Accra ⇄ Banjul · ASKY via Freetown · The Gambia · Checked October 2026

Banjul from Accra: the smiling coast and the river of Kunta Kinte

The Gambia is Africa's smallest mainland country: a ribbon of land along one great river, wrapped almost entirely by Senegal, with eighty kilometres of Atlantic beach at its mouth. Ghanaians know it best through the story of Kunta Kinte and the island where the slave trade began on the river. From Accra there is no non-stop flight, but ASKY gets you there with one stop in Freetown, and you need no visa. Here is how, and what waits at the other end.

The Gambia in brief

Key facts

Capital: Banjul, on an island at the mouth of the River Gambia. The largest urban area is Serekunda, just inland.
Airport: Banjul International Airport (BJL) at Yundum, about 25 km from Banjul and closer to the beach resorts.
From Accra: ASKY Airlines, with one stop in Freetown, several times a week.
Time: GMT, the same as Ghana.
Currency: Gambian dalasi (GMD). Cash is king outside the hotels.
Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula and others.
Independence: 18 February 1965, from Britain.
Entry for Ghanaians: visa-free as ECOWAS citizens, for up to 90 days.

Flights from Accra to Banjul

Airline	Route	How often	Notes
ASKY Airlines	Accra → Freetown → Banjul	Several times a week	The most direct option; you stay on the aircraft in Freetown.
Kenya Airways	Accra → Freetown → Banjul	On ASKY flights	Sold as a Kenya Airways codeshare on ASKY's aircraft.
Other airlines	One stop via Dakar, Lomé or Abidjan	Varies	Useful when the Freetown routing is full; check total travel time.

Read this before booking

West African routings change often. Always check your date on flyasky.com. On the way back, the same aircraft usually flies Banjul → Freetown → Accra, so you can also stop over in Sierra Leone.

ASKY: the full guide Freetown West Africa from Accra

Ghana and Banjul right now

Local time in both cities, the weather at this moment, and a converter between cedis, dalasi and the main currencies.

Say it like a Gambian

Nanga def? (Wolof): how are you? The answer is Maa ngi fi rekk, I'm fine.
Jërëjëf (Wolof): thank you.
Abaraka (Mandinka): thank you.
Salaam aleikum: the greeting you will hear everywhere.

The Gambia has a long dry season from November to May, the best time for the coast, and a rainy season from June to October.

Entry and arrival

No visa for Ghanaians: as ECOWAS citizens, Ghanaians can stay up to 90 days with a valid passport or ECOWAS travel document.
Yellow fever: carry your vaccination card; it is checked.
Into town: official taxis wait at the airport; agree the fare first. Most hotels on the coast at Kololi, Kotu and Bakau are 20 to 30 minutes away, Banjul itself about 30 to 40.
Pickups: many hotels and tour operators offer airport transfers, the easiest option on a late arrival.

Banjul and the Atlantic coast

Arch 22 and Albert MarketBanjul's monumental gate with its museum and view, and the bustling old market below.
National Museum, BanjulA small museum on the history and peoples of The Gambia.
Kachikally Crocodile PoolThe sacred crocodiles of Bakau, a cousin of Ghana's own crocodiles at Paga.
Kololi and the beachesThe Senegambia strip, Kotu and Cape Point: the heart of the tourist coast.
Tanji fishing villageColourful pirogues landing their catch on the beach, and the smoke-houses behind.
Abuko Nature ReserveA pocket of forest with monkeys and birds, close to the airport.

The Gambia in depth on GambiaVibes.com Ghana's crocodiles at Paga

Up the river: Kunta Kinteh Island and Juffureh

About 30 km up the River Gambia lies a small island that was for centuries a European trading fort. Today it is called Kunta Kinteh Island, after the young man from nearby Juffureh whose capture and enslavement Alex Haley told in Roots. Together with the villages of Juffureh and Albreda and other forts and trading posts along the river, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For visitors from Ghana, whose own coast is lined with the castles of the same trade, it is a powerful connection.

