Ibadan is the second biggest city in the west part of Nigeria. There are so many fun activities you can do in this city. Here is a round-up of the 6 best things to do in Ibadan on budget. As most of you know, most of my travel blogs are centered on Lagos state. This year, I have chosen to explore more interstate places in Nigeria. Also, if possible abroad. I enjoyed 3-days of fun-filled activities in Ibadan. This list consists of romantic places in Ibadan, recreational centers in Ibadan, and nice hangout spots in Ibadan. You can also read my detailed post on visiting Cotonou from Lagos by road. This was also a fun road trip.
How to get to Ibadan City, Oyo state
Ibadan city is one of the busiest cities in Oyo state Nigeria. This city is known as one of the oldest cities in Nigeria. With the first storey building, Cocoa house located in this city. You can travel to Ibadan by air, road or through the new Lagos to Ibadan fast train.
If you have never taken this train before, I would recommend you try it. It takes off the usual traffic typical of Nigerian roads. Plus you can lounge while you get to your destination.
There are at least 2 stopovers to Ibadan, Omi-Iddo station, and Moniya station. Click here for more information on the Lagos to Ibadan train.
Where to stay at Ibadan, Oyo state?
Bodija is the hub of hotels in Ibadan. I stayed at His Grace hotel at Bodija. This hotel is a twin building with rooms of varying grades. My room was a standard room that cost 9,000naira.
Just to share a little back story on how I ended up with this hotel. I booked my hotels days before traveling online from hotels. ng. This brand confirmed my reservation and even called for a follow-up. Great customer service right!
However, the hotel is no longer liaising with hotel.ng. How sad? What if I had a payment on this platform? To whose detriment! chai! Anyway, my stay was great at this hotel. My only issue with hotels in Ibadan is that they don’t offer breakfast. I won’t mind if the cost of breakfast is added to my hotel bill.
There are other hotels you can stay at in Ibadan. Click below for other options.
Best places to eat out in Bodija, Ibadan
As a newbie in Ibadan, I asked around for where to eat in Ibadan. For me, I prefer to experience the local buka food instead of restaurant dishes. In this way, I get to experience the city and of course, it is the cheapest option.
I would recommend that if you’re around Bodija, check the Iya meta buka. I was hooked on her food all through my stay. Plus they also deliver to anywhere in Ibadan city. The delivery fee is quite affordable too.
You can get their WhatsApp number to order on your visit. The amala was quite tasty with ewedu. And I also ate rice too. Other popular places to eat in Ibadan include Ultima, etc.
6 Best things to do in Ibadan
There are so many fun places to see and visit in Ibadan. However, these are my 6 best things to do in Ibadan on a budget. These places are not far apart. You can commute to any of these places in a taxi or on a bike. I used bikes for commuting all through my stay. You can also use bolt or other Uber services to commute.
Agodi Gardens, Ibadan
Agodi Gardens is a great place to see in Ibadan. It is one of the 6 best things to do in Ibadan. Agodi Gardens is located at secretariat road, Ibadan. This garden is quite beautiful. However, it needs a lot of renovations.
The entry fee to Agodi gardens is 500naira. This grants you access to the below activities.
- Access to the gardens for a picnic or just lounging
- Agodi gardens bar and lounge
- A walk in the park
- A visit to the dilapidated Zoo: In this zoo, you can only a monkey and a crocodile. Whatever happened to other animals?
Other fun things to do in Agodi gardens that are paid include.
- Access to the pool area (500naira)
- Paintballing ( 500naira for 20bullets)
- Bicycle ride (500naira)
- Horse riding
University of Ibadan Zoo
Another fun place to see in Ibadan is the University of Ibadan zoo. This place is my second best of the 6 best things to do in Ibadan. It is a great place to hang out with friends or boo in Ibadan city.
The entry fee is 1000naira per person. This gives you access to the zoo. There are so many interesting animals to see. I love the donkeys, giraffes, and gorillas. However, you’re not allowed to feed any of the animals at this zoo.
You can also explore the cold room that houses the reptiles. I find the aquarium quite creepy though. The room is so cold and filled with reptiles of different assortment.
You can have a picnic or hang out with friends at this zoo. I love the fact that there are lounge chairs for your to stay in and enjoy the zoo. However, most of the animals in the zoo were not replaced. Also, some structures were dilapidated. All in all, it is my top best of the 6 best things to do in Ibadan.
Trans-amusement Park, Ibadan
The Trans-amusement park is another fun place to visit in Ibadan. It is a great place to hang out with your family. As a parent, if you need a place to treat your kids, I would recommend you visit a trans-amusement park. It is my favorite of the 6 best things to do in Ibadan city.
I took a bike from Bodija to the Trans-amusement park. It is quite close to the famous Bodija market. The entry to the trans-amusement park is 500naira per person. This ticket will be issued to you at the gate.
Most of the facilities in this park are joy rides. Some of which are no longer functional. However, to enjoy a ride on the working facilities, it cost 500naira per ride for 5 minutes.
I had fun enjoying 2 rides. Each cost me 500naira each. You can also enjoy a meal at the restaurant in this park. After the rides, you can seat and hang out at this park. I visited on a weekday hence, there was less crowd.
Bowers Tower
One of the most talked-about places to hang out in Ibadan is Bowers tower. The tower has a rich history and it gives a clear of major landmarks in Ibadan city.
It is located on a hilly top. We all know the western part of Nigeria typically has rocks and hills. So, the road to bowers tower is quite hilly. We took a bike to bowers tower. The fee to climb the tower is 200naira per person. You will be given this ticket to give you access.
If you need an instagrammable place in Ibadan with less distraction for content, go to bowers tower. Although, it can be quite scary for one with a phobia of height and small spaces. I think I have both phobias. Anyways it was a fun hangout at this place.
Something interesting struck me at this tower. Many people that have visited carve their names to mark their visit. I didn’t do that though, but it was interesting to see.
Best places to shop for thrift in Ibadan: Bodija Market
I love to shop on a budget. So, I check out the famous and biggest market in Ibada, Bodija market. This market is where Iya meta buka is located. I really enjoyed eating at this buka.
Bodija market is a one-stop shop for foodstuff ( retail and wholesales), thrift clothes, etc. It is a huge market. I went through the market checking out the wholesale section for beef, bags of beans, pepper, etc. So, if you’re looking to sell foodstuffs as a retailer, this market is perfect for you.
However, if you love thrift as I do, you can also get them at Bodija market. I have limited time to stay in Ibadan, so I didn’t get to explore the market as much. I would recommend visiting Bodija market as one of the 6 best things to do on your visit.
Irefin Palace
This place was a failed visit for me. This is because it is currently dilapidated. We met with a lady who told us that the palace is currently going through a court case.
Although, if maintained, it is a place rich in artsy structures and history. The palace is located in a rural area. We got there on a market day. There were some old ladies selling native quality black soap. If you follow my vlogs, maggie’s memoir you will know that I love black soap for skincare. However, this was not processed yet. You can visit this palace if you have a beauty business that needs black soap in large quantities. at cheaper prices too.
In conclusion
There are many fun places to explore in Ibadan. I really enjoyed my stay in this city. These 6 best things to do in Ibadan are great. However, there are so many other places yet to be explored in Ibadan city for me. One of such places is IITA, Ibadan. It is top on my bucket list of places to explore on my next visit. Do you live in Ibadan city? Comment below other fun places you would recommend to visit.