Lagos: a first-timer's guide to Nigeria's mega city

Why Lagos is worth your time

Lagos does not do quiet postcard sights. Its magic is in its people and its pace: Sunday brunches that turn into parties, art openings in Ikoyi, Femi or Seun Kuti playing late at the New Afrika Shrine, and boats skimming across the lagoon to empty beaches. Many visitors arrive nervous and leave planning their return for December, when the city's festive season, known as Detty December, fills every venue.

The main areas

**Victoria Island and Ikoyi** are where most visitors stay. They are the business and upmarket districts, with hotels, restaurants, galleries, bars and embassies, and they are the easiest areas to move around.

**Lekki** stretches east along the coast, with newer estates, beaches like Elegushi and Landmark, the Lekki Conservation Centre and the craft market. It is popular with younger Lagosians and diaspora visitors.

**Lagos Island** is the old city: Balogun Market, the Oba's palace, the Brazilian Quarter, Freedom Park, Tafawa Balewa Square and the Cathedral Church of Christ. It is crowded and busy, best visited by day with a local.

**Ikeja** on the mainland is home to the airport, the New Afrika Shrine, the Kalakuta Republic Museum and Ikeja City Mall. If your flight is very early or very late, an Ikeja hotel saves a long drive.

Things to do

Start with art. Nike Art Gallery in Lekki holds thousands of works over several floors, and Rele and Omenka in Ikoyi show the most exciting contemporary artists. Terra Kulture on Victoria Island stages plays and musicals and has a good restaurant. Freedom Park, a former colonial prison, now hosts concerts and food stalls.

For nature, walk the canopy walkway at the Lekki Conservation Centre, one of the longest in Africa. For beaches, take a boat from the jetties around Victoria Island and Ikoyi to Tarkwa Bay or Ilashe, which are calmer than the open Atlantic shore. Swim only where locals do, as rip currents along the Lagos coast are dangerous.

For history, spend a day in Badagry, around two hours west depending on traffic. The Badagry Heritage Museum and the walk to the Point of No Return tell the story of the slave trade on this coast, and for diaspora visitors it is often the most important day of the trip.

What to eat

This is a food city. Try jollof rice, suya (spiced grilled meat) from evening street stands, amala with gbegiri and ewedu at Amala Skye in Surulere, pepper soup, ofada rice with its fiery green stew, and puff puff. Yellow Chilli and Bukka Hut are easy introductions. For a special night, Victoria Island and Ikoyi have international restaurants to match any global city.

Getting around

Traffic, the go slow, rules everything. Allow at least an hour for most cross town trips and much more at rush hour. Ride hailing apps such as Uber and Bolt are the easiest option for visitors. Hotels can also arrange a driver for the day. Yellow danfo buses and okada motorbikes are cheap but chaotic, and okadas are banned in many areas. Lagos ferries and the Blue and Red Line trains are growing, and are worth a try by day.

Staying safe

Victoria Island, Ikoyi and the main Lekki estates are the usual bases. Take normal big city care: keep your phone out of sight in traffic, do not walk around at night, arrange your airport transfer before you land, and keep valuables in the hotel safe. Read your government's travel advice before you go.

When you are ready, use our free trip planner or browse places to visit for more ideas.