Day 1: Arrive Lagos — Art & Culture
Arrive Lagos. Afternoon: Nike Art Gallery (10,000+ works), Lekki Conservation Centre canopy walkway. Evening: Terra Kulture for Nigerian arts and dinner. Overnight Lagos.
Day 2: Badagry — The Route of No Return
Full day Badagry: Heritage Museum, Slave Route walk, Attenuation Well, Point of No Return at Gberefu Beach. Return to Lagos. Overnight Lagos.
Day 3: Abeokuta — Olumo Rock & Adire Art
Drive to Abeokuta. Climb Olumo Rock (137m granite fortress). Afternoon: Itoku Market for Adire indigo fabric workshops. Drive to Ibadan. Overnight Ibadan.
Day 4: Idanre Hills — Ancient Hilltop Kingdom
Drive to Idanre Hills, one of Nigeria’s most spectacular natural sites — a UNESCO tentative site. Climb 682 steps to Old Idanre, a hilltop settlement inhabited for over 800 years. Explore the Owa’s Palace (king’s court), ancient shrines, the mysterious Agboogun footprint (said to be a giant’s), and panoramic views across the forested landscape. The old school, court, and church — built by colonial missionaries in the 1900s — sit eerily preserved on the hilltop. Overnight Akure/Idanre.
Day 5: Idanre to Oshogbo — Sacred Forest
Morning drive through Ondo State to Oshogbo. Afternoon: first exploration of the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove — the UNESCO-listed Yoruba sacred forest. Walk among shrines and sculptures, with Susanne Wenger’s haunting artworks integrated into the forest. Overnight Oshogbo.
Day 6: Osun Sacred Grove & Ile-Ife
Dawn visit to the grove (best light, fewest visitors). Morning: deeper exploration of the forest paths and river shrines. Afternoon: drive to Ile-Ife, the spiritual capital of the Yoruba world. Visit the Ooni’s Palace and the Ife Museum (famous bronze and terracotta heads). Overnight Oshogbo.
Day 7: Return to Lagos — Departure
Morning at leisure. Drive back to Lagos (4-5 hours) for afternoon departure flight.
