Visit the new Olubadan Palace at Oke Aremo

The National Museum of Unity on National Museum Road in Aleshinloye unveiled a renovated exhibition hall with Unity Renewed, a show of Nigerian artists across generations including Susanne Wenger. In the older galleries, the Masquerade Gallery covers Egungun and other traditions and the Gallery of Unity holds drums…

Gbagi, also listed as Bola Ige market, is a fabric hub where batik and crepe stand out and tailors and resellers buy in bulk. Vendors call out to passers-by, so know your fabric and quantity before you walk in and compare a few stalls first. Go before midday, when it is calmer, since it builds up through the day and…

The University of Ibadan zoo began in 1948 as a teaching menagerie and became a full zoo in 1974. It keeps a small museum of taxidermy from past residents and is known for a gorilla pair. Ask about the guided tours the zoo offers, and combine the visit with a walk around the campus and its gardens. Check the zoo's…

The IITA campus on Oyo Road holds a 350-hectare forest reserve that is an Important Bird Area, with 67 species restricted to the Guinea-Congo forest biome. More than 270 bird species have been recorded across the campus, and it is known as a birdwatching hotspot. It is a research institute, so ask IITA about visitor…

Naira is the only legal tender for everyday payments, so dollars are for exchanging, not for paying hotel or taxi bills. Street changers, including those near airport car parks, tend to short-change you by a note or two. Use a bank or an authorised bureau, keep your money in view until the deal is done and count every…

The Lagos to Ibadan train ends at Obafemi Awolowo Station in Moniya, in the north of the city and well away from the centre. Public transport to the station can be limited, so book a ride-hailing car or a driver and keep that leg out of tight connections. Build a buffer on departure days too, since the extra trips…

Premier Hotel was built in the 1960s by the old Western Region government as one of the first modern high-rise hotels outside Lagos. Odu'a Investment Company has remodelled it, and the first phase was commissioned in June 2026 with 154 beds while keeping its heritage character. It stands on Mokola Hill, the same…

In 2025 and 2026 the Oloolu Egungun festival ran four days, Monday to Thursday, in late July. The masquerade comes out each day from about 4 p.m. until dawn along routes through Oje, Oke Aremo, Oja-Oba and other old-city areas. The Olubadan's palace asks women to keep out of its path, and a 2025 NYSC advisory told…