About This Tour

Calabar, Cross River's clean and culturally rich capital, hosts Africa's biggest street carnival every December — a month-long explosion of costume, music, dance, and community spirit that draws over two million visitors. But Calabar is far more than a carnival city: it is Nigeria's most historically layered port town, the gateway to the Cross River National Park and some of West Africa's last primary rainforests.

This four-day tour combines the best of both worlds: the spectacle of the carnival (timed to December arrivals) or the tranquillity of the off-season city alongside nature excursions into the ancient forest that harbours Cross River gorillas, chimpanzees, forest elephants, and over 1,000 butterfly species. Participants not arriving in December will instead visit the Calabar Festival of Arts and Culture, typically held in early December, with authentic folkloric performances and pan-African exhibitions.

The tour also explores Calabar's complex colonial history through the Old Residency Museum, a former British administrative headquarters now housing exhibits on the transatlantic slave trade; Slave History Museum; and the Duke Town Church, one of Nigeria's oldest churches. Food is a highlight: Calabar is considered the home of Nigerian pepper soup, and a dedicated culinary evening introduces guests to editan leaf soup, afang, and the legendary Calabar groundnut soup prepared by a local family.

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