments, Accra
191 is the long-standing police number, and 112 is the newer unified line covering police, fire, ambulance, coast guard and mountain rescue. The UK Foreign Office page separately lists 192 under police, which every other source treats as the fire service number; that looks like an error on the Foreign Office page and is flagged here rather than quietly corrected. The police also publish two direct headquarters lines, +233 302 773906 and +233 302 787373, which are not emergency numbers.
SourceGhana National Fire Service
fire
192 per Smartraveller and general Ghanaian convention. The UK Foreign Office page lists 192 under police instead and gives no fire-specific number beyond the unified line, an inconsistency between two government sources that is worth knowing before you dial.
SourceGhana National Ambulance Service
ambulance
Atta Mills High Street, Accra Central
The ambulance service's own contact page gives 112 as its hotline. Smartraveller and the US Embassy in Accra both give 193 instead, with the embassy adding 194 as a further alternative. The older service-specific numbers appear to still be running alongside the unified number the service itself now promotes, and either should reach the same dispatch.
SourceThe Trust Hospital, Osu
hospital · Accra
Osu, Accra
A private hospital commonly used by visitors and expatriate residents in Accra. Ghana's main public referral hospital is Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, but no contact number for it could be confirmed on a primary source, so it is not listed here rather than listed with a number nobody checked.
Source