Over time, I have collated several questions people have asked about a Nigeria Ghana road trip. Articles in my Ghana Archives already answer most of these questions but I guess it’s not a bad idea to have them all on one single page. Therefore, without further ado, let’s jump right to the FAQs.
Thinking about taking a road trip to Ghana from Lagos, Nigeria? Here's everything you need to know! Click To TweetWhat's Covered in this Post
Nigeria Ghana Road Trip: How do I travel from Lagos to Accra?
There are several options available to you. One option is to go with standard transport services. Most of the buses that ply this route have bus parks in Ajah, Yaba, Festac, etc. Another is to rent a car and a driver to take you down. You can find cars driving to Accra at Mile 2.
The last option is to rough it up and travel with regular public transport. I have a detailed breakdown of how to do that in this article.
Which bus service should I use to travel from Nigeria to Ghana?
This is entirely up to you. I’m not recommending anyone who isn’t paying me. hehe… Just kidding. I have tried out ABC and wrote a review about them here. I also attempted to travel with GUO transport but it did not end well. So I can’t recommend them in good faith. You just have to choose the lesser of two evils and pray for luck!
Nigeria Ghana Road Trip: Can I travel to Ghana in my personal vehicle?
Technically, yes. I reached out to the good people on Twitter for more information on how to do this and got several responses. I have collated them in this post.
Nigeria Ghana Road Trip: What documents do I need to travel from Nigeria to Ghana?
You need a valid International Passport and a Yellow Card to travel from Nigeria to Ghana. On rare occasions, immigration officers may ask for your accommodation details. It’s good to have that handy as well. Lastly, based on my personal experience, an extra ID may be useful. This could include your work or student ID or something that has your company credential on it (like a business card).
Can I travel to Ghana with an ECOWAS passport?
Yes, you can either travel with an ECOWAS passport or your international passport. This can be gotten from the immigration office closest to you.
Can I travel from Nigeria to Ghana without my International Passport?
You shouldn’t but I have seen people who constantly travel without one. I don’t think it’s worth the hassle. It’s just better to have the right documents. Also, getting stamps on your passport is a good way to start building your travel history.
Where can I get a Yellow Card in Nigeria?
Yellow Fever Cards can be gotten from the Port Health office close to the International Airport. At the time of this writing, this costs N2,000. This card is as important as your International Passport and like the latter, you can travel without it. But is it worth it? No. Sometimes, you end up paying even more than what this card costs apart from other extortion charges at the borders.
You can find out to get the new Yellow Card required for travel in this post.
How much does a Nigeria Ghana Road Trip Cost?
I have written a comprehensive breakdown of what it would cost you to travel from Lagos to Ghana in this article. A few things may differ and since this trip was taken in 2017, there are bound to be some changes. The article would give you a general idea of what to budget for and what to expect when crossing different borders.
Should I do a Nigeria Ghana Road Trip with Naira or USD?
Travelling with USD is always a good idea. It is universally accepted and you can easily find a BDC to get local currency. Some hotels would also accept payments in USD. Most won’t accept Naira. However, if you choose to travel with Naira, you can change money at the Aflao border. (Border between Togo and Ghana)
Will my Nigerian Naira Card work in Ghana?
Sadly, this isn’t guaranteed. If you must travel with your cards alone, make sure you have a dollar MasterCard as well. Card policies in Nigeria change like the weather. You could even get caught up in a policy change while abroad.
Road Trip to Ghana: Where can I change my money?
You can change Naira at any of the borders between Seme and Aflao.
How long is the journey from Lagos to Accra?
Prepare for an entire day’s trip. Most buses make stops in the Benin Republic and Togo. If you’re lucky, these stops will be short and won’t prolong your trip. My return journey from Accra to Lagos took about 17 hours. I broke down my onward journey, so the trip was bearable. I would recommend that you do the same if you have a bit more time. It’s just less stressful that way.
PS: Aflao border to Accra is another 4 hours – just thought to add this because I was so excited about getting into Ghana and I thought Accra would be 30 minutes away. Imagine my disappointment! If you’re travelling on your own, there’s an STC park close to the border gate. You can get a bus to Accra from there.
Nigeria Ghana Road Trip: What should I expect?
Expect to see gazillion checkpoints from Badagry to Seme. Expect the worst from the Seme border. You might be lucky (or skilled) to get a stress-free pass but prepare mentally, physically and financially for the worst. (Read about my latest border crossing experience here.)
At the time of this writing, roads are not optimal. The border crossing seems better with the opening of the new border control office. There isn’t much to write home about regarding views. Therefore, if you plan to travel by road solely because you want to enjoy the views, you might as well just fly. You won’t be missing anything.
I hope this article answers all the questions you might have regarding taking a Nigeria Ghana road trip. If you have any more questions for me, please leave them in the comment section below. You can also search through my Ghana Archives. You’ll probably find answers there as well.
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Please is it true that Nigerians and other countries will need a Visa to enter Accra,Ghana as from July 2018?
