The Detty December school tour: a 7-day parent itinerary for Accra

If your family is spending a week in Accra during December and you also need to look at schools, the goal is not to turn the holiday into seven straight days of appointments. The goal is to group visits intelligently, leave room for family time and return home with a clear shortlist.

This sample itinerary assumes you have already researched the schools and contacted them. December availability varies, so confirm every tour directly with the school before building your day around it.

Day 1 — Arrival and confirmation

Do not schedule school visits immediately after a long flight. Settle in, confirm your accommodation and message each school to reconfirm appointments.

Check that you have the correct contact person, time and location. Save all appointment details in one place.

In the evening, review your shortlist. If you have more than six schools, reduce it before the tours begin.

Day 2 — Airport-area schools

Use your first full day for schools around the Airport and East Airport side of the city if those are among your target areas. The East Airport primary-school listings can help you structure the research.

Aim for two or three visits, depending on travel time and appointment length. Do not book four visits simply because they look close on a map.

After each visit, record three things: strongest point, biggest concern and unanswered question.

Day 3 — East Legon

Dedicate the next day to East Legon if it is relevant to your housing or school plans. For younger children, use the East Legon preschool listings to identify candidates.

Try to compare schools with similar age groups rather than jumping between unrelated options. You want the visits to answer the same questions.

Leave the afternoon free for the family. A school tour should not consume the whole day.

Day 4 — Family day and follow-ups

No school marathon. Use this day to enjoy Accra with the children and process what you have seen.

Send follow-up questions to schools where an answer was unclear. If a school is operating on reduced holiday hours, this may also be the day to confirm whether a later conversation is possible.

Review your shortlist. You should now have fewer names than when you arrived.

Day 5 — Adjiringanor or your second target area

If Adjiringanor is one of your target neighbourhoods, compare the preschool options there. Otherwise, substitute the area where you are most likely to live.

The key is geographic grouping. You are not trying to “cover Accra”; you are testing the areas that could realistically become part of your family's daily routine.

Day 6 — Finalist visits

Return to your strongest one or two schools if a second conversation would help. Ask the questions that remained unanswered during the first visit.

This is also a good day to test practical issues: the route from your likely home, school-run timing, transport arrangements and what you would need to do next if you wanted to apply.

Do not feel pressured to decide simply because it is your last full day. Your aim is clarity.

Day 7 — Decision and next steps

Sit down as a family and compare the finalists against your original criteria.

Choose your preferred school, a strong second option and the specific information you still need before committing. If admissions are open and you are ready, follow the school's stated process.

If you need more time, leave Ghana with a documented shortlist rather than a vague impression.

The questions to keep beside you

At every visit, ask about class placement, admissions, curriculum, daily routine, parent communication, costs and what happens to a child arriving from another country. Use EarlyDays' enrolment questions guide to expand the list.

And remember: December is a holiday period. A quiet campus is useful for seeing facilities, but it is not the same as observing a school during a normal term. Ask what you cannot see.

If you are travelling specifically for school scouting and want the week planned around a smaller, more relevant shortlist, EarlyDays Concierge can shortlist schools and coordinate the tours around your visit.

The best seven-day school tour is not the one with the most appointments. It is the one that leaves you knowing which schools are genuinely worth pursuing when you return home.