Kumasi

No reviews yetCity Ashanti, Ghana

Manhyia Palace Museum, Kumasi, Ashanti, Ghana

About Kumasi

Kumasi, set among the green hills of Ghana's forest belt about 200 km northwest of Accra, was the capital of the Asante Empire, which at its height covered much of present-day Ghana. It is still the seat of the Asantehene, the Asante king, whose palace at Manhyia and its museum tell the story of a powerful West African state and its long resistance to British rule.

Today Kumasi is Ghana's second-largest city and its great trading hub. The vast Kejetia Market, among the biggest in West Africa, sprawls across the centre, and the city's nickname, the Garden City of West Africa, comes from its parks and tree-lined avenues. The Centre for National Culture showcases Asante crafts, music and history.

The surrounding villages are famous for their crafts: kente cloth is woven at Bonwire, adinkra cloth is stamped at Ntonso and wood is carved at Ahwiaa, all within an hour's drive. Lake Bosomtwe, a sacred crater lake ringed by forested hills, is the classic day trip for swimming, canoeing and walking.

Best seasonNovember to March, the drier months

Ideal stay2-3 days including the craft villages

ArrivingFlights from Accra to Kumasi Airport, or by road (about 4-5 hours)

Why People Love Kumasi: 12 Things to Discover

History 1

Manhyia Palace Museum

Built by the British in 1925 and later bought and occupied by Asantehene Prempeh I after his return from exile in the Seychelles,...

Shopping 2

Kejetia Market

Founded in 1924 and recently rebuilt as a huge multi-level complex, Kumasi Central Market has thousands of stores selling cloth, b...

Ahwiaa Wood Carving Village

Only about 9 km from Kumasi on the Mampong highway, Ahwiaa is lined with workshops where carvers shape stools, masks, drums, figur...

Museums 2

Kumasi Fort and Armed Forces Museum

The British fort in the centre of Kumasi dates from the late 1890s and was besieged by Asante fighters during the War of the Golde...

Prempeh II Jubilee Museum

Established in 1954 inside the Centre for National Culture, this small museum is named after Asantehene Prempeh II and displays re...

Arts 3

Centre for National Culture

Opened in 1956 to preserve and showcase Asante culture, this leafy compound has craft workshops where you can watch weavers, brass...

Bonwire Kente Village

About 18 km northeast of Kumasi on the Mampong road, Bonwire is honoured in Asante tradition as the birthplace of kente, the brigh...

Ntonso Adinkra Village

North of Kumasi, the town of Ntonso is the home of adinkra cloth, printed with symbols that each carry a proverb or idea. Visitor...

Landmarks 1

Okomfo Anokye Sword Site

In the grounds of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, a sword embedded in the ground is linked by tradition to Okomfo Anokye, the prie...

Nature 1

Lake Bosomtwe

About 30 km southeast of Kumasi, Ghana's only natural lake fills a meteorite impact crater roughly 10 km across and about a millio...

Entertainment 1

Baba Yara Sports Stadium

Ghana's largest stadium, with seats for around 40,000 fans, is the home of Asante Kotoko, one of the most successful football club...

Parks 1

Rattray Park

Opened in 2015 near the city centre, this modern park was part of an effort to restore Kumasi's reputation as the Garden City of W...

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