The short version
An itemized breakdown of what a Nigeria trip costs in 2026: flights, e-Visa, accommodation, guided vs independent travel and Detty December price surges.
How much does a trip to Nigeria actually cost?
For one person, a one-week Nigeria trip typically runs $500–$1,000 as a budget traveler, $1,400–$2,700 mid-range, and $2,900–$4,900 traveling comfortably — before international flights, which add roughly $700–$1,400 depending on your departure city. December carries a real premium on top of all of these numbers, driven by Detty December demand. Here's the itemized version — flights, e-Visa, accommodation, guided tours vs. independent travel, food, transport, and what December specifically does to these numbers.
Quick Facts
| One-week budget range | $500–$4,900+ per person, excluding flights |
| International flights | $700–$1,400 round-trip, depending on origin |
| e-Visa fee | From $79 (government fee, applied for direct) + $50–$170 biometrics on arrival |
| December price premium | Significant — book flights and lodging 2–3 months ahead |
| Cheapest way to see Nigeria | Independent budget travel, with reduced access and no guided context |
| Best value structure | A guided tour for the region(s) you most want, independent travel to fill gaps |
One-week cost by budget tier
| Category | Budget | Mid-Range | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights (return) | $700 | $950 | $1,400 |
| e-Visa (govt fee + biometrics) | $130 | $180 | $250 |
| Accommodation (7 nights) | $175–$525 | $700–$1,575 | $1,575–$2,800 |
| Food (7 days) | $70–$140 | $210–$350 | $350–$525 |
| Local transport (7 days) | $35–$70 | $105–$175 | $350–$525 (private driver) |
| Guided tours and activities | $75–$150 | $200–$400 | $400–$800 |
| **Total (per person, excl. flights)** | **~$485–$1,015** | **~$1,395–$2,680** | **~$2,925–$4,900** |
(Figures are directional 2026 estimates synthesized from multiple sources plus Ucomeafrik's own published tour pricing — confirm current accommodation rates before finalizing a real budget.)
How much are flights to Nigeria?
International flights to Lagos (Murtala Muhammed International) or Abuja (Nnamdi Azikiwe International) vary by departure city and booking window. From the US, expect roughly $700–$1,400 round-trip; from the UK, £450–£900; from continental Europe, €500–€1,000. Airlines serving Nigeria directly or with one stop include British Airways, KLM, Turkish Airlines, Air France, Ethiopian Airlines, and Nigeria's own Air Peace on some routes. Booking three to four months ahead and avoiding the December peak (when Detty December demand pushes prices up sharply) gets meaningfully better rates.
How much does the Nigeria e-Visa cost?
As of May 1, 2025, Nigeria requires a mandatory pre-departure e-Visa for all non-ECOWAS nationals — visa-on-arrival no longer exists. The standard tourist e-Visa starts from around $79 as a government fee (higher for some nationalities), plus a separate $50–$170 biometrics fee paid on arrival — apply direct through the official NIS portal, since third-party visa-agency sites typically add another $100 on top. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is a separate, mandatory requirement, and the vaccination itself typically costs $150–$200 if you don't already have one valid. Full process and current fee guidance: Nigeria e-Visa Guide 2026.
How much does accommodation in Nigeria cost?
Budget guesthouses and hostels in Lagos run roughly $25–$75 a night (listings start as low as $19–20 on booking platforms); solid 3-star mid-range hotels average closer to $100–$225; comfortable to upscale properties typically run $225–$400, with a small number of genuine luxury outliers priced well above that. Calabar and Abeokuta generally price somewhat lower than Lagos and Abuja for comparable quality, given lower overall demand outside carnival season. December pricing across all tiers, especially Lagos, climbs well above these baseline figures — sometimes doubling — as Detty December demand outstrips available inventory.
How much does food cost in Nigeria?
Street food (suya, roasted plantain, akara) runs $1–$3 per item and is genuinely some of the best value eating in the country. A sit-down meal at a casual local restaurant runs $5–$12; Lagos's more serious restaurant scene runs $20–$50+ per person for a proper night out. Budgeting $10–$20 a day covers a full mix of street food and casual meals comfortably; $30–$50 a day gets you a more varied mix including nicer restaurants.
How much does local transport cost in Nigeria?
Ride-hailing apps (Bolt, Uber) work well in Lagos and Abuja for independent moves, typically $2–$8 per ride depending on distance. Danfo buses and shared transport cost under $1 per trip but require more local knowledge to navigate confidently. Domestic flights between major cities (Lagos–Abuja–Calabar) run roughly $80–$180 one-way and are worth it for longer hops given both time savings and, on some routes, real road-travel risk considerations. A private driver for a full day, common on guided tours, runs $50–$100 depending on distance and region.
