Ethiopia Holidays & Vacation Trips 2025/2026
Ethiopia is not everyone’s first choice for a holiday in Africa but is well worth visiting as it is very different from neighbouring countries. Surrounded by mountains, Ethiopia has developed a religion, calendar and language all of its own. The Simien Mountains are arguably the most spectacular mountain range in Africa and are an excellent place for a trekking holiday.
The famed historic route is a well-trodden route for visitors including Lalibela with its 13th century rock-hewn churches, Bahir Dar with the nearby Tississat Falls (also known as Blue Nile Falls) and Lake Tana, Gondar with its medieval castle and Axum, the alleged resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. In the south of Ethiopia is the famed Omo Valley with a multitude of different tribes and ethnicities. In the east is Harar which is considered the fourth most holy city by muslims.
Major attractions are the ancient cities of Gondar, Axum and Harar, and these have all retained the atmosphere of their historical backgrounds. There are some extraordinary churches hewn from rock in Lalibela. The Historic Route (Bahar Dar, Gondar, Axum, Lalibela, Addis Ababa) is becoming popular with visitors and there are daily flights between the cities.
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LAND – Ethiopia covers an area of 1,104,300 square kilometers (approx. 426,372 square miles).
CLIMATE- There is two seasons; the dry season, October-may and the wet season, June-September.
TOPOGRAGHY- Ethiopia has elevated central plateau varying in heights between 2000 and 3000 meters. In the North and center of the country, there are some 25 mountains whose peaks rise above 4,000 meters .The most famous Ethiopia rivers is the Blue Nile(or Abbay), which flows north a distance of 1,450 kilometers from its source in lake Tana to join the white Nile at Khartoum , Sudan.
PEOPLE- According to the 2017 revision of the World Population Prospects, the total population was 102,403,196 in 2016, compared to 18,434,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 41.5%, 55.8% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 3.3% was 65 years or older.
ECONOMY – More than 30 percentage of the population earns a living from the land, mainly as subsistence farmers .Agriculture is the backbone of the national economy, and the principal exports from this sector are coffee, oil seeds, pulses, flowers, vegetables, and sugar and food stuffs for animals. There is also a thriving livestock sector, exporting cattle, hides and skins. The current population of Ethiopia is 107,378,253 as of June 2018, based on the latest United Nations estimates.
LANGUAGE- Ethiopia is a multiethnic state with 83 languages and 2,000dialects .Amharic is the working language of the Federal democratic republic of Ethiopia, while Oromiffa, Tigrigna and Guragina are widely spoken.
ELECTRIC SUPPL- Ethiopia uses 220 volts 50 cycles ac. Plugs are European two- pin.
TIME- Ethiopia is the GMT +3 time zones. It follows the Julian calendar, which consists of 12 months of 30 days each and a 13th month of five or six days (on a leap year).
CURRENCY- The units of currency are the birr and cents. Notes are 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1 birr. The 1 birr coin is also circulation. ATNS,(Automatic Teller Machines) are found in major Addis Ababa hotels, shopping malls and at the Bole International Airport. It is important to retain currency exchange receipts.
BANKING HOURS – Banking hours are usually 8a.m-5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. -4 p.m. Saturdays. Most banks work through lunch time; however, foreign exchange service is closed during lunch hours (noon- 1 p.m.).
COURIER & MONEY TRASFERS – Money transfer can be made through Western Union and MoneyGram. Both have representative branches in Addis Ababa and also make their services available from private and national banks. For courier service, DHL, FEDEX, UPS, TNT and EMS have offices in Addis Ababa.
COMMUNICATIONS – Telephones, fax machines and internet access are available in Addis Ababa in most hotels and at private internet service centers around the city.
WORKING HOURS – Government office hours are 8.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. -5.30 p.m. Monday through to Thursday. Working hours on Friday are 8.30 a.m. -1130a.m. and 1.30 a.m. -5.30p.m. Private and public businesses are often open on Saturdays.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS – Public holidays are celebrated according to the Ethiopia (Julian calendar (see time”). The calendar is seven years behind the Western or Grego-rian calendar, with New Year falling in the month of September.
January 7: Ethiopian Christmas (Genna)
January 19: Ethiopian Epiphany (Timtek)
March 2: Victory of Adwa (1896)
April 6: Ethiopian Good Friday
April 8: Ethiopian Easter
May 1: International Labor Day
May 5: Ethiopia Patriots Victory Day (1941)
May 28: Falls of the Dergue
June 15: Eid Al-Fitir*
August 22: Eid Al Adha
September 11: Ethiopia New Year
September 27: Finding of the True Cross (Meskel)
November 21: Birth of Prophet Mohamed (Mawlid)
• Subject to moon sighting.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS – A yellow fever certificate is required for some African destinations. Vaccination against cholera is also required for any person who has visited or transited cholera – infected area within six days prior to arrival in Ethiopia.
CUSTOMS – Duty – free imports are permitted for up to:
a) 200 cigarettes, 100 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco
b) 2 liters of alcohol beverages
c) Half a liter of perfume
d) Souvenirs (by visitors) with a value not exceeding 500 birr
When it comes to currency
a) It is illegal to carry more than 200 birr when entering or departing Ethiopia.
b) Whether you are transit or your final destination is Ethiopia , you must declare to customs official at point of custom crossing point ( entry ) any cash , checked or promissory note that exceed the amount of USD 3,000 or equivalent. Ethiopia customs rules also limit the amount of precious metal or mineral imported or exported for personal use to 1) 100 grams for gold and other precious metals; 2)30 grams for precious stones. 3)100 grams for semi-precious stones. Hence, passengers who leave the transit area are required to declare valuables in excess of the above limit.
IMMIGRATION REQUAREMENTS – Visas are required for all foreign visitors to Ethiopia, with the exception of nationals of Kenya and Djibouti. Visas application may be obtained at Ethiopia’s diplomatic missions overseas. Nationals of 37 countries are now allowed to receive their tourist visa on arrival in Ethiopia. Alternatively, nationals of these countries can apply for tourist visa online at www.evisa.gov.et. The list includes ; Argentina, Canada, Australia, Austria ,Belgium, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland , France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea , Kuwait, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Korea, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States.
BOLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – The Airport is 5 kilometers from Meskel Square and Addis Ababa’s central business district. Self – service kiosk are available for guest checking in, and free WIFI is offered throughout the airport. Free luggage carts and paid porters are also available in the baggage hall. All bags must go through x-ray check before you exit.
When flying out of Bole International Airport, please note: Terminal 1- all domestic flights and flights to Burundi, Djibouti, Rwanda, Somaliland, south Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Terminal 2 all other international flights.
Taxis are readily available and may be ordered inside the terminal. Privately owned taxis are not metered, nor do they have fixed rates. Agree upon the fare in advance.
SECURITY – Security at the airport is tight and travelers need to produce their air tickets and passport to enter the terminal. All other visitors are required to pay a fee of 10 birr in the car park and may require showing identification.