Attraction · Wa
Cathedral of Saint Andrew
St. Andrew's Cathedral is the Roman-Rite cathedral of the Diocese of Wa, an active place of worship in Wa, Upper West Region, Ghana.
Photo: KUUBO EMMANUEL · Source
Explore Ghana
Things to do in Upper West Region
The Upper West Region rewards travellers who like their history close to the ground and their landscapes quiet. Wa, the regional capital, holds the Cathedral of Saint Andrew and the Wa Naa's Palace, a gazetted national monument in Sudano-Sahelian mud-brick style, while the Dondoli Mosque, a 19th-century earthen mosque, is reported to be in partial ruins and abandoned. Nearby Nakore Mosque is a small historic mud mosque still active for Friday prayers, and at Loho the Nubuke Centre for Textiles and Clay keeps the region's weaving and clay traditions alive.
Many of these places share a thread: earthen architecture, chieftaincy and the memory of the slave trade. Gwollu gathers several of them in one small town, including the Gwollu Slave Defence Wall built by Gwollu Koro Limann, the grave of King Tanjia, the sacred crocodile pond called Kalgwe, the Gwollu Kuoro's Palace and the tomb of Dr Hilla Limann, Ghana's 8th President. Wechiau offers a different mood altogether, with the community-run hippo sanctuary on the Black Volta, its dugout-canoe river safari, the ancient mosque and the Wechiau Naa Palace.
What differs is pace and access. Wa's sites sit in town; Gwollu's cluster is walkable; Wechiau's river country asks for more time.
Good to know
Before you go
Plan around a base in Wa and treat Gwollu and Wechiau as separate days, since the region is large and roads vary. Ask locally about conditions before setting out, and arrange the Wechiau river safari and any guided visits in advance through the community-run sanctuary. Several sites are active places of worship or working palaces, so dress modestly, greet the elders, and check whether photography is welcome. The Dondoli Mosque is reported to be in partial ruins, and the Wechiau Ancient Mosque has been undergoing restoration since 2024, so expect limited access. A local guide helps with language and context, and small community fees are usually paid on site.
Start here
Places to explore
Attraction · Dondoli
Dondoli Mosque
Dondoli Mosque is a 19th-century Sudano-Sahelian earthen mosque in the Dondoli community of Wa, Upper West Region, now reported to be in partial ruins and abandoned.
Photo: Isaac Gyemfi · Source
Attraction · Gwollu
Gwollu Slave Defence Wall
A 19th-century mud-and-brick defence wall in Gwollu, Upper West Region, built by Gwollu Koro Limann against slave traders and managed by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board.
Photo: Sir Amugi · Source
Attraction · Nakore
Nakore Mosque
Nakore Mosque is a small historic Sudano-Sahelian mud mosque in Nakore village, southwest of Wa in Ghana's Upper West Region, still active for Friday prayers.
Photo: Virtutepetens · Source
Attraction · Wa
Wa Naa's Palace
Wa Naa's Palace is the traditional palace and official residence of the Wa Naa in Wa town, Upper West Region, and a gazetted national monument in Sudano-Sahelian mud-brick style.
Photo: U.S. Embassy Ghana · Source
Attraction · Wechiau
Wechiau Hippopotamus Sanctuary
A community-run sanctuary at Wechiau protecting a 40 km stretch of the Black Volta River and one of Ghana's two remaining hippo populations.
Photo: Kradolferp · Source
Attraction
Attraction · Wechiau
Black Volta River (Wechiau stretch) river safari
A guided dugout-canoe river safari on the Black Volta at Wechiau, run by the community-led Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary in Ghana's Upper West Region.
Attraction
Attraction · Gwollu
Dr Hilla Limann Mausoleum / Tomb
The burial place and memorial of Dr Hilla Limann, Ghana's 8th President and the only president of the Third Republic, inside the chief's compound in Gwollu, Upper West Region.
Attraction
Attraction · Gwollu
Grave of King Tanjia
Grave of King Tanjia (Tanjia Musa) in Gwollu, Sissala West District, listed by the district assembly among its tourist sites for his role in building the Gwollu defence wall.
Attraction
Attraction · Gwollu
Gwollu Crocodile Pond
Kalgwe, the sacred crocodile pond in central Gwollu, Sissala West District, where crocodiles are revered as clan totems and protected by the community.
Attraction
Attraction · Gwollu
Gwollu Kuoro's Palace
The working palace compound of the Gwollu Kuoro in Sissala West District, beside the Gwollu Slave Defence Wall and holding the tomb of former President Dr Hilla Limann.
Attraction
Attraction · Gwollu
Gwollu Traditional Bone Setting Centre
An indigenous bone-setting practice run by the Najiriwia Clan in Gwollu, Sissala West District, listed among the district's tourist sites.
Attraction
Attraction · Loho
Nubuke Centre for Textiles and Clay
Nubuke Foundation's craft centre in Loho, near Wa in the Upper West Region, devoted to the region's weaving and clay traditions.
Attraction
Attraction · Wechiau
Wechiau Ancient Mosque
A historic earthen mosque in Wechiau, Wa West District, Upper West Region, built in Sudano-Sahelian and Djenne styles and undergoing restoration since 2024.
Attraction
Attraction · Wechiau
Wechiau Naa Palace
The Wechiau Naa Palace is the traditional seat of the Wechiau Naa, chief of the Wechiau Traditional Area, in Wechiau, capital of Wa West District, Upper West Region.