Guided tours vs. independent travel
This is where the real budget decision sits. Ucomeafrik's own published pricing gives a concrete anchor: our 4-Day Abuja Tour runs $975 per person, our 7-Day Calabar Tour runs $1,750 per person, our Osun-Osogbo Festival Tour runs $2,190 per person, and our 9-Day Nigeria–Benin–Togo–Ghana Tour runs $2,450 per person — all inclusive of ground transport, guiding, and the itinerary's core inclusions. Compared against the independent-travel line items above, a guided tour often lands close to what a careful independent mid-range trip would cost anyway, once you account for a private driver, guide access, and vetted accommodation booked independently — while removing the planning effort and adding regional and historical context you won't get traveling solo. Independent budget travel can still come in cheaper day-to-day, but the gap is smaller than it first appears once you price in everything a guide otherwise handles. Full detail on evaluating operators and their pricing: Best Tour Operators in Nigeria.
The Detty December price surge
December is Nigeria's most expensive month to visit, by a wide margin. Flights, accommodation, and event access all climb well above the baseline figures in this guide, and 2025's Detty December season alone drew an estimated 3.6 million participants over its roughly 55-day window, with Lagos briefly operating well beyond its typical visitor capacity. That demand is exactly what drives the season's well-documented overpricing problem — book flights and accommodation two to three months ahead if you're planning a December trip, and treat any of the budget-tier numbers above as a floor, not a realistic December estimate. Full breakdown of the surge and how to plan around it: Detty December 2026 Guide.
A sample one-week budget
A mid-range one-week trip covering Abuja (guided) might look like: $975 for the 4-Day Abuja Tour (transport, guide, core inclusions), plus 3 additional nights of independent travel at $225 (accommodation, mid-range) + $150 (food) + $75 (local transport) = roughly $1,425 total for the ground portion, before flights and e-Visa costs (add another $880–$1,650, including biometrics). That puts an all-in one-week trip in the rough $2,300–$3,100 range for a traveler mixing a guided core with some independent time — a realistic mid-range total once every category is accounted for honestly.
How do Nigeria's costs compare to Ghana?
Travelers weighing Nigeria against Ghana — the other major West Africa cultural-tourism destination in our portfolio — will find broadly comparable costs outside of December: similar accommodation and food pricing tiers, similar guided-tour pricing structures, and similar flight cost ranges from major departure cities. The real divergence is seasonal rather than structural: Nigeria's Detty December surge is sharper and more concentrated in Lagos specifically than Ghana's own December diaspora season, so a December Nigeria trip typically carries a steeper premium than a December Ghana trip does. Outside of December, budgeting for either country can reasonably use the same rough framework. See our Ghana budget breakdown for the direct comparison.
How can you save money on a Nigeria trip?
- Avoid December unless the festive season is specifically why you're going. Prices across every category climb sharply, and if Detty December itself isn't the draw, visiting in the January–March or November shoulder windows gets you most of the same dry-season weather at a fraction of the cost.
- Book domestic flights early for longer hops between regions rather than defaulting to road travel, which costs more in time than the flight saves in money once you value your own schedule.
- Eat where locals eat. Street food and casual local restaurants in Nigeria are genuinely good, not just cheap — this isn't a compromise tier.
- Get a published-price guided tour for at least the core of your trip. It removes the biggest source of independent-travel cost uncertainty (private transport, vetted accommodation) and gives you a real number to plan against, rather than a rough independent-travel estimate that can run over.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a week in Nigeria cost?
Roughly $500–$1,000 as a budget traveler, $1,400–$2,700 mid-range, or $2,900–$4,900 comfortably, per person, excluding international flights. December pricing runs well above all of these.
How much does a Nigeria e-Visa cost?
The standard tourist e-Visa starts from around $79 as a government fee (higher for some nationalities), plus a separate $50–$170 biometrics fee on arrival. Applying through a paid third-party agency adds roughly $100 more than applying direct through the official NIS portal.
Is Nigeria expensive to visit?
It's comparable to or somewhat less expensive than Ghana for equivalent budget tiers outside of December, when Nigeria's Detty December season pushes prices in Lagos specifically well above typical West Africa costs.
Is it cheaper to book a guided tour or travel independently in Nigeria?
Independent budget travel can be cheaper day-to-day, but a guided tour often costs close to what a careful independent mid-range trip would run once you price in a private driver, vetted accommodation, and guide access — while removing planning effort and adding context.
How much extra does visiting during Detty December cost?
Significantly more — flights, accommodation, and event access all surge well above baseline pricing during the roughly 55-day Detty December window (mid-November through early January), driven by demand that regularly outstrips available supply.
What's the biggest cost in a Nigeria trip budget?
Accommodation and international flights together typically make up the largest share of the total, with accommodation cost varying most dramatically by season — especially in Lagos during December.
