The Ashanti Region’s capital, Kumasi, is located in southern Ghana. It is regarded as a hub for Ashanti culture. There are vendors selling everything from glass beads to Ashanti sandals in the sizable open-air Kejetia Market. The National Cultural Center presents dance performances as well as craft courses. Kumasi is renowned for its rich culture and the many tourist destinations and activities that can be found there. There are plenty of locations in Kumasi you should love to explore or experience.
Over the years, the city has developed under many governments and Kindom, the Ashanti kingdom. It has also served thousands of tourists with its historical destinations and stories. Arguably, Kumasi is one of the best places to visit or stay in Ghana. The city has everything from fine dining restaurants to beautiful areas and many more.
In this post, Mrpocu.com will list the top 15 locations in Kumasi you should visit while planning a trip. Don’t forget Kumasi is a budget-friendly location in Ghana and everyone can visit no matter their travel type.
Top Locations In Kumasi
Kumasi Fort – Ghana Armed Forces Museum
One of the few military museums in Africa is the Ghana Armed Forces Museum. It is situated in the Uaddara Barracks in Kumasi, Ghana’s Ashanti Region’s capital city. The Kumasi Cultural Centre, Kumasi Zoo, Kumasi Central Market, and the Prempeh Museum are all accessible by foot from the fort. Built-in 1953, the Ghana Armed Forces Museum. The colonial ruler of Ghana at the time gave permission for it to function as a historical hub where people could learn about the military prowess of Ashanti and Ghana as a whole.
The Kumasi Fort was constructed in 1820 by the Asantehene, Osei Tutu Kwamina, the ruler of the Asante Kingdom, to emulate the coastal forts constructed by European traders. After being destroyed by British forces in 1874, Kumasi Fort needed to be rebuilt. This was done in 1897. Porters transported granite and tan soil from Cape Coast to Kumasi, where the fort was constructed.
The fort was surrounded in March 1900 during the Asante Rebellion, trapping 29 Britons inside for several weeks. Ohemaa Yaa Asantewaa, the Queen Mother of Ejisu, served as the rebellion’s leader. She was imprisoned in the fort for a short time before being forced into exile, where she passed away in Seychelles.
The collection consists of anti-aircraft guns, armoured cars, colours, medals, weapons of war, pictures, and portraits. This functions as a priceless historical institution for charting the formation and evolution of the colonial-era Gold Coast Regiment to the modern Ghana Armed Forces.
Kejetia Market
When seen from a drone, the Kejetia Market resembles an alien mothership that has landed in the middle of Kumasi. The largest market in West Africa, with 11,000 booths and at least four times as many people employed, has rusting tin roofs that resemble a circular shanty village. Although a little weird, the Kejetia interior is unquestionably appealing. It is possible to buy food, secondhand clothing, shoes, plastic trinkets, glass beads, kente strips, Ashanti sandals, batik, bracelets, and other goods.
Since there aren’t many tourists and the vendors will be pleased to see you, it’s perfectly acceptable to stroll the market alone. As an alternative, consider travelling with a guide who is knowledgeable about the area and who can also help you understand the more intricate goods and bargains and who can also help you barter and communicate with stallholders.
Rattray Park
Rattray Park is a recreational and modern amusement park located in the Ashanti Region capital Kumasi, Ghana. Captain R.S. Rattray (1881–1938), also known as Robert Sutherland Rattray, CBE, is honoured with a cutting-edge recreational park located in the centre of Garden City. It’s the perfect environment for unwinding, relaxing, and unwinding.
A man-made lake, a golf cart, WiFi, a children’s playground, a fitness centre, and a 6-square-meter dancing fountain—the first of its kind in the country—are some of the park’s features. Other amenities include cafeterias and restaurants.
Rattray Park is still one of the primary recreation spaces in the neighbourhood. It contains paved walking pathways, a man-made lake, a children’s playground, and an outdoor gym. A park is a good option for picnickers looking for a cool setting. One of the nicest spots in Kumasi to take your kids and the whole family is the park. If you need a place to unwind or spend a night or two, the Golden Tulip hotel is a nearby option. Rattray Park should be on your bucket list if you want to visit Kumasi or want to explore the lovely Garden city. The best artists in Kumasi typically plan events and performances there. If you’re fortunate, you’ll bump into one. The park is one of the top locations in Kumasi for kids and all the families.
