Rock  Church  Lalibela

Rock church of Lalibela

Best time to visit Ethiopia

An all year round destination.

A month by month calendar of when to go.

One of the great joys of Ethiopia is that it is a true year-round travel destination, with the weather allowing visitors to travel all year but also something interesting and unique happening each month, meaning that whenever you travel you will get an intriguing glimpse into Ethiopian life.

Below is a short summary of the best times to visit or scroll to the bottom for a full month by month guide.

Peak season is November to March when it is cooler and mostly dry meaning you can access all parts of the country easily. January is a popular time due to the world-famous Timkat festival.

Low season: June to August is the wet season when walking or visiting the south of Ethiopia can be challenging.

Notable festivals: There are a number of notable festivals throughout the year including Timket (January), bull jumper ceremonies in the Omo Valley (March), Fasika or Ethiopian Easter (April), Kiddus Yohannes or New Year’s Day (September) Meskel (September) and Festival of Maryam Zion in Axum (November)

Timkat  Lalibela 3

January

Cool and dry, January is one of the most popular months to travel to Ethiopia, not least because of the key religious festivals that take place. As Ethiopia operates on the Orthodox calendar their key festivals are “staggered” somewhat from ours, with Genna (the equivalent to Christmas but more subdued) taking place on the 6th and 7th January, whilst Timkat, arguably the best-known and most popular festival to witness, takes place on the 19th January. Both festivals are one day later during leap years.

Timkat pictured.

Simien Mountains

​February

Arguably the peak month to visit Ethiopia, when conditions are at their warmest and driest, the whole country is busy during February. Naturally, the conditions are ideal for visiting the key religious sites of the North and for exploring the Omo Valley to see the tribespeople. More specific interests that can be pursued at this time include the chance to see over a million white-eared kob migrating through the Gambela National Park from Sudan in the far West of the country. It is also an ideal time for trekking, especially for those who are looking to reach the summit of Mount Dashen, Ethiopia’s highest peak, in the Simien Mountains National Park.

Simien Mountains pictured.

Hamar Tribe

March

As the dry season comes to an end, this is an excellent time of year for wildlife viewing, especially in the Simien and Bale Mountains National Parks. March is also the time when the Hamer people, one of the most celebrated tribes in the Omo Valley, have their traditional bull jumping ceremonies, part of the transition of young men from boyhood to adulthood.

Hamar Tribe in the Omo Valley shown.

Gondar Palaces Preview

April

For visitors who can endure a little rain, April is an excellent month to travel, with much lower visitor numbers, especially in the more popular places such as Gondar and Lalibela. This is also the month where they celebrate Fasika, or Ethiopian Easter, with the date changing each year and in line with when we have our Easter, albeit a little later. As Easter Sunday starts, you will be able to see hundreds of pilgrims, adorned in white robs, praying in church grounds in the moonlight.

Gondar Palace shown.

Tigray In Ethiopia

May

As the rains arrive in earnest, much of the South of the country becomes impassable, so visits to the Omo Valley aren’t possible. The North still sees bright spells throughout the day and lower visitor numbers mean that this can be a rewarding month to travel.

Tigray in the north pictured.

Nechisar National Park Near Arba Minch In Ethiopia

June, July & August

Amongst the most challenging times to visit Ethiopia, rains can be heavy throughout the country, making days out in the open visiting the religious sites somewhat of a challenge.

This is the green season in Ethiopia.

Meskel Festival

September

The rains start to subside as September arrives and Ethiopia embraces the improving weather with two key celebrations. Kiddus Yohannes (New Year’s Day) is one of the more informal of their celebrations, taking place on the 11th of September, and sees families come together and present one another, especially the children, with gifts. Meskel, the Festival of the True Cross, takes place on the 27th September and is amongst the most spectacular of their festivals. As with the January festivals, all celebrations are one day later in leap years.

Image of Meskel Festival.

Ethiopian Wolf Canis Simensis Sanetti Plateau Bale Mountains National Park Ethiopia

October

The legacy of the summer rains leaves a lovely tinge of green across the whole country, so views are spectacular, but the drier conditions mean that it is an ideal time of year for exploring. An especially rewarding time of year for birders, particularly in the Omo Valley and Bale Mountains, this is when many keen ornithologists choose to travel.

Ethiopian wolf in the Bale Mountains.

Bale Mountains Np Harenna Visitors Morning

November

A hugely popular time of year to travel as the dry weather has really set in, meaning that the whole country is accessible and thriving. The Bale Mountains are especially popular at this time of year and we recommend booking more than a year in advance to secure your space. Axum also sees the celebration of the Festival of Maryam Zion, a unique localised event which takes place on the 30th November. This is also the month when Ethiopia’s deep affinity with, and success in, long-distance running is celebrated with the Great Ethiopian Run. Taking place on the penultimate Sunday of November and co-ordinated by the great Haile Gabresellasie himself, arguably the most famous distance runner of all time.

Image: walking in the Bale Moutains.

Danakil Depression Tour Korkor Lodge

December

Another prime month to visit the whole country, the cooler temperatures mean this is the start of the relatively short (4 month) season when one can visit the Danakil Depression in reasonable comfort. In general it is a great time of year for trekking, with the Simien Mountains and TESFA Treks in both Lalibela and Tigray proving very popular throughout December.

Danakil Depression pictured.

