Known for
Capital of Afrobeat music, Nollywood film and Nigerian art
Must-see landmarks
Freedom Park, National Museum of Nigeria, and Nike Art Gallery
Best time to visit
November to March, in the dry season
Days needed
2 to 3 days for the main sights
The cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Lagos, its nave holding the tomb of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the first African Anglican bishop. Its foundation stone was laid on 29 March 1867 by colonial administrator John Hawley Glover, on the Marina, Lagos Island's old harbourfront. Lagos Central Mosque is a 6 minute walk north.
Four Ottoman-style minarets and a golden dome mark Lagos Island's main mosque, rebuilt in its current form and opened in 1988 after an earlier mosque on the same site, dating to 1864, was demolished. The exterior and forecourt make a striking stop even briefly. Tinubu Square is a 6 minute walk east.
A fountain marks the centre of this roundabout, named after Efunroye Tinubu, an influential 19th century Lagos merchant and political figure whose name is shared with Nigeria's president. It sits at the edge of the old commercial district around Balogun Market. Freedom Park is a 14 minute walk south.
Freedom Park fills the former Broad Street prison, reconstructed as a memorial and cultural venue designed by architect Theo Lawson for the 50th anniversary of Nigeria's independence in 2010. Live music, art shows and a small museum keep the grounds busy most evenings, and entry costs a modest fee. Tafawa Balewa Square is a 10 minute walk east.
Laid out in 1972 on the site of the old colonial Lagos Race Course, this vast public square is named after Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Nigeria's first prime minister, and still hosts national parades and exhibitions. The National Museum of Nigeria is a 10 minute walk south.
Run by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments in the Onikan district, Nigeria's national collection spans Nok terracottas, Benin bronzes and archaeological and historical artefacts gathered from across the country. Galleries open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 16:00 and Sunday from 11:00 to 16:00, and an entrance fee applies.
Lagos is Nigeria's commercial capital, a sprawling city of islands and mainland threaded together by bridges across the lagoon, and one of Africa's largest and fastest-growing megacities, according to the World Bank. Its creative energy runs deep: Afrobeat was born here through Fela Kuti and lives on at the New Afrika Shrine, Nollywood grew into a global film industry from studios across the city, and a new generation of Afrobeats artists now fills arenas from London to Lagos itself.
Lagos Island holds the old colonial core around the Marina and Broad Street, home to Freedom Park, the National Museum and Balogun Market's textile stalls. Ikoyi and Victoria Island, linked by the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, hold the city's embassies, hotels and waterfront towers. Further east, Lekki mixes gated estates with Nike Art Gallery and the Lekki Conservation Centre, while Ikeja, on the mainland, is home to the airport and the New Afrika Shrine.
The dry season, November to March, brings the least rain, though the Harmattan's dusty winds can haze the skyline in December and January. The wet season runs April to October, heaviest from May to July. Two to three days cover the colonial core, the museums and a taste of Lekki and Victoria Island; a longer stay allows time for a boat trip out to the islands.
Lagos's traffic, known locally as go-slow, is a fact of daily life, and journeys between the mainland and the islands can take far longer than the distance suggests. The LAMATA-run Bus Rapid Transit runs dedicated lanes across the city, LASWA ferries connect jetties across the lagoon, and app-based ride-hailing is generally considered a safer choice than hailing a taxi on the street, according to UK and US government travel advice. Lagos is the most populous urban area on the continent, and its lagoon-side skyline is one of the less expected entries in what to see in africa.