Stand on the rise at Kufena Hill and the whole of Zaria opens below you: clay compounds in the old city, the flat spread of roofs toward Samaru, and the line of a wall that once decided who could enter and who could not. The climb takes about an hour at an easy pace, and the view at the top is the clearest introduction you will get to how the city is put together.
Zaria suits travellers who are interested in living history rather than polished attractions. The old city keeps its palace, its earth-built compounds and its craft trades, while the modern institutions around Samaru give the place a second, busier character. This guide covers the sights and experiences the sources support, in the order worth doing them.
Top things to do in Zaria
1. Kufena Hill
Hiking to the top of Kufena Hill is the most rewarding single thing you can do in Zaria. The route is relatively easy and takes about an hour, and the summit offers views across the city.
Go earlier in the day so you have time and light on your side, and treat the walk itself as the point rather than rushing the summit.
2. Zaria City Wall
The Zaria City Wall was built with well-fortified walls to protect the ancient city, and it still stands in the modern city. It is a reminder of the many wars fought by the kingdom of Zaria Emirates, when the wall served as protection against enemies in wartime.
Pair it with the Emir's Palace, since both belong to the old city and can be seen in the same stretch of your day.
3. Emir's Palace
The Emir's Palace is a beautiful palace with elegant architecture, displaying the skill and expertise of the craftsmen and builders who worked on it, along with the splendour of its drawing and painting. It sits in the old city.
The palace is listed as open around the clock, and you can call ahead on +234 803 482 0757 if you want to check anything before you go.
4. Traditional durbar festivals
Zaria celebrates the annual cultural durbar festivals twice a year, marking the end of Ramadan and coinciding with Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr. The festival runs in phases: the first day, Hawan Sallah, is the eid prayers followed by the emir's tour around the city from the Eid ground to his palace with the District Heads and royal guards, while the second and third days, Hawan Bariki Sallah and Hawan Daushe, are the emir's final tours around the city.
If your trip can be timed to either festival, plan your other sightseeing around these days rather than against them.
5. N.I.T.T. Field Zaria
N.I.T.T. Field Zaria on Basawa Road is a recreational centre with a football field, event halls, a restaurant and other activities. It is a straightforward place to spend an afternoon when you want something active and unhurried.
It is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 4–6:30PM and Monday and Thursday from 4–6PM, and closed Saturday and Sunday, so build it into a weekday afternoon.
6. NCAT Gym and Swimming Pool
NCAT Gym and Swimming Pool offers a gym with equipment for all kinds of workouts, and private sessions with an instructor are available if you want them. It is accessible to NCAT students, staff and outsiders, with registration required.
It is open from 6AM to 10PM, which makes it easy to fit around a day of sightseeing, and you can call +234 814 489 1255 with questions.
7. ABU Gymnasium (Indoor Hall)
ABU Gymnasium (Indoor Hall) in Samaru is a gym offering workout and fitness exercise, with registration required. It is one of the places in Samaru worth knowing about if you are based around the university area.
It is listed as open around the clock, so it works as an early-morning or late-evening option.
8. Anguwan Kahu
Anguwan Kahu is known as a place of business where cotton is used to make local mattresses, pillows and horse shirts. The ward has a long association with the silk-cotton tree, which has played an important role in the spiritual and economic lives of the people of Zaria, and Wakilin Kahu Zazzau is the head of the Anguwan Kahu people and their representative at the emir's palace.
Come here to see craft work as a working trade rather than a display, and combine it with the rest of your old-city walking.
9. Zaria's craft and textile workshops
Zaria is home to artisans in traditional crafts including leather work, dyeing and cap making, as well as tinkers, printshops and furniture makers. The city is also the centre of a textile industry that for over 200 years has made elaborately hand-embroidered robes worn by men throughout Nigeria and West Africa.
Give yourself time to look properly rather than treating this as a quick stop, since the workshops are spread among the trades rather than gathered in one place.
10. The old city and Tudun Wada
The old part of the city, known as Birnin Zazzau or Zaria City, was originally surrounded by walls and fortresses that have been mostly removed. In the old city and the adjacent Tudun Wada neighbourhood, people typically reside in traditional adobe compounds, and both neighbourhoods are predominantly occupied by the indigenous Hausa.
Walk these two areas together on foot, and notice the variety in Zaria's architecture, where clay buildings in the Hausa style sit alongside modern, multi-storied university and government buildings.
11. Anguwan Liman
The ward of Anguwan Liman is located north of the Zaria palace. It is a small, specific piece of the old city's geography that is easy to fold into a walk around the palace.
Use it as a natural extension of your old-city route rather than a separate trip.
12. Ahmadu Bello University
Ahmadu Bello University is based in Zaria and is prominent in the fields of Agriculture, Science, Finance, Medicine and Law. Its academic buildings are part of what gives the city its modern, multi-storied face alongside the clay architecture of the old city.
Combine a look around the university area with the ABU Gymnasium in Samaru, since both sit in the same part of the city.
13. Wusasa
The adjoining town of Wusasa is home to historic secondary schools including St. Bartholomew's School and Science School Kufena, formerly known as St. Paul's College. It is a distinct corner of the wider Zaria area and worth adding if you have time beyond the old city.
Treat it as a half-day addition rather than something to squeeze into an already full schedule.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start with the hike up Kufena Hill, which takes about an hour at an easy pace and gives you the city's layout in one view. Come down and head into the old city to see the Zaria City Wall and the Emir's Palace, both of which sit in the same area and can be taken in on one walk.
Afternoon: Continue on foot through the old city and Tudun Wada to see the traditional adobe compounds, then walk north to Anguwan Liman. If you still have energy, spend the later afternoon at N.I.T.T. Field Zaria on Basawa Road, which opens at 4PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Evening: Finish with a session at NCAT Gym and Swimming Pool, which stays open until 10PM, or at ABU Gymnasium (Indoor Hall) in Samaru if you are based on that side of the city.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Zaria?
Zaria has a tropical savanna climate with warm weather year-round, a wet season from April to September and a drier season from October to March. The drier months are the more comfortable window for walking the old city and hiking Kufena Hill.
When do the durbar festivals take place?
The annual cultural durbar festivals are celebrated twice a year, marking the end of Ramadan and coinciding with Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr. The festival runs over three days, beginning with Hawan Sallah and continuing with Hawan Bariki Sallah and Hawan Daushe.
Can I use the gyms and sports facilities if I am not a student?
NCAT Gym and Swimming Pool is accessible to NCAT students, staff and outsiders, with registration required. ABU Gymnasium (Indoor Hall) also requires registration. N.I.T.T. Field Zaria is a recreational centre serving the needs of its customers.
What should I combine with a visit to the Emir's Palace?
The palace is in the old city, so pair it with the Zaria City Wall and a walk through the old city and Tudun Wada. Anguwan Liman lies just north of the palace and fits naturally into the same route.
Work out which of these fit your dates, check the festival calendar against your travel window, and start planning your days in Zaria.