Best Time to Visit Kumasi

December to February: the dry spell

This is the easiest time to be in Kumasi. December and January are our best months, with sunny days and only a few showers. Mornings are fresh enough that you'll enjoy walking around Kejetia Market, one of West Africa's biggest, without feeling wrung out. It's also a good window for the Manhyia Palace Museum and the craft villages around Lake Bosomtwe, where you can swim and kayak in clear weather.

The dry season also brings the harmattan, a dusty wind off the Sahara. It's mostly a feature of the north, so Kumasi gets a lighter version, but you may see hazy skies at times. February is a step down: it's hotter and wetter than January, with rain on about twelve days.

December is the busiest month. Ghanaians living abroad come home for Christmas, so flights fill up and rooms get scarce.

March to November: the wet months

Rain here isn't a single season. March to June is the main one, and it gets heavier as it goes. June is the wettest of those months, with showers on almost every day. September and October bring a second round, and October is the wettest month of the year. July and August ease off a little, but skies stay grey, with the least sun of the year.

Rain often comes in heavy bursts, then clears. It can flood low streets and slow the roads out of town. Travelling with kids or hoping to hike? Plan your outdoor time for early in the day and keep afternoons for indoor stops like the Kumasi Cultural Centre.

November is a gentle turn. It's still humid, but the sun returns, and you'll get more dry hours each week.

Festivals and when to go

The big date is Akwasidae, a festival where the Asantehene (the Ashanti king) holds court at Manhyia Palace. It comes around every six weeks, so you can usually catch one whatever the month. Chiefs arrive in kente cloth under huge umbrellas, with drumming and dancing. It's busy, so get there early and dress respectfully.

If you want the best weather, aim for December or January and accept the higher prices around Christmas. January is calmer and just as dry. If you hate crowds and don't mind showers, August is the driest of the wet months and quieter than the peak. For a short city break built around markets and the palace, the dry months work best. Rain in other months won't ruin the trip, but it will slow your days.