Tamale: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Tamale is a city of 464,316 people in Ghana (Northern), 196 m (643 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Yakubu Tali International Airport (TML), 17 km (11 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 24 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Tamale runs from about 11 h 37 min a day in late December to 12 h 43 min in late June (computed for 9.4° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Tamale is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Yakubu Tali International Airport (TML), 17 km (11 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 7,999 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to Tamale: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Tamale · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 24 places to stay in Tamale. Of the 15 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (7). Guests have left 199 reviews in total.
Hotels in Tamale: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Kumasi, 314 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Ouagadougou, 338 km (Burkina Faso) — flights
- Parakou, 381 km (Benin)
- Obuase, 367 km — buses · car rental
- Koudougou, 358 km (Burkina Faso)
- Koforidua, 373 km — buses · car rental
- Bondoukou, 263 km (Ivory Coast)
- Saaba, 336 km (Burkina Faso)
- Ho, 343 km — buses · car rental
- Abomey, 397 km (Benin)
Twin towns and sister cities: Louisville, Fada N’Gourma, Niamey.
Common questions
Which airport serves Tamale?
Yakubu Tali International Airport (TML), 17 km (11 mi) from the centre.
How big is Tamale?
About 464,316 people live in Tamale, across 750 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Tamale in?
Africa/Accra, currently UTC+0.
What currency is used in Tamale?
The Cedi (GHS). Traffic drives on the right.
How many hotels are there in Tamale?
Our booking partner lists 24 places to stay in Tamale, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Tamale?
Kumasi (314 km), Ouagadougou (338 km), Parakou (381 km), Obuase (367 km), Koudougou (358 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.