Up on the Akuapem ridge, Aburi trades Accra’s heat for cool air, mountain views and historic gardens — barely an hour from the city. Here’s how to hire a car for the hills.
When Accra’s heat and bustle get too much, the quickest cure is to drive up. Just north of the city, the Akuapem ridge rises sharply out of the plains, and perched along it is Aburi — cool, green, and famous for its historic botanical gardens and sweeping views back over Accra. It is barely an hour from the city, which makes it one of the easiest and most refreshing escapes there is. A hire car turns a stuffy afternoon in the capital into mountain air and shade.
Aburi’s charm is the contrast: in under an hour you climb from the humid coast into noticeably cooler hill air, with long views over the plains and a relaxed, leafy pace. It is a favourite day trip and weekend escape for Accra residents, a gentle outing for families, and a pleasant base for exploring the wider Akuapem and Eastern hills. The gardens alone are worth the drive, but the whole ridge rewards a slow wander.
Our Accra to Aburi day-trip guide covers the outing in full.
The drive up to Aburi is a winding mountain road that climbs the escarpment in a series of bends — scenic, but one where a careful, unhurried pace matters, especially if you don’t know it. A saloon manages the climb fine, and many people take a driver precisely so they can enjoy the views and leave the bends to someone who knows them.
Guide rates: a saloon around GH₵ 800 self-drive or GH₵ 900 with a driver, an SUV around GH₵ 1,200–1,300, before fuel and any out-of-town charge; full list on our rates page. We can arrange the car from Accra for the day, or deliver it to you, and quote the trip as one return figure.
Tell us your date, group size and self-drive or driver. We’ll match the right car and confirm one clear price for the hills.
Tell us your date, group size, and self-drive or a driver. We’ll confirm the vehicle and one clear price in cedis or your currency — Mobile Money, transfer or cash, nothing on the website.
Rates and distances are guide figures reviewed October 2026. Gardens arrangements are set locally. Delivery is quoted on the route.