The first time I ever heard about Kajuru Castle was in 2015 when Unravelling Nigeria and Naija Nomads organized a trip there. I remember reading about their experiences and wishing that I could have been a part of it. By some stroke of luck, I got my wish two years later when we all visited the castle during our trip to Abuja.
Kajuru Castle is located in Kajuru town, Kaduna State, about 3 hours away from Abuja. Fake historians would tell you that it was built by a German architect in the 1980s. But I went ahead to conduct my own research about the true origins and facts about this castle. You can read about my findings here. Prepare to have your mind blown!
Kajuru Castle: Getting There…
The easiest way to get to Kajuru is to fly directly to Kaduna. You can also fly to Abuja (like we did) and then take the train or a bus/taxi to Kajuru. If you’re taking the train from Abuja, here’s what you need to know:
- The train takes off from Idu train station at exactly 7 am. (At the time of this writing). You can also join the train at Kubwa as it stops there as well (Arrival time at Kubwa is 7:14 am and departure is 7:17 am).
- Idu train station is located on the outskirts of the city, so plan for a 45 minutes ride from the city centre.
- At the time of this writing, it is impossible to book your seats online. Tickets can only be gotten at the train station and you can only buy one-way tickets.
- Seats in the first-class coach cost N1,500 while second class cost N1,050
- The ride takes about 2hrs 30mins. There are a couple of stops on the way
- The last stop for the train is Rigasa station. You would need to hire a taxi to take you from the station to Kajuru. The ride would take another hour.
- The last train leaves Rigasa at 6:00 pm. (You should confirm this with the officials at the station. During our trip, we saw a different time on the NRC’s website)
- You can read more about this service in this article by Unravelling Nigeria
If you’re taking a bus,
- Bus services run from parks in Kubwa, Zuba and Utako terminals. They can get you from Abuja to Kaduna for between N800 – N1,000 (at the time of this writing)
- Travel time is about 3hours (+-)
- You would need to hire another taxi or take a bus from the last stop to the castle. (Take a look at this article from Noels Adventure. for more details)
Booking a Stay or a Day Trip at Kajuru Castle
Here’s what you need to know;
- The castle caters to only one group of people for a specified time.
- It is also self-catering, so BYOB and whatever you need.
- Overnight stays have a limit of 12 people while day trips may be unlimited.
- Day trips cost N20,000 for a group of 10 (i.e. N2,000 PP). Overnight stays go up to N300,000. (That comes to about N25K PP for a group of 12)
- You may contact the castle at their email address [email protected] to book your stay or day trip.
And that’s all you need to know about planning your trip to Kajuru! Let me know if I missed anything. And if you have been here before, what do you think of it?
Hi Amarachi, you have been a great inspiration to me. Please is there a number we can reach them on.
Hi Sandra, thank you so much.
I’m sorry I don’t have a number. I just have the email address included in the post.
This post is so wonderfully documented! I feel like I went on the trip with you. I can’t wait to visit Kajuru Castle,it’s such a beautiful place
Thanks Sophie. Hope you have a wonderful time when you visit.
Pretty cool adventure, looking forward to it too. I would love to know if the photo ban is total or restricted for some place. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks for your comment. What photo ban are you referring to?
I read the legends of Kajuru. Absolutely hilarious! Thanks for sharing these tips. I don’t know if I’ll be visiting Kajuru anytime soon though. I’m worried about safety. How safe did you feel?
Safety is a valid concern, so I understand where you’re coming from. I did feel safe throughout the trip. I guess going in a group helped as well, so you may consider a group tour when you choose to visit.
Going on that train ride is on my list of Nigerian adventures and the castle is beautiful!!
Wow! See me dreaming of going to this place sha, definitely in my top 5 Nigerian Destination Wishlist. The train acrually looks nice (don’t know why I am so surprised by that).
So, we have to know whether it is booked for the time we need or not? Please, what if there are only three of us going?
Sorry for the plenty question, I would just like to know, thank you so much for sharing, I really needed this.
http://www.desireuba.wordpress.com
I was also surprised the train looked good and left on time! Lol
Yes, you have to confirm your trip with the Castle management. Imagine how terrible it would be travelling all the way and being denied entry. If there’s just 3 of you, the N20K (for example) would have to be split between you guys. In other words, if you’re on a budget, the more, the merrier.