Kano is the capital of Kano State. It has a population of around 3.6 million (2016 estimate), giving it a busy atmosphere. It is an ancient trading city inhabited for well over a thousand years. Despite the international airport, there is little tourist trade, but there are still surprisingly many attractions to visit and, as with the rest of Nigeria, the joy is in the people and the buzz of the streets.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Kano is the largest city in northern Nigeria. The city is predominantly Muslim with a small percentage of Christians and adherents of traditional religions. Shari'a law was introduced around 2001 but only applies to Muslims and punishments are rare. There have been sectarian riots, but this is mainly due to political tensions and is not targeted at foreigners. Foreign currency is not usually accepted so get some Nigerian naira at a bank or an ATM. Electricity brownouts are a common problem and don't expect the cleanest of streets. The official language is English, but the language of the street is Hausa.
Yellow- and blue-coloured taxis can be hired on the roadside, ensure you agree a price before leaving. More common are the motorbikes where travellers sit behind the driver. There are also some motorised rickshaws (Daidaita sahu) introduced for Muslim women who do not want to sit up close to a motorbike driver.
The dye pits of Kano are over 500 years old and privately owned. Indigo is mixed with potassium and ash and fermented for a month before being ready to dye cloths. The indigo dyes were once used to make garments for Nigerian royalty and they are said to also be usable as medicine. You can get a short tour around the pits and they will be happy to sell you cloths and clothes dyed blue in a variety of tie dye patterns. 1 Kurmi market (Kasuwar Kurmi). The oldest market in the city of kano. Textiles from around the world are on sale here. 2 Gidan Makama Museum, Emir Palace Rd.
Climb the old Dala or Goron Dutse hill in the centre of the city and get a 360 degree view of the ancient city from the hill top; it is where the city started and is now an underground water reservoir. Kano is also the home to the several times champions of the Nigerian Premier League, Kano Pillars FC. One can join the thousands of their fanbases and watch the games in Sani Abatcha Sadium K/Mata or in the indoor stadium Sabon Gari for as little as US$5. The state-owned Marhaba Cinema is also located just behind the Immigration office and phone & electronics gadget village of Farm centre 1 Roxy Amusement Park, Ahmadu Bello, GRA. 9AM-midnight. A great place to hangout with the family.
1 Falamanki, Audu Bako way, GRA, ☏ +234-805-169-7580. Daily 7AM-midnight. A nice place where you can spend time alone or with your loved ones. Their food is amazing and they serve the best Chapman in the whole of Kano. Service options: delivery, dine-in and takeaway. (updated Jan 2023) Buy food from any stall along the road sides. Masa are ground corn buns, they are often dipped into pepper soup. Restaurants are all over the centre of the city selling African dishes, fried chicken or Chinese food. 2 Palace Restaurant, G.R.A. (by the racecourse). Daily noon-midnight. Surprisingly good Chinese food. Not too expensive and serves beer.
Sharia law means alcohol is hard to find. Most hotels do not serve alcohol on the premises but for a small fee you can easily get a staff member to buy some bottles of beer for consumption in your room (most hotel rooms in Kano have fridges). The area called Sabon Gari has many bars and nightclubs where alcoholic drinks are freely available and many stores where you can buy wine, or other alcoholic drinks. There are malt drinks in cans with beer branding which are an acquired taste. There are few dairy products in the area but some milk based drinks are available. Western brands such as Coca Cola or Nescafe are common.
Kano is a largely safe city and theft or violence to foreigners is rare. Keep valuables in a zipped pocket and do not wear overly revealing clothes. When buying outside shops you will probably need to haggle, walk away if you are unsure of the deal. People may try to swindle you so check your prices before agreeing and if anyone asks for money feel free to walk away. Do not use internet banking from anything but private computers.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Oct, Kano typically sees ~34°C daytime highs and 3 rainy days.
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