Akosombo is one of the easiest weekend escapes from Accra, with a short drive, calm water and a lakeside view waiting at the end of it. This guide covers how to plan the trip and why a car with a professional driver makes the whole weekend simpler.
Some trips need a long itinerary to feel worth the effort. Akosombo is the opposite. It sits in the Eastern Region, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours' drive from Accra, so you can leave after work on Friday or early on Saturday and be sitting by the water before lunch.
The reason the town is worth the drive is the Akosombo Dam on the Volta River. The dam created Lake Volta, one of the world's largest man-made lakes, and the shoreline it formed is what draws people back. The water is wide, the views change with the light, and the pace is slow in the best way.
It suits almost every kind of group. Couples come for a quiet room with a view, families like the space and the boat trips, and friends travelling together enjoy having one shared base on the lake. Because the trip is short, a weekend of one or two nights fits it well. Stay much longer and you start to run out of things to do; stay a single night and you barely unpack.
Pre-book a car with a driver or a Kotoka airport pickup — fixed price, agreed before you land.
Most of the drive is straightforward, but the roads out of Accra have their own rhythm, especially on a Friday afternoon. Leaving early gives you the cleanest run, and it leaves time for a stop on the way rather than a rushed arrival.
One of the best stops is Atimpoku, where the Adomi Bridge crosses the Volta. It is a suspension bridge and a landmark in its own right. Walk out to the middle, look down at the river and take a few photos before the sun gets high. The roadside around Atimpoku is also where you will find sellers of dried shrimp and 'one-man-thousand', a good way to pick up something for the road.
The drive itself is part of the trip. The landscape changes as you head east from the city, and the lake starts to open up as you get closer. Pack a light bag, keep water and a phone charger in the car, and carry some cedis for snacks and small stops along the way, since not every roadside seller will take a card or mobile money.
If you are flying into Kotoka Airport first, our airport transfer starts from GH₵450, so you can go straight from arrivals to the car rather than haggling over a taxi. Tell us your onward plan when you book and we will quote the whole weekend.
The lake is best when nobody in the group has to watch the road. You want to stop when the view is good, linger over lunch and not worry about parking by the water or finding the way back to your resort. That is what a hire with a professional driver gives you. Every CarRentalGH hire comes with a driver, so no one in your group has to take the wheel for the weekend.
A driver also changes the feel of the trip in practical ways. They can handle the bags, keep the schedule loose enough to fit the cruise and a long lunch, and take you to a second lakeside spot in the afternoon without anyone needing to plan the route on their phone.
Choose the vehicle around your group. A Corolla from GH₵800/day suits a couple travelling light. A RAV4 from GH₵1,200/day gives a family more room. A Prado with driver from GH₵1,600/day suits a larger group that wants extra space for bags and cooler boxes. For bigger parties, a 30-seat Coaster from GH₵2,200/day keeps everyone together.
The lake is the reason to come, and a boat is the best way to see it. The Dodi Princess day cruise runs to Dodi Island on weekends, giving you a few hours on the water and a view of the shoreline from a completely different angle. It is a relaxed way to spend a Saturday or Sunday, and it works well for couples, families and groups alike.
Schedules and departure times can change, so check the current times before you travel. If you can, aim for a morning or early-afternoon sailing, when the light is good and the day is still fresh. Then build the rest of the day around it: a late lunch by the lake, a walk along the shore and an early night.
A driver earns their keep here. You can step off the boat, collect your bags and be back on the road to your next stop without stopping to work out transport. If the cruise is part of a bigger plan, such as a morning at Atimpoku followed by an afternoon on the water, the car keeps the day in order.
Tell us your dates and trip on WhatsApp and we’ll reply the same day. No payment on the website.
Akosombo has a range of lakeside resorts and hotels, from simple guesthouses to places with a pool and a terrace over the water. Pick for the view you want and the people you are travelling with. Couples often look for a room with a balcony, families need space and an on-site restaurant, and groups may want a few rooms close together.
Eating is part of the fun. Look for grilled fish and local dishes on lakeside menus, and round out the day with snacks from the roadside. At Atimpoku, the sellers of dried shrimp and 'one-man-thousand' make a good stop for something to take back to the hotel. Eat well on the first day, pace yourself on the second and keep some drinking water in the car.
A driver makes it easy to try more than one place. You can stop for lunch at one lakeside spot, then drive along the shore to see another, without negotiating transport each time. Tell us where you are staying when you book and we will plan the drives around it.
Leave Accra early on the day you travel, aim to reach the lake for a late-morning start and keep the afternoon relaxed. Two nights gives you a full day on the water, a morning at Atimpoku and an unhurried drive back on the last day. One night works if your time is short, but it will feel rushed.
Book early for weekend dates. Most people visit on weekends, which means vehicles and rooms fill up, and the cruise is a weekend fixture, so planning around it is easier once the dates are fixed.
On cost, a weekend hire is priced below the daily rate, so ask us for the weekend figure rather than multiplying the daily rate yourself. Our daily rates start at GH₵800 for a Corolla, GH₵1,200 for a RAV4, GH₵1,600 for a Prado with driver and GH₵2,200 for a 30-seat Coaster. Budget separately for accommodation, meals and boat tickets, and confirm with us what the hire rate covers before you book.
Here is one way a two-day weekend can run. Leave Accra mid-morning on Saturday, stop at Atimpoku for the Adomi Bridge and some roadside snacks, and reach the lake by early afternoon. Take a late-afternoon walk along the shore and have dinner somewhere with a view of the water. On Sunday, take the morning Dodi Princess sailing if the times suit you, have lunch by the lake, and head back to Accra in the afternoon before the traffic builds. It is a full weekend that does not feel packed, and your driver can change the order if the weather or the boat schedule shifts.
Payment is by Mobile Money (MTN, Telecel or AirtelTigo), bank transfer or cash, in cedis or foreign currency. Bookings are not paid on the website.
Ready for a calm weekend on Lake Volta with a driver who handles the road? Message us on WhatsApp at +233 24 915 1503 or email info@carrentalgh.com with your dates and group size, and we will come back with a weekend rate.