Port Harcourt is a gulf city and capital of Rivers State in the Niger Delta area of Southeast Nigeria and is the centre for the oil industry in the country. English is generally spoken, but Ikwerre (the indigenous language) is also spoken, and Pidgin English is widely spoken across all demography, as found in most parts of the country.

Get in

By plane

• Port Harcourt International Airport, PHC. There are now direct flights from Europe operated by Air France and Lufthansa. It is also less than an hour in the air if you fly in via Lagos or Abuja.

By train

Rail service to Port Harcourt is limited to a once-weekly train from Kano, via Kaduna run by Nigeria Railway Corporation. The terminus 1 Port Harcourt Central railway station is on Station Rd.

By boat

• From Nembe by ferry.

See

• Borikiri Market
• Port Harcourt Zoo
• Izumini River - an hour's drive outside of the city
• Port Harcourt Pleasure Park

Buy

• Fabrics
• Traditional carvings and paintings
• Hand tooled leather boxes and trunks of all shapes and sizes

Eat

Rice, egusi soup with eba or fufu, pounded yam, papper soup, ogbono soup.

Budget

Suya - A kind of spicy meat kebab. Available at the side of any road cooked over charcoal. Wash it down with a Coke, called locally a mineral, or a bottle of the local Guinness or Maltina.

Drink

There is great night life here.

Try Cheers Bar in GRA every Sunday! Place is absolutely packed with guys and girls being treated to awesome music by Nick and Smart. Food is great, service is friendly and the beers are cold!

Also on weekends Wine Bar, Bunga Villa (as the locals call it) and Aristo House are great!

Sleep

Mid-range

• 1 Hotel Presidential, Aba Road, ☏ +234 84 901307. A locally owned hotel, centrally located. 
• Mina Hotels is a relatively nice and clean place - the rooms are quite large and do not have that "wet" and old smell other hotels in this price range usually have.
• 2 Swiss Spirit Hotel & Suites Danag (Swiss Spirit Hotel & Suites Port Harcourt), 79 Ken Saro Wiwa Rd., ☏ +234 703 746-1745, reservations.danag@swissspirithotels.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 10:00. 144 rooms & suites along the city's commercial district on the formerly known Stadium Road. From US$50. (updated Jun 2018)

Splurge

Le Méridien and Novotel are the two hotels in town which offer high-quality accommodations.

• 3 Le Méridien Ogeyi Place, 45 Tombia Street, ☏ +234 84 461770, fax: +234-84-461771. 
• 4 Hotel Novotel Port Harcourt, 3 Stadium Road, ☏ +234 84 461540, H5465@accor.com. 
• Swiss International Mabisel - Port Harcourt (Swiss International Mabisel Hotel), No. 9 Mabisel Avenue, Off Peter Odili Rd., ☏ +234 905 388-6166, reservations.mabisel@swissinternationalhotels.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 10:00. Well-appointed and comfortable rooms. Its state of the art facilities, and exquisite bars and dining options. From US$ 80. (updated Jun 2018)

Connect

You will hardly be able to find your way in Nigeria especially in Port Harcourt unless you have been provided earlier direction.

Stay safe

Port Harcourt is the centre of oil business in Nigeria. Some people have a strong feeling that the oil is "stolen" from them by local government in cooperation with foreign companies. There are frequent riots, worker strikes and regular reports of kidnapping.

Some bars and clubs, nevertheless, seem relatively safe even during the night.

Go next

• Calabar
• Nnewi
• Warri