Read this before you travel

Plateau State has experienced serious violence, and several foreign governments — including the United States — currently advise their citizens against travel to the state. We are not going to pretend otherwise, and you should factor it into your decision rather than into a footnote.

What that advice does not capture is that Jos city functions day to day, that domestic visitors travel here regularly, and that conditions vary enormously between the city and specific rural local government areas. Read the advisories, read the local news, and talk to someone on the ground before you commit.

Our practical position: plan around daylight, travel with a local contact, keep your plans flexible, and check conditions on the day rather than the week before.

The keke napep, the three-wheeled tricycle, is the standard way to cover short distances in the city and is cheap. Agree the fare before you get in.

Commercial motorcycles — okada — are banned within the Jos metropolitan area, and that ban has been enforced more firmly since early 2026. Do not plan on them.

For anything outside the city, arrange a car and a driver who knows the route. Public transport to the further sites is not a realistic plan for a visitor.

Jos sits around 1,295 metres up, which makes it markedly cooler than the rest of Nigeria. Evenings genuinely get cold, and the rainy season brings mist.

Bring a sweater or a light jacket. Almost every visitor who has not been told this arrives without one.

Dress modestly, particularly around religious sites and in traditional communities — shoulders and knees covered is the safe default.

Cards work in the larger hotels and some restaurants; cash is still what most places want. Carry small notes for gate fees and keke fares.

Signal drops out on Shere Hills, around Riyom and on the roads to the further waterfalls. Download maps and directions before you leave the city.

November to February is the dry season: clearest skies, best hiking, easiest driving.

September to November is when the waterfalls actually run. If Assop is the reason you are coming, come then and accept the wetter roads.

December is the state's declared tourism month, with a family funfair running in Jos over the Christmas period. It is the busiest and most programmed window of the year.

March and April are the festival months, Nzem Berom above all — but confirm dates before booking anything.