Kunta Kinteh IslandThe ruins of the river fort, reached by boat from Albreda or Banjul.
Juffureh and AlbredaThe village of Kunta Kinte and a small museum of the slave trade.
Wassu Stone CirclesAncient megalithic circles far upriver, shared as a World Heritage Site with Senegal.
Makasutu and the mangrovesBoat trips through mangrove creeks, birdlife and forest.

Cape Coast Castle Elmina Castle

Tours in The Gambia and neighbouring Senegal: Kunta Kinteh Island, the river, Banjul and the coast. Entrance fees are included in the tour price; tips are not included but always welcome.

Senegal and beyond

The Gambia sits inside Senegal. Many travellers combine both, by road across the border or by a short flight to Dakar.

Honest tips for The Gambia

Bumsters: on the tourist beaches, young men offer friendship, guiding or romance. Be polite but firm; only use registered guides.
Cash: ATMs exist in the coastal towns but fail often, and cards are accepted mainly in hotels. Bring cash and change it at proper bureaux.
Ferries: the Banjul–Barra ferry across the river mouth is slow and crowded. Allow plenty of time for trips to the north bank and Juffureh.
Dress: The Gambia is mostly Muslim. Beachwear is fine on the beach, but cover up in towns and villages.
Season: November to May is dry and the best time; in the rainy season some upriver roads become difficult.
Same clock, no visa: Banjul is on GMT like Accra, and Ghanaians enter visa-free. It is one of the easiest trips in West Africa.

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GhanaFlights.info belongs to an independent network of more than 70 travel, heritage and information websites, which began with ghana-net.com in December 2000. No Google advertising, no sponsored praise, no picture-postcard copy: just the routes and the places, as they are.

Ghana: Ghana-Net.com · Ghana-Net.net (Deutsch) · GhanaWeb-News.com · Travel News · MyGhana2027.com · GhanaHotels.biz · GhanaTrails.com · HoInGhana.com · Ghana3d.com · GhanaMirrors.com · Ghana Radio Live · Network map

Castles and forts: Elmina Castle · Cape Coast Castle · Cape Coast Castle Museum · Oguaa Fetu Afahye · Osu Castle · James Fort · Ussher Fort · Fort Vissão · Fort Good Hope · Fort Amsterdam · Fort William, Anomabo · Fort San Sebastian · Fort Orange · Fort Batenstein · Fort Metal Cross · Fort Prinzenstein · Kumasi Fort

Museums, memorials and history: GhanaMuseums.com · National Museum · Volta Regional Museum · Upper East Regional Museum · Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park · Nkrumah Mausoleum, Nkroful · W. E. B. Du Bois Centre · Cape Coast War Cemetery · Erased Graves · 1939 Earthquake Archive · Akosombo Dam · Alokoto, Gbawe

Nature and parks: Kakum National Park · Mole National Park · Paga Crocodiles · Shai Hills · Aburi Botanical Gardens

Africa: AfricanIndependence.com · Uganda · Ethiopia · Egypt · Morocco · DR Congo · Sierra Leone · NigerianRadio.com · Explore Nigeria · KenyaWebNews.com · Kenya National Parks · GambiaVibes.com · SenegalVibes.com · GuineaVibes.com · GuineaInfo.com · BeninVibes.com · BurkinaVibes.com · BurundiVibes.com · ZambiaVibes.com · Denegal.com

Beyond Africa, and the people behind it: BritainAdventures.com · GhanaNet.co.uk · KenyaWebNews.co.uk · 1001Radio.com · Thailand · Ghana0.com: Remo Kurka's blog · V2 and Peenemünde · GhanaPhotographer.com · Photography and web design · Last Minute Photographer

Updated and fact-checked: 28 October 2026. Flight routings from ASKY's published network; entry rules under the ECOWAS protocol on free movement. Schedules and rules change; always confirm with the airline before travelling. Text and research by Remo Kurka for GhanaFlights.info. This website carries no Google advertising.

Flights from Accra to Banjul 2026: ASKY via Freetown, The Gambia and Honest Tips

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