What to See in Ethiopia

last edited Dec 11, 2019

Contributions version #1 created Dec 11, 2019 Report this page Latest contributions in this guide Contributors to this guide

Location Map of Ethiopia

Ethiopia Open the interactive map

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Ethiopia has 9 sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list:

Aksum (1980)
In the north, near Eritrea, this city with a rich historical past is also an Orthodox religious center. It is home to an exceptional UNESCO-listed archaeological site, a testament to the Kingdom of Aksum. Scattered around the city are other small remnants of this ancient civilization.

Fasil Ghebi in Gondar (1979)
This 17th-century royal enclosure houses around twenty palaces and royal buildings, decorated churches, monasteries, and various Baroque-style structures.

Harar (2006)
This holy Islamic city is a fortified town that once hosted Rimbaud (museum) and Henry de Monfreid. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its ancient center. Another tourist attraction in the old city is the daily feeding of spotted hyenas.

Konso (2011)
This small town (and the surrounding villages), in the heart of the Konso region, is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its inhabitants' traditional culture. You can see numerous sculptures, small funerary sites, and fossils.

Lalibela (1978)
A holy city and pilgrimage site for Orthodox Christians, Lalibela is famous for its (11) rock-hewn churches, which earned it UNESCO World Heritage status.

Awash National Park (1980)
This is a small park east of the capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It offers diverse landscapes, hot springs, and numerous species of antelope, hyenas, and birds.

Omo National Park (1980)
On the Sudanese border, this park is contiguous with Mago National Park and was designated a UNESCO site following the discovery of 200,000-year-old fossils. But Omo is also one of the most remote areas, home to communities (Mursi, Suri, etc.) with vibrant traditions and a rich wildlife. You can also go rafting on the Omo River.

Simien National Park (1978)
Located in northern Ethiopia, this mountainous park is a UNESCO World Heritage site. With peaks over 4,000 m, it offers stunning landscapes and trekking opportunities.

Tiya (1980)
This town, south of Addis Ababa, is known for its UNESCO-listed archaeological site featuring an alignment of standing steles dating back around ten centuries. Many other steles can be seen in the surrounding area.

Cities and Cultural Heritage

Adama
Not far from Addis Ababa, the city also known as Nazret is popular with residents of the capital who come to enjoy walks in the surrounding mountains.

Addis Ababa
Set at high altitude, Ethiopia’s capital is first and foremost a commercial and political hub for Africa. That said, it also boasts some fine buildings, monuments, and museums.

Aksum
In the north, near Eritrea, this city with a rich historical past is also an Orthodox religious center. It is home to an exceptional UNESCO-listed archaeological site, a testament to the Kingdom of Aksum. Scattered around the city are other small remnants of this ancient civilization.

Ambo
West of the capital, Ambo is a great starting point for exploring the surrounding area, including the Wenchi Mountains and their crater lake, as well as the Guder and Huluka waterfalls.

Ankober
It's a large village perched at nearly 2,500 m above sea level, with an ancient fort and an old church.

Bahir Dar
This pleasant northern city on the shores of Lake Tana is a great base for exploring the lake with its churches and monasteries, as well as the Blue Nile Falls.

Dire Dawa
The country's second-largest city, on the road to Somalia, and Ethiopia's major railway hub. Depending on the period and the state of the line, this is where the Addis Ababa–Djibouti railway operates from.

Gondar
The former royal city is home to the remains of imperial palaces with their fortifications (the "Fasil Ghebi"), a UNESCO World Heritage site, several churches and monasteries, as well as various colonial buildings from the Italian era. In nearby villages, traces of the Falasha Jewish community can be found, nearly 120,000 of whom emigrated to Israel.

Harar
This holy Islamic city is a fortified town that once hosted Rimbaud (museum) and Henry de Monfreid. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its ancient center. Another tourist attraction in the old city is the daily feeding of spotted hyenas.

Jimma
A large city in the southwest, in a region of coffee and spice plantations, with a few old buildings.

Jinka
This is typically the base town for exploring the Omo Valley and Mago National Park.

Key Afer
A village on the Turmi–Jinka road where a weekly market brings together the various ethnic groups (Hamer, Bana, Ari) of the region.

Konso
This small town (and the surrounding villages), in the heart of the Konso region, is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its inhabitants' traditional culture. You can see numerous sculptures, small funerary sites, and fossils.

Lalibela
A holy city and pilgrimage site for Orthodox Christians, Lalibela is famous for its (11) rock-hewn churches, which earned it UNESCO World Heritage status.