I haven’t heard that before but I highly doubt it is true
I wanted to add that I used cross country on my trip to ghana a few years ago. Good service and a small bus ,so you don’t spend hours during checks .
Thanks for adding that. I attempted to use Cross Country on a recent trip to Benin Republic. It was a disaster. The bus scheduled for 5:30am didn’t show up until 10am. (After waiting for hours, we asked for a refund and left on our own). The managers and staff of the service kept lying about the location of the bus and everything else. They had a small bus ready but had oversold seats and went ahead to dig up an old rickety long bus for the trip. I doubt I’ll be patronizing them ever again.
Hello, please how much is air to Ghana and how many hours.thank you.
Hi, you can check websites like travelstart.com.ng for updated ticket prices. Flight time is usually an hour.
I’m a Nigerian, what am I going to do with my national id card on my way to Ghana
I don’t think I understand your question. But if you’re asking whether or not you can travel with National ID card, I think you probably can but I don’t have any experience with this.
Nice write up and very comprehensive. Please, someone that is planning to either travel to Canada or maybe U.S is it good to have your passport stamp by land border stamp? OR what advantage does it have on your passport?
I don’t think it has any effect on your passport, whether advantage or disadvantage. If you want to travel to either of those countries (i.e US, Canada), having a good travel history will help, preferably to countries where you fly into and get a visa and stamp on your passport.
17 hours?! Definitely breaking down my trip in Benin or Togo when I visit. Thanks for sharing. This was everything I needed to know
That’s the way to go really. The trip straight to Ghana is decent if you’re mentally prepared and if the bus you take doesn’t show up late or breakdown. But if you’re not, it can be really tough.
Hi am divine am planning on traveling to Ghana very soon and will a 100 thousands naira be enough for the travel like going and coming back to Nigeria and I will be spending three days in Ghana. Will that 100 thousands naira be enough for both bus fare and hotel and feeding going and coming here’s my Gmail *edited out*. Please reply me thanks
Hi Divine, thanks for your comment. Whether that would be enough is dependent on your travel style, what kind of transport and hotel options you choose. Is 3 days inclusive of your travel days by road? (If yes, I really wouldn’t advise that you go for it). Benin Republic would be a better option and N100K will be more than enough for that trip.
I have a cost breakdown linked in the post for Ghana, you can use that to project how much you’d spend. Just take out days and items that don’t necessarily fit and you’d be able to come up with an estimated budget.
please could you help with the details of all the vehicle documents i need in order to travel with my family to Accra in our private car, and where to get such documents including the rates or prices, such that there wouldn’t be any issues anywhere on the road? i am looking forward to this as i would need my daughters to have the experience as it would be the first time they would be visiting Nigeria and also Ghana, from Canada.
thanks as i look forward to hearing from you.
Hi Timi, as of now, I am working on an article focused on this but still don’t have complete information. I’ll post when I do, hopefully, it’ll still be of help to you.
Please what model of camera do you use?
I use a Nikon D5300 most times
Very informative and well-written post, Amarachi. I think this road trip is very underrated though I had a very different experience than you. When I too traveled from Nigeria to Ghana (and vice versa) by road (it was with family in our car, and waaayy before I used Instagram). The trip was definitely long, tiring, and rather frustrating at times but I’m glad we did it: I got a chance to see parts of Nigeria, Ghana, Benin and Togo I did not know (or care about to be honest lol) || http://www.lorikemi.com
Thanks LK. I think it’s a trip to take at least once. Stops in Togo and Benin make the trip more bearable.
I really would like to do this. Thanks for the post. Did you get to see any of Benin and Togo.
http://www.raetalks.co.uk
Yeah, we did. You can look at the Benin and Togo Archives to find out what we were up to.
Ever only been to Ghana by air.
Always thought going by road might be cool but I’m not sure about that 17 hours road trip and Seme Border drama.
Lol, very long journey, I know! You can escape Seme Border drama by going with standard transport buses.
Thanks for sharing. But man, 17 hours? I told my mom o. Lemme send to her.
Yeah, that’s quite long and I think it’s best to break it down in the countries between. But if you’re used to bus rides, it’ll pass quickly. Having activities to do will also make the trip more bearable.
Well detailed and beautifully written👏🏽👏🏽
Thanks Diusor
Love the breakdown, very helpful. But mannnnnn, I don’t know about a road trip to Ghana o, seems too far, maybe some of the other places you’ve written about.
Lol, it’s quite far for a single day trip and being stuck in a bus. I imagine a train ride with lots more movement would be far better.
This is a very comprehensive and detailed breakdown. Well done. Perhaps the next time I visit Ghana, I will brave a road trip to Nigeria.
Madeline
http://www.madelinewilsonojo.com
‘Brave’ is the right word. Excited to read about your journey if and when you take it.
I want to travel by road to Ghana, but I don’t have any passport or national ID, and is my first time, and am going with someone can that person be my back up, ?please am afraid