Anthropological trip to Nigeria ► Lagos and Yoruba country

Trip to Nigeria from 27 March to 5 April 2026 / From 3,390€

Last Places have designed this anthropological trip to Nigeria with the aim of learning about the worldview of the Yoruba ethnic group, as well as the Orisha religion, also known as Voodoo. This trip has been designed for lovers of cultures and religions, passionate about history and adventurers.

During this anthropological trip to Nigeria we will explore the cultural heart of southwestern Nigeria through tradition, spirituality, and history. Throughout the trip, we will witness the vibrant rituals of the Eyo, Zangbeto, Egunuko, Egungun spirits and the Gelede masquerades, as well as the twinning ceremony. The trip begins in Lagos, with a visit to the floating slum of Makoko. We will reflect on the legacy of the slave trade in Badagry, then climb Olumo Rock in Abeokuta, home to sacred Orisha shrines and voodoo symbols. In Ife, we’ll discover the royal Oba’s Palace and the mysterious Opa Oranmiyan stele.

Finally, we will wander the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site, before ending in Ijebu Ode, where Afro-Brazilian architecture reveals echoes of a complex past.

Download the itinerary for this anthropological trip to Nigeria

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Discover the highlights of this anthropological trip to Nigeria

► Exploring Makoko in Lagos

The itinerary of this anthropological trip to Nigeria will begin in the vibrant capital of Lagos, with a boat ride on traditional wooden canoes through Makoko. This working-class neighbourhood hosts a vast illegal floating settlement of around 120,000 people. A myriad of stilt houses rises from the lagoon, home to fishing communities and people living on subsistence. Here, ancestral traditions such as voodoo rituals survive despite the pressures of eviction and modernisation, just a step away from Nigeria’s wealthy elites.

► Visiting Badagry, the main Atlantic slave trade port

Badagry still preserves symbolic sites of memory from the slave trade, which we will visit during this anthropological trip to Nigeria. Highlights of this moving and introspective visit include the old slave market and the museums that preserve testimonies and artefacts from the transatlantic trade, which deported millions to the Americas under the corrupted gaze of local rulers and the protective spirit of Orisha Yemoja.

► We will witness ceremonies and masquerades of the Orisha religion

Eyo Mask

During this anthropological trip to Nigeria, we will witness the release of the Eyo Masks, ancestor spirits worshipped by the Yorouba people on the Gulf of Guinea and in Lagos.

Zangbeto Mask

In Badagry we will watch the release of the Zangbeto Spirit, the ‘guardian of the night’, amidst the chants of the followers and acrobatic performances.

Egungun Masquerade

In Oshogbo, we will release of the Egungun, the spirits of the ancestors, figures respected and feared by the community.

Gelede masks dance

We will observe the Gelede masks dance, a ritual honouring the primordial mother and the vital role of women in Yoruba culture.

Egunuko Mask

We will witness a release of the Egunuko spirits, protective masks of the town up to 3 metres high.

Twins ceremony

This anthropological trip to Nigeria will also include a twins ceremony, celebrating the unique spiritual role of twins in Yoruba society.

► We will explore the Yoruba country to understand their worldview

Abeokuta

During this anthropological trip to Nigeria, we will travel to Abeokuta, a city founded in the 19th century by Yoruba Egba groups fleeing invasions from Dahomey and Ibadan. Surrounded by fertile lands and dramatic rock formations, the city grew around the sacred Olumo Rock, a natural fortress used for defence and still considered a site of pilgrimage and ritual sacrifice. We will climb the rock to admire its panoramic views, the ancient clay walls and the surrounding cotton and palm plantations. Also, we will visit the fetish market, where ingredients for charms and magical potions can be found, from dried chameleons to chimpanzee limbs and medicinal plants. We will enter an Orisha temple, meet female devotees and then stroll through the city’s Afro-Brazilian architecture, admiring its historic buildings and lively atmosphere. There, we will see the royal palace of Alake, guarded by fetishes and figurines, the mosque (from the outside) and the colourful Itoke market, famous for textiles and tailors.

Ife

This anthropological trip to Nigeria will continue in Ile-Ife, the historic heart of Yoruba civilisation. From the 10th century, Ife developed as an advanced agricultural society under the Oba chiefs and with a vibrant pantheon of voodoo deities. Its religious and cultural influence spread as far as the Americas through the forced deportations of the slave trade. We will visit the museum with its famous Ife heads, the royal palace, the enigmatic Opa Oranmiyan monolith and the Oduduwa altar.

Oshogbo

Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove

In Oshogbo we will explore the UNESCO World Heritage Sacred Forest of Osun. This enchanted forest, filled with shrines and sculptures, is dedicated to Orisha deities, especially the protective goddess Osun. Each August, thousands gather for the Osun Festival, a vibrant event of prayers, sacrifices and voodoo rituals.

Susanne Wenger House

We will also visit the Susanne Wenger House, the museum-home of the Austrian artist who dedicated her life to preserving Yoruba traditional art.

Ijebu Ode

We will end this anthropological trip to Nigeria in Ijebu Ode, a city that still preserves Afro-Brazilian vestiges, aristocratic palaces, colonial architecture and extravagant mansions from the cocoa trade era. Here we will witness a colourful horse parade through the streets, closing our journey with a unique celebration of Yoruba heritage.