Akosombo is the easy one — close enough to Accra for a day trip, with a dam, a vast lake and a boat cruise waiting at the end of a two-hour drive. Here is how to do it by car.
Of all the trips out of Accra, Akosombo is the gentlest. It is close — about two hours — the road is good, and at the end of it sits one of Ghana’s great sights: the Akosombo Dam holding back Lake Volta, one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. You can make it a full day trip and be back in Accra for dinner, or stretch it into a lazy overnight by the water. Either way, it is the kind of outing that feels like a proper getaway without committing a whole weekend.
Here is how to do Akosombo by car: the route, what to see and do, and whether to drive yourself or take a driver.
Akosombo earns its popularity on simple maths: maximum reward, minimum effort. The drive is short and straightforward, the scenery opens up beautifully as you near the lake, and the main attractions are clustered together, so you are not spending the day in the car. For families, for a first road trip in a hire car, or for visitors who want to see the lake without a long haul, it is close to the perfect introduction to the Volta basin.
Accra to Akosombo is roughly 100 kilometres, heading north-east out of the city, with the drive taking around two hours in normal traffic. The road is largely good tarmac and the final stretch down toward the dam and the lakeside is genuinely scenic. The main thing to plan for is leaving Accra early enough to beat the morning build-up on the way out — after that, it is an easy run.
Check cruise timings and availability before you go, as boat schedules change and weekends are busier. A car gives you the flexibility to match your arrival to the cruise rather than building the day around a trotro timetable.
Tell us your date and group size. We’ll have the right vehicle ready and quote one clear price for the trip, driver optional.
Akosombo works both ways. As a day trip, leave Accra early, do the dam and a cruise, have lunch by the water and drive back in the evening. As an overnight, you get a slow morning by the lake before heading home. For the road itself, a saloon like a Toyota Corolla is perfectly comfortable — this is not a trip that needs a 4x4. For a family or a group, an SUV or a 14-seater adds space and keeps everyone together.
On self-drive versus a driver: the route is easy enough to self-drive if you want your own schedule. But a lot of people prefer a driver for a day out like this — it turns the drive into part of the relaxation rather than a task, and the driver can wait while you take the cruise. Guide rates: a saloon around GH₵ 800 self-drive or GH₵ 900 with a driver, before fuel and the out-of-town charge.
A day at Akosombo is quoted as a return out-of-town trip — the distance, fuel and, if you take a driver, the driver’s day, all in one figure agreed before you set off. Send us your date, your group size, and whether you want a driver or self-drive, and we will have the right car ready and one confirmed price in hand. No payment on the website.
Distances and times are approximate and reviewed October 2026. Boat cruise schedules are set by the operators; confirm timings before you travel. Rates are guide figures, quoted as one confirmed return trip.