Ethiopia Treks & Tours

Ethiopia offers dramatic highland landscapes, ancient Christian heritage and extraordinary geological formations, with the best regions to explore including the Simien Mountains, Lalibela, the Danakil Depression, Gondar and the Ethiopian Highlands.

Simien Mountains: The Simien Mountains feature dramatic escarpments and high peaks offering spectacular trekking through Ethiopia’s most iconic mountain landscapes.

Lalibela Rock Churches: Lalibela’s remarkable rock-hewn churches reveal one of Africa’s most extraordinary sacred landscapes.

Danakil Depression: The Danakil Depression’s salt flats, volcanoes and geothermal fields create one of the planet’s most surreal geological environments.

Gondar Castles: Gondar preserves medieval castles and royal compounds reflecting Ethiopia’s imperial history.

Ethiopian Highlands: The Ethiopian Highlands combine rugged mountains and traditional villages shaped by centuries of culture.

The best time to travel to Ethiopia for trekking, hiking and cultural exploration is generally October to March, when conditions are drier and temperatures are comfortable for exploring highlands and historic landscapes.

Ethiopia’s climate varies depending on altitude, with cooler conditions in the highlands and warmer temperatures in lowland regions. Temperatures typically range between 10°C and 30°C (50°F–86°F).

The rainy season from June to September brings lush green scenery across the Ethiopian highlands. While some trails may be wetter, this time offers dramatic landscapes and fewer visitors.

Ethiopia is +3 hours ahead of UTC/GMT

Amharic (official national language); Oromo (official - State of Oromiya); Somali (official - State of Sumale); Tigrigna (official - State of Tigray) and Afar (official - State of Afar).

Ethiopian Birr

We suggest carrying money in US dollar cash (other currencies may cause confusion at banks) – use notes printed after 2006 only.

Many hotels will change USD cash into Birr.

A cash card affiliated with Visa or Mastercard that can be presented at a foreign exchange bureau or used in an ATM machine is also useful in major centres only. ATMs/Cash Machines are found throughout Addis Ababa and in major cities/towns such as Bahir Dar, Gondar, Axum and Lalibela. Beyond these centres it will be very difficult to change money.

The Jupiter Cazanchise and Jupiter Bole hotels (most commonly the group hotels) also have ATM machines which issue Birr in their lobbies. (NOTE: reliability of these machines cannot be guaranteed.) For this purpose, credit cards are very useful. However, few if any places accept credit cards for payment of purchases or meals.

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Electricity in Ethiopia is 220 Volts, at 50 hertz. The most common pin type is C. (2 round prong).

Visas for Ethiopia are required for passport holders from the following countries:-

Australia

New Zealand

Canada

United States

United Kingdom

All other nationalities should check with your nearest embassy or consulate.

It is now possible to arrange single entry tourist visas for Ethiopia online prior to travel. Travellers must be entering the country via Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa. Go to, https://www.evisa.gov.et/#/home, and follow the instructions (visa fees apply). Please note online processing may take up to three days to be completed by the relevant authorities.

Your safety is our number one concern. Our safety track record is exemplary thanks to careful management and thorough consultation with local partners. Our industry leading risk management procedures have become a skill that we continue to refine. Our leaders in the field are highly trained and have safety as their number one priority. Expert leaders, risk assessments, quality inclusions and your financial security all come standard when you travel with us.

Please refer to our Travel Advisory page for updates on recent events, travel warnings and advice.

We strongly recommend that all clients take out travel insurance at the time of booking to cover against sickness, accident, loss of baggage, unexpected alterations to travel arrangements and travel disruption, emergency evacuation, cancellations, etc. Insurance information is enclosed with your pre-departure information. Please contact us if you would like to obtain a quote for your trip duration.

We suggest that you consult your doctor, local government inoculation centre or a travel medical specialist in order to get the most current advice regarding vaccination requirements.

Money and valuables should always be stored safely when travelling. Keep your passport with you at all times and do not leave it in your main luggage. You will need it to change money and check into hotels. Where safety deposit boxes are available, we recommend that you use them. Keep jewellery and valuables to a minimum.