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Ghana · Safety report last updated
Safety Report
IsMyTripSafe.com
Ghana · Assessed 20 October 2026
76
/ 100
What drives this score
01 · Official Guidance
Exercise Increased Caution
“Exercise increased cautionwhen traveling to Ghana due to crime, poor health infrastructure, violence against women, and violence against lesbian and gay travelers. Some areas have increased risk.”
Updated Tue, 07 Jul 2026
Full advisory →Advises against all travel to parts of the country
“Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Areas where FCDO advises against all but essential travel Bawku Municipality FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the Bawku Municipal area in the Upper East region of Ghana.”
Updated 2026-10-07T10:25:24Z
Full advisory →Exercise a high degree of caution
“Canada's official risk level for Ghana: exercise a high degree of caution.”
Updated 2026-09-24T08:53:34.054319-04:00
Full advisory →02 · Evidence Signals
Urban scale factor
City SignalCity Geocoding
Homicide rate
Robbery / mugging
LowArmed robbery against visitors is rare but can occur in isolated areas after dark; no recent reports targeting tourists in Ho.
Pickpocketing
ModeratePickpocketing and bag-snatching happen in crowded markets, lorry parks, and near busy road intersections, especially during daytime.
03 · Environment
04 · Institutions
05 · Field Research
Traveller sentiment score
Mostly positive
84/100
Visitors report feeling safe during the day in Ho, particularly in well-populated areas, but express caution after dark due to poor lighting and isolated streets.
Yes. Ho is generally safe for visitors who take standard precautions against petty crime and avoid isolated areas after dark.
Ho benefits from Ghana's overall stability and low violent crime against tourists, though pickpocketing and bag-snatching occur in markets and near transport hubs. The city sees occasional protests and localized crime, but no recent incidents targeting foreigners. Road safety remains a concern due to poor infrastructure and traffic conditions.
Recent developments
Common scams
Full briefing
Ho presents a generally safe environment for travelers, particularly when sticking to well-known areas and daylight hours. The city sees typical West African urban risks like pickpocketing in Ho Market and near lorry parks, where bag-snatching and phone theft are most common, but violent crime against visitors remains uncommon. Recent local concerns focus on infrastructure, with residents calling for repairs on the Ho–Ziavi road due to safety hazards, and past incidents such as the 2025 mosque shooting appear isolated and not tied to tourist activity. Protests, like the planned Akome bridge demonstration in mid-2026, have been managed without escalation. Travelers should avoid displaying valuables, use trusted transport after dark, and remain alert in crowded spaces. While road conditions and traffic pose notable hazards, the overall atmosphere in Ho is welcoming, with most visitors reporting positive experiences when exercising basic awareness. Staying in populated neighborhoods and avoiding isolated walks at night significantly reduces risk.
Was this Ho, Ghana report helpful?
06 · Neighbourhoods
Our field research rated 7 Ho districts for visitors: 2 safer, 4 needing caution and 1 best avoided. See them plotted on the Ho safety map.
KpedzeavoidIsolated area; recent reports of armed robbery and poor lighting after dark.
Ho CentralcautionBusy commercial hub; daytime safe but pickpocketing reported in markets and after dark.
ZiavicautionRoad safety concerns due to poor infrastructure; avoid walking alone at night.
AvenuecautionMarket area; petty theft common; avoid displaying valuables.
BotokucautionNear Ho Central Mosque; tension after 2025 shooting incident; avoid protests and large gatherings.
AhoesaferResidential area with low crime; popular with expats and students; well-lit streets.
Ho DomesaferUpscale residential zone; low crime; good security presence.
07 · After Dark
83% of people in Ghana say they feel safe walking alone at night in their area (UN SDG survey, 2019).
Armed robbery against visitors is rare but can occur in isolated areas after dark; no recent reports targeting tourists in Ho.
After dark, be most careful around Kpedze, Ho Central, Ziavi, Avenue. Stick to busy, well-lit streets and licensed taxis or ride-hail late at night.
08 · Questions
Yes. Ho is generally safe for visitors who take standard precautions against petty crime and avoid isolated areas after dark. Ho benefits from Ghana's overall stability and low violent crime against tourists, though pickpocketing and bag-snatching occur in markets and near transport hubs. The city sees occasional protests and localized crime, but no recent incidents targeting foreigners. Road safety remains a concern due to poor infrastructure and traffic conditions. (Assessed 20 October 2026.)
Safety is not one number, and this Ho report does not pretend it is: the score is re-weighted for who is travelling. A woman travelling alone, a family with children and a solo backpacker face different street-level risks, so the headline score shifts and the report leads with the findings that matter for that group. Personalize this report in one click to see the 2026 score and safety briefing for your specific travellers.
Field research flags Kpedze as best avoided. See the district-by-district safety map.
Ho ranks #4 of 7 Ghana destinations we've assessed, scoring 76/100. See the Ghana safety overview for the full list.
The score blends 13+ public data sources — government advisories, UNODC/World Bank crime statistics, FBI crime data for U.S. cities, WHO health data, live air quality and disaster alerts — with AI field research over current local reporting. The databases carry the bulk of the weight; the traveller-sentiment score from field research carries the rest. Full methodology.
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Raw data: ho.json (CC BY 4.0).
