Lagos is a playground for visitors from across the world, whether for business or pleasure, or both. Whether they are chasing palm trees, contemporary art, or a brush with Fela Kuti’s legacy, the visitors are finding more fun activities, stories, sights, and scenes worth their plane ticket to the city that does not sleep.

The Upside-Down House, Landmark Boulevard

If Instagram had a headquarters in Lagos, then this would be it. The bright-blue upside-down house flips reality on its head, literally. In this space, the outside is built with its roof on the ground and its foundation in the air. Windows, doors, staircases, beds, and chairs hang above your head, and even flowers and plants all appear upside down. So, your brain will try to make sense of the structure because you expect gravity to behave normally, and being inside the house can feel disorienting or playful. It is part funhouse, part surreal art.

John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History

Where modern design meets deep tradition. This museum in Onikan gives tourists a crash course on Yoruba culture and heritage.  Named after Dr. John Randle, a prominent Lagos physician and nationalist of the early 1900s, the centre pays tribute to the richness of Yoruba heritage, art, and storytelling.

This centre is immersed in traditional colours, antiques, the history of orishas (gods), and the evolution of Yoruba kinship. This is where history stops being boring and starts being brilliant. It is cultural and immersive, and perfect for history lovers.

Also Read: Five places you must experience in Ibadan

Tarkwa Bay Beach

Tarkwa Bay is not your average Lagos beach. It is quieter, more secluded, and only accessible by boat, which adds layers of adventure. You have not fully experienced Lagos until you experience this beach. Unlike Elegushi and other more easily accessible beaches, which often feel like full-on concerts, Tarkwa Bay is where you go to enjoy serenity, soft, warm sand, and clean water. It is a good spot for surfers, couples, picnickers, and solo adventurers who just want to read a book under the palms and enjoy long evening strolls.

Beach bikes or ATVs are available for rent, and straight down out of the tree, palm wine. Just right at the beach is a tight-knit community of residents who live on the island, along with pets like dogs and cats, walking around the beach. Their presence add layers of authenticity and warmth to the beach experience that commercial spots lack.

Nike Art Gallery

One cannot talk about Lagos without mentioning the famous Nike Art Gallery. Nike Art Gallery is beautifully tucked away in the streets of Lekki and is a cathedral of creativity, a place where Nigeria’s past, present, and future are woven in brushstrokes, beads, and batiks. This gallery has over 25,000 artworks, from paintings and sculptures to textiles and metal works.

Nike Art Gallery is a large, privately-owned art gallery. One minute, you are admiring an abstract Lagos traffic scene, and the next, you are staring into the soulful eyes of a Fulani woman in a painting. The gallery is owned by Chief Oyenike Monica Okundaye, a self-taught artist. She built the space to preserve Nigeria’s indigenous art forms.

There are free adire workshops and traditional bead-making. This gallery is where to go when you want to feel more Nigerian. Nike Art Gallery delivers the best experience if you are a lover of art or a culture seeker.

Also Read: Lagos reclaims its roots with the John Randle Cultural Centre for Yoruba history

New Afrika Shrine

The new Afrika Shrine is in the buzzing corridors of Ikeja. This legendary music house is not just a venue; it is a living, sweating, shouting, and dancing symbol of rebellion, rhythm, and Nigerian pride. The New Afrika Shrine stands as the spiritual successor to the original Afrika Shrine founded by the legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

When you step into the shrine at any given night, you are in for a sonic baptism. The afrobeat performance shakes the entire structure. The air is filled with sweat, smoke, and vibes. The New Afrika Shrine is not a quiet museum of the past; it is drum beating, waist-swinging, truth-telling homage to everything African. The tourist vibe here is nightlife, live music, and cultural pilgrimage.

These places are living proof that Nigeria has plenty to offer beyond its stereotypes. So, if you are Lagos-born or Lagos-bound, do not just hear about these spots. Go see them.

Anita Chinedu