Road Trip Chronicles: The Most Scenic Routes to Explore in Nigeria

Nigeria’s vast lands and diversity of tribes, cultures, and environmental conditions offer a wealth of opportunities for sightseeing across its thirty-six states and capital. There’s no better way to explore the beauty of Nigeria’s many captivating sights and sounds than to embark on a road trip. 

These road trips offer several scenic routes that serve up all the incredible sightings from striking terrains, historical sites and architecture, and other eye-catching natural views on offer. You can watch vast swaths of savannah vegetation transit seamlessly to creeks and mangroves, or lush forests give way to rugged outcrops, all while basking in the sights of bustling markets and historical landmarks. Here are ten of the most scenic routes to explore throughout Nigeria. 

The Most Scenic Routes to Explore in Nigeria

Uyo to Ikot Abasi

The Uyo to Ikot Abasi route offers a trip down refreshing topography and neat, trim streets on the sidelines of unspoiled colonial architecture. Everything you come across here in this 76 km-long trip is in great condition and a peer outside your car windows will always reveal breathtaking views and fresh air each time. 

As you drive past the Imo River en route to Ikot Abasi, you’ll be impressed by the enchanting serenade of fresh air bursting out of pockets of cascading water and split rocks. You can catch sight of the historic oil factory at Abak, Uyo, and its sprawling fringes that have yet to be worn by activities since the post-colonial era. The rest of the journey offers exciting detours to historic sites and more lush surroundings, as seen in the Tilapia resort. 

Kano to Zaria

Kano is Nigeria’s ancient, famous city, renowned as a major center of commerce, art, and culture. Kano is also a densely populated city with several scenic locations scattered around.

One such location is the Kano to Zaria link road. Located in the drylands of northern Nigeria, this route is inarguably one of Nigeria’s most impressive and scenic travel routes. 

It stretches from Kano to Kaduna State in northern Nigeria, offering captivating views of nature in its unspoiled and refreshing best. The route perfectly showcases the beautiful Northern Nigerian landscape, with its vast plains and scattered rocky formations shining throughout.

Abuja to Jos Plateau

Abuja is Nigeria’s capital, located in the north-central part of Nigeria, and home to several important sites and stunning views. It is surrounded by rocky and hilly terrains, almost sited strategically and spread nicely throughout its expansive breadth. 

One of the best ways to experience Abuja’s stunning landscape is to ride through the Abuja to Jos travel route. This journey will surely thrill you as you pass through the rolling hills and extraordinary terrains of the Jos Plateau. The trip provides travelers with beautiful views and a glance into Northern Nigeria’s natural beauty, set against a bustling local populace and several sites of national importance. 

Calabar to Obudu Cattle Ranch

The Calabar to Obudu cattle ranch in southern Nigeria provides travelers with a unique opportunity to view Calabar’s stunning landscape and topography. Calabar is well known throughout Nigeria for its relaxed and serene nature, and it is a perfect city for relaxation and other fun activities.

Passing through Cross River State, you can spot lush rainforests, roads that seem to twist into each other, and other fascinating views from several tourist attractions. The pick of the crop is the Obudu Cattle Ranch, known for its stunning natural scenery and cable car lifts.

Gombe to Yola

The Gombe to Yola travel route is another beautiful and scenic one in Nigeria. 

The route’s starting point takes you through small, close-knit villages, offering eventful glances into the local culture and ancestral way of life. The scenery transitions smoothly as you approach the Gongola River. There, you might spot fishermen strutting their stuff in locally-made boats or people rinsing clothes along the riverbanks. 

There’s a noticeable change in landscape as you go past the river, with additional vegetation and vast farmlands springing up quickly. Farther along the journey, you will meet rocky outcrops and hills, serving up a stunning sight of the surroundings. The road spirals majestically through these formations, with stunning countryside views in no short supply across the flanks. 

As you reach Yola, the terrain switches to pitch green, with palm trees and dense vegetation covering the road and heralding your arrival in the capital of Adamawa State.

Lagos to Ibadan via Lagos – Ibadan Expressway

Lagos is Nigeria’s major commercial and cultural hub, offering a unique window towards other states in the country’s western region. Its cosmopolitan nature and thriving cityscape offer various scenic views that can be explored all the way to Ibadan via the long expressway and inner streets.

The Lagos to Ibadan expressway is one of Nigeria’s most important road networks and serves as a major economic corridor linking several major cities in Nigeria. This expressway serves as the Lagos Ibadan travel route, providing travelers with spectacular views of beautiful countryside landscapes and towns. These stunning views are flanked by lush green areas from forests and flat grasslands, many of which are sandwiched between busy marketplaces and city centers. 

Enugu – Aba – Port Harcourt  Express Way

Port Harcourt is the capital of the oil-rich Rivers state and an economic hub, while Enugu is the capital of Eastern Nigeria.  The  Enugu Aba – Port Harcourt expressway connects south-east to south-south Nigeria.

This travel route will surely catch the eye of travelers and tourists passing through it. One of the popular tourist attractions on the route is the National War Museum, Umuahia.

Its impressive rendition of scenic views and lively airs is a nice touch, and the landscape transitions are smooth and delightful.

Travelers can bask in the elegance and scenery of the Niger Delta region with its many mangrove swamps and serene riversides. These views quickly morph into alluring rural neighborhoods and well-built areas as you approach Portharcourt along the expressway. 

Kaduna to Abuja

Kaduna is a historic city, well known for its culture and art. It is a major center for Islamic and secular education in Northern Nigeria. The Kaduna to Abuja travel route is another astonishing route that will expose travelers and tourists to northern Nigeria’s beautiful landscapes and topography. 

Travelers will enjoy the stunning transition from the savanna region to the North-Central highlands, with different landscapes, including hills, forests, and plains, making the rounds. 

Makurdi to Otukpo

Located in the middle belt of Nigeria, Makurdi is a well-known city. It is a major agricultural hub in Nigeria and is the capital city of Benue state, crowned as Nigeria’s food basket. The Makurdi to Otukpo route mostly offers incredible views of sprawling farmlands, but there’s even more.

Travelers passing this route will get a firsthand view of Benue State’s vast agriculture-dominated landscapes. While the huge farmlands are a major fixture along this route, travelers will relish the serene countryside and the stunning views of the Benue River. While the sight of the river coursing gently along is undoubtedly impressive, the beehive of farming and fishing activities on the fringes should interest you, too.   

Abeokuta to Ijebu Ode

Abeokuta is an ancient city located in Ogun state, southwest Nigeria. It is a major economic hub in Ogun state and southwest Nigeria.

Travelers and tourists will have a nice time passing this route, as they will experience the thrills of an eventful journey. 

Passing through Ogun State, this travel route will showcase beautiful rocky terrains and rural communities. You can also learn about the historical importance of Abeokuta and Ijebu Ode as you pass the many historical sites along the way.

Conclusion

Nigeria is blessed with vast lands that offer various eye-catching routes for travelers and tourists to explore and enjoy. These routes provide distinct experiences in natural topography and cultural immersion. They show the richness of Nigeria’s cultural diversity, its heritage, and unique terrains.