Things to do in Lagos
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Lagos
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Main dry season, best overall. Roads and beaches behave and the calendar peaks.
Harmattan brings dry Saharan dust, hazy skies and slightly cooler nights.
Art and fashion fortnight, with Felabration, Lagos Fashion Week and ART X Lagos.
First rains build, humidity is heavy, and the GTCO food festival lands in late April or early May.
Main rainy season, worst for logistics. Flooding disrupts trips, with a drier August Break spell.
Second rains ease into the good season, draining away by late October.
What's on
- Felabration The week around 15 October, Fela's birthday
Week around Fela birthday at the New Afrika Shrine, mostly free, evenings.
- Lagos Fashion Week late October to early November
Fashion week following Felabration in the art and fashion fortnight.
- ART X Lagos early November
West Africa leading art fair, held at the Federal Palace, Victoria Island.
- Detty December mid-December to early January
Diaspora returns for concerts, beach parties, fashion pop ups and weddings. Book months ahead.
- Flytime Fest December
Part of the Detty December rolling Afrobeats concert calendar.
- GTCO Food & Drink Festival late April to early May
Nigeria biggest free food festival in Victoria Island, with masterclasses and hundreds of vendors.
Best things to do in Lagos
Nike Art Gallery
Five floors of Nigerian painting, sculpture, textiles and bronze, browsable for free with welcoming staff.
New Afrika Shrine
Fela Kuti family run open-air venue for big live Afrobeat bands, cheap drinks and an electric crowd.
National Museum Lagos
Dated displays hold Nok terracottas, Ife heads and Benin bronzes of extraordinary importance.
John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture & History
Modern digital exhibits tell Yoruba history and culture beside a library, restaurants and a pool.
Kalakuta Museum
Fela former home preserved with his bedroom, clothes, photos and saxophones, ending at a rooftop bar.
Freedom Park
A former colonial prison turned green memorial park with concerts, theatre, food and calm in the centre.
Terra Kulture
Private cultural house for Nigerian plays and musicals, plus a gallery, bookshop and restaurant.
Rele Gallery
Ikoyi gallery championing young Nigerian artists in Lagos deepest commercial gallery scene.
Where to stay in Lagos
Victoria Island
first trip, all-round base
Densest concentration of good hotels, restaurants, Terra Kulture, beach clubs and boat jetties.
Ikoyi
calm, luxury and couples
Leafy low rise embassy Lagos with the gallery cluster, quiet streets and the Link Bridge to Lekki.
Lekki Phase 1
nightlife, groups and Detty December energy
Beach access, Nike Gallery, arts market, bars and Lagos biggest supply of group sized apartments.
Ikeja GRA
Mainland base, airport, business and the Shrine
Leafy prestige quarter near the airport, with the Shrine and Kalakuta Museum on the Mainland side.
Yaba / Surulere
budget and everyday Lagos, repeat visitors
Beloved cheap food, real street life and far cheaper rooms, with longer rides to Island sights.
Think twice about
- Lagos Island core (Marina / CMS / Idumota / Balogun)
Extreme congestion, dense pickpocketing, flooding and a district that empties after dark. Visit by day from Ikoyi or Victoria Island.
- Mushin, Oshodi, Agege and Ajegunle
No visitor reason to overnight, with reputations for gang activity, theft and unrest and minimal visitor infrastructure.
- Makoko
A real community with real poverty and no visitor accommodation. Book a community led boat visit or leave it alone.
- Far-east Lekki sprawl (Ajah, Sangotedo, Ogombo and beyond)
Cheap shortlets mean 1.5 to 3 hours a day on the Lekki Epe Expressway, and low estates flood severely in rain.
Best restaurants in Lagos
NOK by Alara
Contemporary Nigerian fine dining inside Alara, famous for abula in a pretty garden room.
Shiro
Soaring Pan Asian fine dining room for sushi, dim sum, teppanyaki and serious cocktails.
The Slow Lagos
Chef led calm room built around Nigerian produce cooked slowly and precisely.
Danfo Bistro & Dives
Street dishes like ewa agoyin and suya reimagined in a danfo bus themed room with strong cocktails.
Yellow Chilli
Long running modern Nigerian institution for jollof, pounded yam, seafood okra and peppered snails.
RSVP
Chic dining room and poolside bar for refined international plates, date nights and celebrations.
Ofada Boy
Surulere institution for ofada rice with fiery ayamase sauce, assorted meats, ponmo and plantain.
Amala Shitta
Purist amala legend running since the 1960s, serving abula with ewedu, gbegiri and stew.
