Where to stay in Lagos

Lagos (; LAY-goss; Yoruba: Èkó [èkó]), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan port city in southwestern Nigeria. As of November 2025, the size of the city's population has been estimated to be between 17 and 21 million residents, making Lagos the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world.

With an estimated population of 8.8 million inhabitants in the city, or 16 million in the metropolitan area, Lagos ranks as the most populous city in Africa, after overtaking Cairo. Also known as Èkó in the Yoruba language, and affectionately called 'Lag', 'Gidi' or 'Las Gidi' as a form of slang-by the younger generation, it is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. Formerly the capital of Nigeria, Lagos is a huge metropolis which originated on islands separated by creeks. The city is still the economic and financial capital of Nigeria.

The main districts in Lagos State are the mainland, Greater Lagos and the Islands. Three major bridges join the island to the mainland. They are the Carter Bridge which starts from Iddo Island, the Eko Bridge (formerly called the Second Mainland Bridge), and the Third Mainland Bridge, which passes through densely populated mainland suburbs through Lagos lagoon. There are two major urban islands of Lagos in Lagos Lagoon — Lagos Island and Victoria Island. These islands are separated from the mainland by the main channel draining the lagoon into the Atlantic Ocean, which forms Lagos Harbour.

Lagos has a lot of great hotels and many more are being built. There are many four-star hotels for the price of a three-star hotel. For visitors, try to get a hotel on Victoria Island as a lot of the tourist attractions are there.

Getting around

If traveling around Lagos, be sure to be accompanied by a tourist guide who is familiar with the routes. In Lagos, there are street signs on every single street corner making it easy to locate places and landmarks. With the city spending huge budgets on security, there has been a huge reduction in crime generally. For the most part, it's safe to move about during the day. If you are going out at night, be sure to go in groups, and stick to known routes. If you are not on a tight budget, you should hire a car and driver, usually available from most of the major hotels and the airport.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.