Ethiopia Travel Guide: Best Time to Visit, Highlights and Facts

Travel advice: some regions are off-limits. Check your government’s advice for the exact areas before you book.

Ethiopia feels like nowhere else in Africa: its own alphabet, calendar and church traditions, rock-cut churches at Lalibela, gelada monkeys in the Simien Mountains and the alien landscapes of the Danakil. Some regions are off-limits under most advisories, so check before you go.

Did you know? Ethiopia uses its own calendar, which has 13 months and runs about seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar.

Where to go in Ethiopia

Lalibela

Medieval churches carved down into solid rock, still in daily use.

Oct to Mar 2 nights

Simien Mountains

Dramatic escarpments with gelada monkeys and Ethiopian wolves.

Oct to Mar 3 to 5 nights

Travel advice: Parts of the country are off-limits under most government travel advice. Check your government’s advice before booking.

Known for

Rock-hewn churches of Lalibela
Simien Mountains
Danakil Depression
Coffee ceremonies

Our guides to Ethiopia

Lalibela: Medieval churches carved down into solid rock, still in daily use.
Simien Mountains: Dramatic escarpments with gelada monkeys and Ethiopian wolves.

Did you know?

Ethiopia uses its own calendar, which has 13 months and runs about seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar.

Before you go

Visas: rules depend on your passport and change often. Check Ethiopia’s official immigration website and see our visa guide.
Health: see a travel clinic about vaccines and malaria. Read our health guide.
Safety: read your government’s current travel advice for Ethiopia.

Plan your trip

Hotels on Booking.com Tours on GetYourGuide Tours on Viator

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