Outdoor things to do in Lagos
Lekki Conservation Centre
Swamp forest boardwalks, mona monkeys and a 401 metre canopy walkway above the treetops.
Tarkwa Bay
Sheltered boat only bay with calm swimming, soft sand, grilled fish and gentle beginner surf.
Ilashe Island
Private beach houses and clubs with pools, cabanas, DJs and full food and drink service by boat.
Badagry
History day trip to slave trade museums, the first storey building and the Point of No Return.
Lakowe Lakes Golf & Country Estate
Full 18 holes through lakes and forest, described by Nigerian golfers as the best managed course.
Ikoyi Club 1938
Historic leafy members club course in Ikoyi, usually played as a guest or by prior arrangement.
Five Cowries Creek
Lagoon boat charter at golden hour past the Lekki Ikoyi Link Bridge, skyline, port and settlements.
La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort
African themed resort with Atlantic beach, lagoon, kayaking, cycling, pools and chalets.
Best hotels in Lagos
The Wheatbaker
Small, calm, art filled boutique luxury hotel with excellent service, named first by seasoned hands.
Lagos Continental Hotel
Big reliable five star tower with pool, spa, sea views and a professional operation.
Nordic Hotel Lagos
Scandinavian styled boutique five star, quieter and more design led than the Victoria Island towers.
Eko Hotels & Suites
Vast resort scale landmark on Kuramo waters with many restaurants, pools and the city biggest events.
Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Lagos, V.I.
Lagoon edge business solid hotel with a good pool and terrace over the water.
Four Points by Sheraton Lagos
Dependable international mid tier with honest rooms, chain consistency and a good Oniru location.
Radisson Blu Hotel, Lagos Ikeja
The Mainland best all round hotel in Ikeja GRA near the airport, ideal for a Shrine night.
The White Orchid Hotel
Smaller boutique hotel in central Victoria Island, personally recommended by a repeat visitor.
Is Lagos expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | NGN 80,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | NGN 240,000 a person |
| Splurge | NGN 550,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Terra Kulture: a few days ahead
- Lagos Island heritage walk: a few days ahead
- Makoko: a few days ahead
- Ilashe Island: weeks ahead
- Badagry: a few days ahead
- Lakowe Lakes Golf & Country Estate: a few days ahead
- Ikoyi Club 1938: a few days ahead
- Five Cowries Creek: a few days ahead
- Detty December flights, hotels, Ilashe houses and concert tickets need months ahead.
- Book Badagry and private boats a few days ahead, weeks ahead in December.
- Book NOK, Shiro, Slow and RSVP for Thursday to Saturday dinners, and Terra Kulture play tickets.
- Arrange Lakowe golf and Ikoyi Club introductions through your hotel.
- Book Island hotels early for Art X and Lagos Fashion Week in late October to early November.
Is Lagos safe?
- Base in Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki or Ikeja GRA, move by app ride or hired driver, and do not walk unfamiliar areas after dark.
- In gridlock keep windows up, doors locked and phones out of sight, especially on bridge approaches after dark.
- In dense markets keep your bag in front and phone away, with nothing in a back pocket.
- Drink at reputable venues in December, watch pours and do not leave drinks, due to counterfeit spirits.
- Belt up, never use an exhausted driver at night, and never drive intercity highways at night. Emergency number 112.
- Yellow fever certificate is required, take malaria seriously, drink bottled or filtered water, and carry cash in small notes.
Lagos travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Landmark Beach and The Good Beach were demolished in 2024. Guides still listing them are out of date.
- Elegushi Beach is loud, crowded and charge layered. Go for a party scene, not a beach day.
- Eko Atlantic is a drive past only, with nothing to do there.
- December VIP table minimums inflate and tables get resold. Book officially and get terms in writing.
- Nike Gallery and Jakande Market prices assume negotiation. Decline unsolicited airport helpers and visa fixers.
- Never start Badagry by road at 9am. Leave by 7am or take the boat.
Getting around Lagos: public transport and more
- Use Bolt, Uber or InDrive, or hire a private driver by the day for Badagry, markets and nights out.
- Do not self drive. Traffic, unwritten rules and stops make a hired driver the right answer.
- Danfo and keke are a daytime short hop experience at most. BRT and the Blue Line rail work on their corridors.
- Boats and ferries from Marina, Ikoyi and Lekki jetties beat roads to Tarkwa Bay, Ilashe and Badagry.
- Allow 1.5 to 3 hours from the airport in Ikeja to Victoria Island or Ikoyi at peak.
Who Lagos suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Great |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Great |
Make Lagos your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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