A Day Trip To Olumo Rock + 3 Other Notable Places To Visit In Abeokuta.

Although, I wasn’t one of the many that got to go on a day trip to the Olumo rock as an excursion in secondary school, exploring Abeokuta wasn’t exactly on my travel list.

For me, It was just an opportunity to finally get on a train in Nigeria (The train that runs from Lagos through Abeokuta down to Kano). Though, for some reason, the two times we made it down to the train station the train didn’t show up.

But let’s backtrack a bit.

Every now and then, I get random reminders of time past and memories created from my Facebook and Google photos. I live for these reminders.

The other day, a picture popped up notifying me that it was exactly one year ago that my friends & I made the decision to visit Abeokuta and climb the Olumo rock. I was reminded yet again of the fact that I hadn’t shared that adventure with you guys here.

Related –Exploring The Ngwo Pine Forest, Cave, And Waterfall (What No One Tells You)

Majorly because I think the Olumo rock is a bit played out and everyone who’s even vaguely interested in travel/exploring Nigeria already has a post on their trip to the Olumo rock.

But hey! Different folks, Different experiences, right? So here goes.

Spicing it up a bit by including a few other places to visit in Abeokuta that we checked out. Are you Team #ExploreNigeria ? Check Out These Four Notable Places To Visit In Abeokuta! Click To Tweet

P.S – Abeokuta is the largest city/state capital of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria. It houses the Olumo rock, which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the ancient city of Abeokuta.

After the last train ride disappointment, we made up our minds to make operation ” day trip to Olumo rock ” happen regardless. Several calls later, a Taxi was booked and we were on our merry way to Abeokuta. About 2 hours later, we made it into the city.

The first thing that caught my eyes was the landscape. The roads sloped endlessly and gave off this rustic vibes that appealed to my creative eyes. I loved it instantly.

1. The Central Mosque Abeokuta.

We had to take off our shoes to get into the mosque.

Our first stop was this impressive work of Architecture – the Ikija central Mosque that we encountered on our way to the Olumo rock. It was a sight for sore eyes and we couldn’t ignore it.

My friend spoke to a man who led us into the mosque and showed us around. Although I couldn’t get the history or much about the mosque because the man could only communicate in Yoruba, it was still worth it!

2. The Olumo Rock.

We eventually made our way down to the Olumo rock after taking pictures and Oohing & Aahing over the mosque. Unfortunately, I can’t quite recall the exact amount we paid to get into the rock complex but I know that it wasn’t more than N1000. There’s also a charge for your camera if you come with one, so maybe just stuff that bad boy into your bag till you’re away from the entrance.

We got a tour guide to lead the way and tell us about the place. Thankfully, we didn’t have to do a lot of rock climbing like Erin Ijesha) as they were stairs to make the process easier and even an elevator too!
The tour guide explained that the Olumo rock was used as a hide-out by the Egba people during inter-tribal wars in the 19th century. We were showed spaces in between the rocks where they hid and also spots in the ground that was used to prepare their meal.

The site was renovated in 2006 to include an elevator, a water fountain, museum, and restaurants.

3. The Alake’s Palace.

Our next stop was the Alake’s palace, which is home to the traditional ruler of the Egba land. I personally expected someone to stop us or ask us what business we had there but nothing of the sort happened.

We were free to roam the large compound but also confused as we weren’t sure where to go but eventually met an elderly man that showed us around. He mentioned that the palace houses the first bible in Nigeria brought by the missionaries.

We were restricted to the grounds alone and not allowed to go into the palace/chambers so it was a pretty quick stop.

4. The Centenary Hall.

The centenary hall was just opposite the Alake’s palace, so we made a quick dash over there to check it out as well. It is another building with an impressive architecture and history. Built over 80 years ago to commemorate the end of the inter tribal wars in the Egba land, it currently houses the portrait of past heroes of the Egba land.