Mekelle
The lively capital of the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia. It can serve as a base for hiking in the surrounding area or discovering the small churches of the region.

Debre Damo Monastery
Near the town of Aksum, this monastery, the oldest in the country, is only accessible by rope and is off-limits to women.

Istifanos Monastery
A small monastery north of Addis Ababa built on the shore of Lake Hayq.

Moyale
A border town and an almost essential crossing for those traveling between Ethiopia and Kenya or vice versa by land. The town straddles these two countries.

Sodere
It's a high-altitude town not far from Addis Ababa, popular with locals from the capital for its hot springs.

Tiya
This town, south of Addis Ababa, is known for its UNESCO-listed archaeological site featuring an alignment of standing steles dating back around ten centuries. Many other steles can be seen in the surrounding area.

Wondo Genet
A highland resort surrounded by forests with hot springs. People come for the landscapes, birdwatching, and hiking.

Yeha
This village in Tigray is where you can see the remains of the oldest monument (a tower) in Ethiopia. The town is also home to an Orthodox monastery.

Warning: depending on the period, many regions of the country (especially border areas) are not recommended or strongly advised against for safety reasons by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Natural Heritage

Sor Waterfalls
These are several waterfalls near Metu, in the west of the country.

Blue Nile Falls
Beautiful falls of around fifty metres near the city of Bahir Dar. You can go rafting a little further along the river.

Danakil Desert
Straddling Djibouti, Eritrea, and the northeast of Ethiopia, the Danakil is an arid and inhospitable area despite the presence of several lakes. It is home to a small range of wildlife and sometimes astonishing landscapes. It is also where the Afar people live.

Sof Omar Caves
These are the largest caves in Ethiopia, in the Bale Mountains.

Lake Abbe
On the border between Djibouti and Ethiopia, this lake is remarkable for its landscapes, flamingo colonies, hot springs, and tall limestone pinnacles.

Lake Awasa
A small lake in the Rift Valley where you can take boat trips or watch birds.

Lake Langano
The spot is highly popular for swimming as it is free from bilharzia and crocodile risks. However, you can observe numerous birds, monkeys, and hippos here.

Lake Tana
It is the largest lake in Ethiopia and the source of the Blue Nile. It is known for its islands, which house several Orthodox churches and monasteries. In addition to visiting the islands, you can also take short boat trips from Bahir Dar.

Lake Ziway
Another high-altitude lake in the Rift Valley, with a monastery on one of its islands (Tullo Gudo). Home to numerous birds and hippopotamuses.

Lakes of the Rift Valley
The Rift Valley stretches south of the capital far beyond the Sudanese border. It is home to around ten quite pretty lakes (and a few gorges) as well as some wildlife. A small tourism industry has developed here, with boat trips on offer.

Abijatta-Shalla National Park
About 200 km from Addis Ababa, this park with its three lakes, hot springs, and pink flamingos draws its share of visitors.

Awash National Park
This is a small park east of the capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It offers diverse landscapes, hot springs, and numerous species of antelope, hyenas, and birds.

Gambela National Park
Accessible from the city of the same name, this savanna park facing Sudan is home to significant wildlife, including lions, elephants, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, buffaloes, monkeys, birds, and more.

Mago National Park
This savanna park on the edge of the Omo is a remote area, home to communities (Mursi, Suri, etc.) with traditions still very much alive. Mago is also home to a significant wildlife population, including birds, reptiles, crocodiles, hippos, giraffes, and elephants...

Bale Mountains National Park
At the heart of the country, a stunning natural area with peaks over 4,000 m and rich wildlife (wolves, monkeys, birds...). Great for hiking.

Nechisar National Park
Small park on the shores of Lakes Abaya and Chamo in the southern part of the country. Home to a variety of wildlife: birds, antelopes, crocodiles...

Omo National Park
On the Sudanese border, this park is contiguous with Mago National Park and was designated a UNESCO site following the discovery of 200,000-year-old fossils. But Omo is also one of the most remote areas, home to communities (Mursi, Suri, etc.) with vibrant traditions and a rich wildlife. You can also go rafting on the Omo River.

Simien National Park
Located in northern Ethiopia, this mountainous park is a UNESCO World Heritage site. With peaks over 4,000 m, it offers stunning landscapes and trekking opportunities.

Yangudi Rassa National Park
Between Addis and Djibouti, it's a vast park with gazelles, zebras, wild asses, and a few other species.

Yabelo Reserve
This natural area in the south is home to many bird species.