Trips in Ethiopia

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Shirley Newman

What can I say….my son and myself had the most wonderful time in Kenya thanks to the first-class itinerary that Ben and Louise put together for us. We spoke with Ben many times to ensure he ‘got it right’. This was our 2nd visit to Kenya, and it certainly lived up to our expectations and memories. We stayed in four locations, firstly at the wonderful El Karama Lodge, Laikipia Wildlife Conservancy, where we even had a visit from Ruth from Far and Wild! Then, for a return visit, to Saruni Samburu, which is absolutely stunning and still one of our favourite places in the world. Next came Basecamp Mara Camp, where we saw our first Cheetah, the only animal we didn’t see on our first visit. After that, onto the wonderful Leopards Hill in the Naiboisho Conservancy, what a way to spend the last four days of this trip. Here we finally spent many hours with a beautiful leopard. Throughout our time in Kenya, we saw many lions, giraffes, elephants, ostriches, hyenas, cheetahs, and leopards, to name just a few. Nothing was too much trouble for all the staff; we cannot have been looked after any better. Since our return again Ben phoned to see how it went in addition to emails. I would highly recommend Far and Wild; they are so knowledgeable and have personally visited the lodges and areas. We are already planning another visit, and we cannot wait.

16 Aug 2025
Elizabeth Spells

I have just returned from the most amazing trip to Tanzania, booked with Far & Wild. Everything went so smoothly from the first time I spoke with them. The planning was great, the itinerary was perfect for us, and the lodges were amazing. We spent 10 nights with an amazing guide, travelling through Northern Tanzania and even got to see the migration, which was a lifetime ambition of mine. This wasn't our first safari, so we were nervous as to how it would compare, but it was spot on. We're particularly grateful that she suggested a private 'bush lunch' in the Ngorongoro Crater as the public picnic spot was very busy! I will certainly be using them again to book our next trip....we're thinking of a relaxing beach stay next time to get over the excitement of safari!

17 Sept 2025
Orla Rhodes

Just back from another amazing F&W organised trip to Namibia with the family (8 adults). Having been there before, Alistair tailored our trip to include our favourite locations and added a new one for us, Okonjima Plains camp, which we loved.The quality of accommodation and guiding, activities, food and drinks was exceptional throughout. Although not inexpensive I felt it was good value for the level of luxury we had. Kwessi Dunes, Shipwreck lodge, Ongava, Okonjima with pit stops Windhoek (city tour recommended ), Swakopmund (Sandwich Harbour and Walvis Bay tour) and Grootberg lodge (best sundowner drive )

31 Jul 2024
Arnhild Schia

We had a wonderful trip to São Tomé and Príncipe - a small island nation in the Gulf of Guinea with paradise (almost empty) beaches and jungle forest. It was all well organised by Far and Wild and we stayed at Omali lodge at Sao Tome, then on Roca Sundy, and Sunday Praia at Principe - a great combination of different types of resorts/hotels. Omali is close to Sao Tome town with its colonial buildings, markets, hustle and bustle. Roca Sunday gives an old plantation experience and Sundy Praia a luxury beach experience. Very friendly (from time to time a bit slow) service, great fresh food, specifically if you like fish/seafood, vegetables and fruits (almost all sourced locally). Nice temperature between 23 and 30 degrees Celsius, nice swimming conditions. We really recommend this for those who want to experience a pristine destination with few other tourists and friendly and welcoming people. The islands also feel (and I believe are) very safe. At Principe, there are no dangerous animals, snakes or whatever, and it was great to be able to hike in the jungle without being very conscious of where to put your hands and feet. Go before everyone else does!

3 Jul 2024
Henri Papenfus

Back home again, basking in the joys of a superb safari. Every aspect you arranged for us, including linking up with Mack Air and Wild Horizons locally to transport us. The choice of camps, Camp Hwange in Zimbabwe and Muchenenje Safari Lodge in Botswana, was spot on and exactly what we had hoped for - ideally situated, comfortable, in good surroundings, and with excellent wildlife on the doorstep and throughout the wider country. The service staff in each looked after us very well, catering was excellent, and the game guides were professional, knowledgeable and helpful. The weather was, as usual for that part of the world, also good at the time of our visit. Blue skies and stunning sunsets. Warm but not too hot during the day, although quite cold at sunrise when viewing game. The viewing started. You made us happy, and we recommend you to similar safari enthusiasts with confidence.

28 Jun 2024
AC

Far and Wild went above and beyond to make sure my trip to Zambia was special. I would definitely recommend them and their services to anyone wanting to travel to Africa.

5 Jun 2024
Tiny

Lovely holiday at the amazing Almanara on Galu beach, a beach like no other. Far and Wild excelled themselves from beginning to end of our holiday in beautiful Kenya.... What a country!,

5 Jun 2024
Stodge

Wow! These guys are amazing. Can’t recommend them highly enough. Friendly AND efficient! Sorted out our trip (last minute and lots of different family member needs, sorry!) in record time and everything worked like clockwork. Trip of a lifetime to the Masai Mara. Will be back (and use F&W again!)!

5 Jun 2024
Fiona C

It was a dreamy holiday on the Kenyan Coast - Far and Wild, their efficiency and professionalism allowed us to relax and be the happiest family alive !! We cannot fault them, their care and understanding of what we wanted from a holiday ensured we had the most memorable trip. We will be booking with them again for sure!

5 Jun 2024

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