Things to do in Eritrea

25 things to do in Eritrea

Listed in full below. The running order is set by votes and loads with the page.

• Explore Art Deco masterpieces on Asmara’s Liberation Avenue

  Stroll along palm-lined Harnet Avenue to witness Futurist and Art Deco gems like the Fiat Tagliero and Cinema Impero, the core of Asmara’s UNESCO-listed modernist ensemble.

  Asmara, Maekel Region

• Photograph the iconic Fiat Tagliero service station

  Marvel at the 1938 aviation-inspired concrete wings of the Fiat Tagliero, Africa’s most daring early modernist building, best seen in the golden evening light.

  Asmara, Maekel Region

• Watch a movie at the historic Cinema Impero

  Catch a film inside this 1937 Art Deco theatre, still glowing with its original neon façade and sumptuous interior details.

  Asmara, Maekel Region

• Visit the majestic Enda Mariam Orthodox Cathedral

  Step inside this sprawling cathedral blending Eritrean and Italian architectural styles, adorned with vivid frescoes and a peaceful courtyard.

  Asmara, Maekel Region

• Shop for spices and curios at Asmara’s Medeber Market

  Wander the open-air stalls of Medeber, where aromatic berbere spice, incense, and handmade jewellery are traded amid a cacophony of colour.

  Asmara, Maekel Region

• Discover the haunting Tank Graveyard outside Asmara

  Explore a vast field of rusting tanks, trucks, and artillery abandoned after decades of war, now a surreal open-air museum under the highland sun.

  Near Asmara, Maekel Region

• Get lost in the coral-stone streets of Massawa’s Old Town

  Roam the atmospheric Ottoman-Egyptian quarter of Massawa, with whitewashed coral buildings, ornate wooden balconies, and centuries-old mosques overlooking the Red Sea.

  Massawa, Northern Red Sea Region

• Dive the pristine reefs of the Dahlak Archipelago

  Plunge into crystal-clear waters to encounter untouched coral gardens, sea turtles, playful dolphins, and elusive dugongs in this Red Sea paradise.

  Dahlak Islands, Northern Red Sea Region

• Ride the vintage steam train from Asmara to Nefasit

  Board a beautifully restored 1930s steam locomotive and chug along the cliff-hugging Eritrean Railway, through tunnels and over bridges to the mountain station of Nefasit.

  Asmara to Nefasit, Maekel Region

• Walk the ancient ruins of Qohaito

  Trek across a high plateau to the pre-Axumite city of Qohaito, exploring rocky pillars, ancient dwellings, and the enigmatic Egyptian Tomb at 2,600 metres.

  Qohaito, Southern Region

• Hike through the lush Semenawi Bahri National Park

  Follow misty forest trails in the Green Belt escarpment, home to colobus monkeys, endemic birds, and spectacular valley views.

  Semenawi Bahri, Northern Red Sea Region

• Explore the ancient port city of Adulis

  Wander the excavated ruins of this once-great Aksumite trading port, where palace walls and stone pillars still rise from the Red Sea coastal plain.

  Adulis, Northern Red Sea Region

• Sample locally brewed beer at Asmara Brewery

  Visit Eritrea’s only brewery to taste the crisp, Italian-style Asmara Beer in the factory’s lively tasting area.

  Asmara, Maekel Region

• Partake in an authentic Eritrean coffee ceremony

  Sit down on low stools as green coffee beans are roasted, ground, and brewed in a traditional clay pot, filling the air with frankincense smoke.

  Asmara, Maekel Region

• Feast on zigni at a local eatery in Asmara

  Dig into fiery beef stew soaked up with tangy injera flatbread inside a bustling restaurant like Ristorante Alba.

  Asmara, Maekel Region

• Watch artisans recycle at Medeber metal market

  Enter a cavernous open-air workshop where blacksmiths hammer old oil drums and scrap metal into pots, stoves, and household ware.

  Asmara, Maekel Region

• Cast a line for giant trevally off the Dahlak Islands

  Charter a traditional dhow and battle trophy fish amid deserted atolls and brilliant turquoise flats.

  Dahlak Islands, Northern Red Sea Region

• Trek to the summit of Emba Soira

  Climb Eritrea’s highest peak (3,018 m) for sweeping views of the escarpment and ancient volcanic craters.

  Senafe, Southern Region

• Delve into Eritrea’s past at the National Museum

  Study archaeological finds, ancient manuscripts, and ethnographic collections that trace the country’s rich cultural tapestry.

  Asmara, Maekel Region

• Admire the bell tower of Asmara’s Catholic Cathedral

  Visit the 1920s Romanesque-Revival Kidane Mehret Cathedral, whose campanile commands the city skyline.

  Asmara, Maekel Region

• Visit the ornate Khulafa al Rashidun Mosque

  Step into Asmara’s largest mosque, built in 1938 with striking geometric minarets, marble interiors, and a serene courtyard.

  Asmara, Maekel Region

• Hike to the cliff-perched Debre Bizen Monastery

  Take a steep trail from Nefasit to a 14th-century Orthodox monastery balanced on a jagged pinnacle with dizzying Red Sea views.

  Nefasit, Northern Red Sea Region

• Snorkel over WWII shipwrecks in the Dahlak Islands

  Glide above sunken Italian warships transformed into vibrant artificial reefs, encrusted with coral and patrolled by schools of fish.

  Dahlak Islands, Northern Red Sea Region

• Bowl at the retro Asmara Bowling Club

  Roll down the lanes at a perfectly preserved 1950s bowling alley, a curious relic of Italian-era leisure hidden in the capital.

  Asmara, Maekel Region

• Stroll Harnet Avenue at dusk

  Join the local passeggiata along Asmara’s main boulevard, pausing for gelato beneath fluttering Italianate lamp posts.

  Asmara, Maekel Region