The journal
Guides, festivals, food and practical advice from the people who travel the country every week.
Featured story
Eleven churches cut down into the living rock eight centuries ago, still used every day. How the site is laid out, how many days to give it, and how to see it with a priest rather than a crowd.
Editor’s picks
Travel guides
Ethiopia has three seasons rather than four, and they differ by region. When to go for the historic north, the Simien and Bale mountains, the Danakil, the Omo Valley and the great festivals.
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Destinations
Ethiopia’s royal capital for two centuries: a walled enclosure of stone castles, a bath that fills once a year, and a church ceiling covered in angels. How to spend a day in Gondar.
Food & coffee
A cuisine built on one remarkable grain, a spice blend in every kitchen, and a fasting tradition that makes Ethiopia one of the easiest countries in the world for vegans. A first-timer’s menu.
Safety
Millions of visitors travel in Ethiopia without trouble, but the situation varies by region and can change quickly. How we assess safety, what to check, and everyday precautions that make a difference.
Getting around
Ethiopia is big, mountainous and beautiful from a car window. When to fly, when to drive, what the roads are like, and how to get around Addis Ababa.
Visa & entry
Most visitors apply online before they fly. How the official e-Visa works, what to prepare, how far ahead to apply, and how to avoid the look-alike websites that charge extra.
Festivals
Every church’s tabot carried through the streets, an all-night vigil, then a blessing with water at dawn. A guide to Ethiopia’s most spectacular festival and where to see it.
Destinations
Escarpments that drop a kilometre into the lowlands, gelada monkeys by the hundred, nights at 3,600 metres. How a Simien trek works, which route to choose and how to prepare.
Destination guides
2 min read
Most read
Travel guides
Travel it with us
Departs 21 Nov
Addis Ababa
Run or walk Africa’s biggest road race at 2,350 m on Sunday, then end the week at a Thanksgiving table in Addis Ababa.
Departs 17 Jan
Addis Ababa
Walk beside the tabots to Jan Meda on the eve, then stand in the crowd at dawn as the blessed water falls.
Length 04 days
Omo Valley
Four days in the Lower Omo, from Ari farms around Jinka to the Karo village on its bluff above the river.
Plan with us
Tell us where you want to go and when, and we will build the itinerary around you.
