Ethiopia

Ethiopia
Ethiopia🇪🇹

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Traveling to Ethiopia? Land Connected.

Ethiopia is unlike anywhere else in Africa: rock-hewn churches, ancient obelisks, highland monasteries and a calendar and coffee culture all its own. Install your CGOO eSIM before you fly and you connect at Bole International Airport without hunting for a SIM shop, and your own number stays reachable for calls and texts back home.

Choose the Plan That Fits Your Trip

  • Fixed data or unlimited: pick from the plan grid above by trip length and data use — fixed-data plans for maps, messaging and light browsing, unlimited plans for heavy use and hotspotting.
  • Instant delivery: your QR code and installation link are emailed within minutes of checkout. Install before your flight; validity starts on the day you activate.
  • Coverage note: coverage is strongest in Addis Ababa and other towns and thins fast on highland and desert routes — download offline maps before heading out of the city.

Travel Highlights

  • Lalibela: eleven rock-hewn churches carved downwards into the stone in the 12th and 13th centuries, still in daily use — a UNESCO World Heritage site.
  • Simien Mountains: jagged highland peaks, gelada baboons and lammergeiers, trekked from Debark with guides and scouts.
  • Axum: ancient obelisks, the ruins of palaces and the church said to house the Ark of the Covenant.
  • Gondar: the castles of Fasil Ghebbi and the painted churches of the old imperial capital.
  • Harar: the walled old town of the east, with 368 alleyways, colourful markets and the evening hyena feeding — best with a local guide.

Getting Around

  • Airport: Bole International Airport (ADD) sits on the southern edge of Addis Ababa — hotel shuttles and app-booked taxis meet most flights.
  • Ride-hailing: the local RIDE and ZayRide apps operate in Addis Ababa with fares shown upfront; no international ride-hailing app operates widely. Street taxis in the city rarely use meters, so agree the fare before you set off.
  • City transport: Addis Ababa's light rail runs two lines across the city, and blue-and-white minibuses cover most routes — ask a local for the right stop.
  • Long distance: Ethiopian Airlines flies to regional airports including Lalibela, Gondar and Axum; overland, hire a 4x4 with a driver for highland and rural roads.

Safety and Practical Tips

Many governments advise against travel to parts of Ethiopia, including border areas and some regions affected by conflict — check your own government's current advisory before you travel, and do not travel to the areas it names. In Addis Ababa, pickpocketing and bag-snatching happen in markets and on crowded transport.

Altitude affects the highlands: Addis Ababa sits above 2,300 metres, so take it easy on arrival and drink plenty of water. Carry a photocopy of your passport, keep valuables out of sight, and note that medical facilities outside the capital are limited — carry comprehensive travel insurance with evacuation cover.

Entry and Visa

Entry rules depend on your passport: many visitors can apply for an eVisa before travel, while others need a visa arranged through a consulate. Check the current visa, passport-validity and onward-travel requirements for your nationality before you travel, and check your own government's travel advisory at the same time.

Weather and Climate

  • Addis Ababa and the highlands: mild all year, broadly around 15–20°C by day, with cool nights at altitude.
  • Rainy season: June to September brings the main rains (kiremt) — lush, but highland roads can be slow and muddy.
  • Dry season: October to May is the most practical window for travel, with the clearest skies for trekking.
  • Lowlands: the Danakil Depression and the south are hot all year, often above 35°C — travel there only with an organised tour.

Money and Payments

  • Currency: the Ethiopian birr (ETB) is the official currency.
  • Cash first: cash is essential — most hotels, restaurants and transport outside Addis Ababa take cash only, so carry small notes.
  • Cards and ATMs: cards are accepted at larger hotels in Addis Ababa; ATMs are found in the capital and main towns but can run out of cash. Wise works wherever Visa or Mastercard is accepted, with no ETB balance claimed here.
  • Tipping: tipping is modest — rounding up a taxi fare and a small tip for guides and drivers is appreciated.