Things to do in Ethiopia

25 things to do in Ethiopia

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

• Watch sunset from Chennek Camp in the Simien Mountains

  Stand at the edge of a dramatic escarpment with views of jagged peaks and endemic gelada baboons as the sun sets over Africa's Grand Canyon.

  Simien Mountains National Park, Amhara region

• Hike to the lava lake of Erta Ale volcano

  Trek across a desolate black lava field to peer into a permanent bubbling lava lake, one of only a few on Earth.

  Danakil Depression, Afar region

• Feel the spray of the Blue Nile Falls at Tis Issat

  Walk to the thundering 45-metre cascade where the Blue Nile crashes into a deep gorge, creating rainbows in the mist.

  Near Bahir Dar, Amhara region

• Explore the rock-hewn Church of St. George in Lalibela

  Marvel at the cross-shaped monolith carved entirely out of volcanic rock, standing 12 metres deep within a carved trench.

  Lalibela, Amhara region

• Marvel at the Obelisk of Axum

  Gaze up at the 24-metre granite stele, a towering reminder of the ancient Axumite civilisation’s architectural prowess.

  Axum, Tigray region

• Step into the Royal Enclosure at Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar

  Wander through a fortified compound of fairy-tale castles and banquet halls built by 17th-century emperor Fasilides.

  Gondar, Amhara region

• Feed wild hyenas at the Harar Hyena Man

  After dark at the Fallana Gate, watch a local man call hyenas by name and hand-feed them scraps in a centuries-old ritual.

  Harar Jugol, Harari region

• Experience a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony at Tomoca Coffee

  Sit among the scent of roasting beans and frankincense as a skilled host performs the elaborate ritual of brewing, pouring and serving coffee.

  Addis Ababa

• Savour doro wot and injera at the historic Taitu Hotel

  Dine in Ethiopia’s oldest hotel, where spicy chicken stew soaks into the spongy flatbread in a building dating back to 1907.

  Addis Ababa

• Hike the Sanetti Plateau to see Ethiopian wolves

  Trek across Africa’s highest moorland above 4,000 metres and spot the rare, red-furred Ethiopian wolf hunting giant mole-rats.

  Bale Mountains National Park, Oromia region

• White-water raft the remote Omo River

  Paddle through deep gorges and past forested banks on one of Africa’s wildest rivers, far from roads and settlements.

  Omo Valley, Southern Ethiopia

• Join the Timkat procession at Fasilides Bath in Gondar

  During the Ethiopian Epiphany, witness a sea of white-clad pilgrims chanting and splashing at the sacred pool as priests carry replica tablets.

  Gondar, Amhara region

• Climb a leather rope to Debre Damo monastery

  Ascend a cliff face using a traditional rope to reach a sixth-century monastery perched on a flat-topped mountain, off-limits to women.

  Debre Damo, Tigray region

• Scale the cliff to Abuna Yemata Guh church

  Edge along a narrow ledge and up sheer rock to enter a tiny, frescoed church carved into a pinnacle high above the Gheralta plains.

  Gheralta Mountains, Tigray region

• Boat to the island monastery of Ura Kidane Mehret

  Cross Lake Tana’s calm waters to a round thatched church on the Zege Peninsula filled with vivid saints’ murals.

  Lake Tana, Amhara region

• Meet the Mursi people in the Omo Valley

  Visit a village where women wear distinctive lip plates and body paint, and learn about a proud pastoralist way of life.

  Mago National Park area, Southern Ethiopia

• Spot birdlife along the shores of Lake Ziway

  Scan the papyrus-fringed lake for great white pelicans, saddle-billed storks and colourful bee-eaters in this Rift Valley haven.

  Lake Ziway, Oromia region

• See the Lucy skeleton at the National Museum of Ethiopia

  Come face-to-face with the 3.2-million-year-old hominid Australopithecus afarensis, one of humanity’s most famous ancestors.

  Addis Ababa

• Admire the octagonal St. George’s Cathedral in Addis Ababa

  Step inside this neoclassical cathedral where Emperor Haile Selassie was crowned, and view its museum of religious treasures.

  Addis Ababa

• Listen to live Ethio-jazz at African Jazz Village

  In the garden of the Ghion Hotel, sway to hypnotic saxophone and traditional rhythms as the city’s best musicians jam late into the night.

  Addis Ababa

• Taste authentic kitfo at Yilma Kitfo

  Bite into finely minced raw beef marinated in spiced butter and mitmita chilli, served with homemade cheese at this legendary spot.

  Addis Ababa

• Venture into the limestone cathedral of Sof Omar caves

  Walk through a vast underground network of echoing chambers and pillars carved by the Weyib River into pure white rock.

  Sof Omar, Bale Zone, Oromia region

• Trek the Danakil salt flats with a camel caravan

  Join Afar traders leading a line of camels across a blinding-white salt plain where slabs are cut by hand, an ancient caravan route.

  Around Lake Karum (Assale), Afar region

• Decipher the mysterious stelae at Tiya

  Walk among dozens of engraved standing stones, many carved with swords and symbols, marking a medieval burial ground.

  Tiya, Southern Nations region

• Celebrate Meskel at Meskel Square with a giant bonfire

  Join thousands of worshippers around a blazing pyramid of wood in Addis Ababa to mark the finding of the True Cross with chanting and dancing.

  Addis Ababa