Traveling to Lagos Advice

Appendix

Things to do in Lagos Nigeria

Follow nothing to do in lagos on instagram for great events.

Touristy Things

Lagos doesn’t have that many “touristy” things to do but there are plenty of activities to fill a few days.

If you’re looking for an overview of historic Lagos, I highly recommend the Loving Lagos House in Onikan. Just email or whatsapp them to book a tour. It’s a great way to spend 3 hours and is a good introduction to the city. If you want to make a full day of it and get more local flavor, I’d suggest adding on a tour of Balogun market.

Loving Lagos can also guide you around the John Randall center for Yoruba Culture and History which is a fantastic museum that’s also in Onikan. It’s now open 10am - 6pm daily (closed Mondays). You don’t need a guide though and can also go on your own. If you really like museums you might also consider the National Museum in Onikan.

If you’re visiting Lagos, but are short on time, I’d recommend at least spending an hour at the Nike Art Gallery. It’s an incredibly huge and overflowing art gallery in Lekki. Don’t miss this! Seriously!

You can also visit the Lekki Arts and Crafts market if you’re looking for art or souvenirs that are more affordable. It’s large, clean, and well organized. The road leading there is bad quality but don't let that deter you. They have art, woodcarvings, baskets, and some traditional fabric. It’s very calm and relaxed but expect to haggle. I usually start at 1/3 the asking price.

Down the expressway past the craft market is the Lekki Conservation center. It’s a small nature preserve with a cool canopy walk. It’s good to do once but not amazing. Watch out for the monkeys as they can be aggressive!

Beaches in Lagos

Unfortunately, the Lagos beaches that were nice and easy to get to were demolished in 2024. You can still access great beaches, but you’ll need to either drive further into Lekki or take a boat.

If you’re looking for a “beach day” I’d recommend taking a boat to Tarkwa Bay – it’s a great way to see the city from the water and relax. To get there, take a banana boat from CMS (somewhat adventurous) or a catamaran from Fiki Marine (safer but more expensive and less frequent). We prefer banana boats from CMS. The boat ride is only ~20 minutes but I’d budget the whole day.

For surf lessons + board rentals reach out to Godspower or Tarkwa Bay Surf Club. You can stay overnight at Oceanview Beach camp or just grab lunch there. Don’t miss walking up the path to Lighthouse Beach which is quieter and very relaxed. Be careful about swimming on Lighthouse Beach those as the currents are very strong.

There are more beach resorts and private beach houses down the peninsula in Ilashe.

Music

New Africa Shrine - storied music venue associated with Nigerian legend, Fela Kuti. Thursday and Sunday nights are usually the best time to visit because that’s when Femi Kuti (Fela’s son) plays. It’s also fun to go when Made Kuti (Fela’s grandson) has shows. It’s in Ikeja.

Bogobiri is an artsy hotel + eatery that also has great music. Every Thursday night there’s an open mic night. It “starts” at 7pm but the acts usually don’t go on until 8pm or 9pm.

Freedom park (formerly a prison) is a historic venue on Lagos Island that has a great vibe. Follow their instagram to see what’s on.

Lagos has an active electronic music scene. You’ll hear about shows mostly through instagram e.g. Group Therapy or Element House

Fitness

If you’re looking for a place to run, I’d recommend Sunday mornings on the smaller streets of ikoyi (e.g. Glover road, making loops on the smaller streets or across the Lekki - Ikoyi Link Bridge).

Most other days of the week the streets are just too busy unless you’re quite adventurous. Another option is to run up and down the seawall in the Blade Runner-esque Eko Atlantic complex. If the guards stop you on your way in just say you’re headed to the restaurant at the Eko Pearl towers.

If you’re into dancing there’s salsa most nights of the week at different restaurants around town. I’ve also had friends recommend Bailamos Dance Company for classes.

For something unique, Fit Nigeria runs Tuesday night trampoline fitness at Upbeat (warehouse sized trampoline facility in the same complex). Starts at 6pm. Just show up no need to register beforehand.

Bikaholics Lagos also does social bike rides on the last Sunday of every month. You can rent bikes for a small fee. You’ll stop halfway through for a shared drink. Very social. Minimal exercise.

You can even scuba dive in Lagos with Scuba Lagos. The dive instructor Tony is amazing and there are a bunch of interesting shipwrecks