Dubbed the country with 13 months of sunshine, you might be confused when you should plan your visit to Ethiopia. The truth is, the sun does shine all year round! But it shines much brighter in some months more than others. We will help you figure out when the best time to travel to Ethiopia would be with a few simple breakdowns of the months to help focus your decision with the type of activities that might interest you more than others.
When is the best time to travel?
Depending on what you are into, you can divide the calendar year into four major sets of months that are clear guides to getting you a step closer to your dream destinations within Ethiopia. Lucky enough, the beginning of the three sets of months outlined below are marked by major holidays/ festivities across the country. These months are September, January and April. Let’s dive into each one at a time.
September-December
Lush and magnificent green fields covered with yellow flowers are how Ethiopians greet their New Year. As followers of their own calendar system (much similar to the Julian calendar), September is the first month of the year for Ethiopians. It is fitting because life begins to resurface from the rainy months of July and August. The weather is still a bit chilly (nothing a light jacket won’t protect) in September and October but the feeling of renewal is very much evident. After New Year celebrations (September 11), one of the major holidays would have to be Meskel (Finding of the True Cross). Much celebrated in the Gurage area, this UNESCO inscribed holiday that revolves around bonfires is also colorfully marked in Addis Ababa, Gonder and Aksum (falls on September 27 plus or minus one day depending on the area you want to go to).
Irrecha, celebrated by the Oromo (largest ethnicity in Ethiopia) takes place on the shores of Lake Hora (end of September or beginning of October). November and December are ideal months for trekking and sight-seeing country wide but more so in the Semien, or Bale Mountains. Blue skies set the country up for amazing landscape photography in these months leading up to January.
January – March
January is the beginning of other major celebrations in the country. Gena (Christmas, January 7) followed by Timket (Epiphany, January 19) usher in colorful celebrations from north till south of the country. Addis Ababa’s fervor of shoppers is contagious which fill the shops and streets lined with live animals, colorful vegetables, spices and everything in between. Although movements in similar cities is quite telling about the onset of Christmas, if you are seeking for a more religious experience, Lalibela, Gonder and Aksum are the places to be during Gena and Timket.
After the holiday zeal subsides, February and March, present ideal weather for any kind of travel given that the daily mean temperatures peak to beautiful, comfortable sunny days and crisply pleasant nights. If you’re into wildlife watching, hiking, boat rides and any activity that is outdoors February and March are your go to months for sure.
April – June
After two slow months of beautiful weather and calmer activities undertaken by the long fasting seasons of the orthodox religion, April/May marks more celebrations as it brings forth Easter and Good Friday. April/May (the month of Miyazia as it is locally known) is the month with the most official holidays with Labor Day and Patriots Day marked as other celebrations. The increased heat in April and May along with schools closing might be indicators to locals, of summer ending, as June brings in the months of winter and heavy rains. The Holy month of Ramadan usually falls in this time of the year.
July & August
Marked with heavy rains and colder days and nights, July and August for travelers, make getting around a bit more difficult. Although by Western standards, heavy rain might be considered tolerable winter, unpaved roads around the country could pose difficulty in getting around. Not to worry though, as you could easily move around the country to your planned destinations via Ethiopian Airlines, with one of the flight services that serve all major towns in Ethiopia. One major event in late August is the girls’ only festival known with different names: Shadey, Ashenda, Ashendye or Solel shouldn’t be missed in Northern Wollo, Wag Hemra and Tigrai region. If museums, art galleries, culinary experiences, music and night life are your ‘cup of tea,’ then cities like Addis Ababa, Debre Zeit, Hawassa are still enjoyable during these months.
By Amerti Lemma