Kumasi Zoo
One of Ghana’s last remaining zoos is the Kumasi Zoo, also known as the Kumasi Zoological Garden, which is situated in Kumasi, the administrative centre of the Ashanti region. The Zoo spans a total of 370 acres between the Kejetia Bus Terminal and the Centre for National Culture.
The zoo was constructed beginning in 1951 and was opened in 1957 under Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s presidency in an effort to rescue wild animals, especially those that are endangered and at risk of extinction. The zoo has developed over time into one of Ghana’s most well-liked tourist destinations for animal lovers who come to observe some of the animals kept there up close. But because of a lack of government backing, the Zoo has recently been in danger of closing. According to various press reports, the centre’s visitors have sharply decreased recently, and neither the government nor the appropriate authorities have made any effort to rebuild the centre’s deteriorating buildings.
There are now very few of the once-common lions, civets, olive baboons, warthogs, bay duikers, green monkeys, ostriches, and chimpanzees that were once seen in great numbers in the zoo. However, the Kumasi Zoo continues to be one of the most well-liked tourist attractions in the Ashanti Region and has the potential to rank among the greatest in Ghana if the necessary funding is provided by the government.
Okomfo Anokye Sword Site
On the premises of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi is the Komfo Anokye Sword Site, an important location in Asante history. A 300-year-old sword wedged in the rockface is one of the key components and stories of the Asante nation’s lengthy history. The young curator gives a moving history lesson about the Asante people. The Asante king, who frequently visits this important and sacred monument, may be seen on a good day.
The history of the founding of the Ashanti Kingdom is intriguing and can be learned by visiting the site. Future generations will benefit from the historic site’s preservation. This historic site honours the fabled Okomfo Anokye Sword.
At the Sword location, King Osei Tutu I, “Opemsuo,” the founder of the Asante Nation, received the Golden Stool of Asanteman. Okomfo Anokye anticipated that the location will serve as a centre for healing for millions of people. As luck would have it, the site is exactly where the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital is located. The Sword is unique in that countless attempts to remove it from the ground have been made since it was erected in 1695 but to no success.
KNUST Botanical Garden
The second-largest institution of higher learning in Ghana is Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. This university is home to KNUST botanical garden, one of the most stunning botanical gardens in the nation. It was first created to support student research projects, but more recently, it has been expanded to serve additional purposes. Even though the park was created to benefit the students and other personnel, it has recently developed into a well-liked tourism spot for locals in the Kumasi metropolis, welcoming thousands of visitors.
The optimal time for students or tourists to visit the KNUST botanical garden is from 6 am to 6 pm. As if you remain late, you can run into some of the uncommon creatures and little reptiles that live in the park. The garden now has a gorgeous canopy thanks to the many trees, and you can see much more clearly in the garden thanks to this. In addition, the location’s tranquillity, coolness, and ambient tranquillity are conducive to enjoyment, relaxation, creative thinking, and various leisure pursuits.
Asante Buildings
From 1670 to 1957, the Ashanti Empire was an Akan monarchy and empire in what is now Ghana. The Brong-Ahafo Region, Central Region, Eastern Region, Greater Accra Region, and Western Region of modern-day Ghana were all included in the Ashanti Empire that originated in Ashanti. The empire also included a portion of present-day Togo and Cote d’Ivoire. The Ashanti Kingdom has been extensively studied and has more historiographies by European, largely British, authors than any other indigenous culture of Sub-Saharan Africa because of the empire’s military power, wealth, architecture, sophisticated hierarchy, and culture.
The Ashanti Kingdom was founded by the Ashanti king Osei Tutu and his advisor Okomfo Anokye in the latter half of the 17th century, with the Golden Stool of Asante serving as its sole emblem. The Ashanti buildings is one of the top locations in Kumasi for those who want to learn more about Ashanti history or people.
Kumasi City Mall
In Ghana’s Kumasi, there is a retail centre called the Kumasi City Mall. In the city, it is the first of its sort. The mall is one of the largest in West Africa, has the best selection, and is the most popular place to shop in Kumasi and the entire Ashanti Region.
Groceries and food products, lifestyle items, cosmetics and health products, technology and telecoms, as well as affordable and designer clothing are all available at the mall. Pharmaceuticals presents and expensive jewellery, banking and financial services, cinemas, restaurants, and cafes, as well as amusement and children’s play areas, are additional categories.
The mall contains well over 1,000 on-grade parking spaces, including what is today regarded as the largest underground (basement) parking in the nation.
Wesley Methodist Cathedral
In Kumasi, Ghana, there is a Methodist cathedral called Wesley Methodist Cathedral. The episcopal district in Kumasi is centred at Wesley, the largest Methodist church in the region. John Wesley, one of the Methodist church’s founders, is honoured by having the cathedral bear his name.
Ntonso Adinkra craft village
Ntonso Adinkra Craft Community, a little village in the Kwabre East Municipality just a few kilometres from Kumasi, the regional capital, is probably unknown to those who are not native to Ghana’s Ashanti Region. The humble ancient town is supposed to be home to Adinkra symbols, Ghana’s most symbolic artworks that convey messages packed with knowledge.
If you’re not familiar with Adinkra, it’s a system of unique artistic symbols that represent different tales in Ghanaian culture, especially in Akan regions like Asante and Akyems. The symbols, which come in a variety of forms and depictions, each give special insights and advice meant to impart information about wisdom, harmony, justice, and socially acceptable conduct.
In the Ntonso Adinkra craft hamlet, these motifs are lovingly woven into local Kente products, giving them a fresh perspective. The town has gained notoriety over the years for its exceptional capacity to imprint a variety of adinkra symbols onto Kente material and even engrave these designs on significant structures like stools and royal buildings.
Ntonso is the place to go if you need Adinkra symbols embossed on items, especially fabric materials like Kente because craftsmen there like Kente weavers, carpenters, and painters have all methodically learned the knack of adding Adinkra symbols to their works. The village is one of the best locations in Kumasi for art lovers.
The Green Ranch Kumasi
The zoological gardens on this list are located all over the world. For aquariums, see List of aquariums. See List of dolphinariums for information on dolphinariums. See the List of former zoos and aquariums for an annotated list of closed zoos and aquariums. Zoos are mostly dry establishments where animals are housed in enclosures and on exhibit for visitors; they may also be used for breeding. These institutions include wildlife sanctuaries and nature reserves that permit visitors, as well as zoos, safari parks, animal theme parks, aviaries, butterfly zoos, and reptile centres.
Adum
Adum is a Kumasi suburb. The regional capital of Ghana’s Ashanti Region is Kumasi. Adum is a neighbourhood with some commercial space and some homes. It is located in the regional capital’s centre. The commercial hub of Kumasi is located in the Ashanti Region town of Adum. In between Bantama and Nhyiaso is a place called Adum.
The Ark
Oak Plaza Suites has accommodations with an outdoor swimming pool, free private parking, a fitness centre, and a garden in Kumasi, which is 1.9 km from Baba Yara Stadium. This hotel offers family rooms as well as a terrace for visitors. The hotel has room service and a front desk that is open around the clock.
Manhyia Palace
The Asantehene, the supreme ruler of the Asante country, had his residence here. It’s in Kumasi, the administrative centre of the Ashanti Region. The palace was initially constructed by the Ashantis, and it was so stunning and opulent that when the British first saw it, they were surprised by its size. The palace was filled with rows and rows of books in different languages. Nevertheless, the British still destroyed it during the Golden Stool War. In 1925, it was rebuilt by the British themselves.
Prempeh Jubilee Museum
From the museum lobby, guided tours of their exhibitions section are offered every half-hour. You are more than welcome to conduct your trip in the same manner. Come and explore the world of modern art in a pleasant setting. You will value the experience, despite your modesty.