The best time to travel to Ethiopia is just after the rainy season and is closely linked with Ethiopian cultural celebrations.
| Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor |
| October | February | June | July |
| November | March | Septemeber | Auguest |
| December | April | ||
| January | May |
Table show when to go to Ethiopia in Months
High Season Season
The prime tourist season in Ethiopia runs from End of Septmber to January. What we should remark here is that September is the end of the rainy season and there might be rains.
September to October
The end of September and early October mark the best times to visit Ethiopia. As the rain has started to stop and the weather began to warm ,the land becomes lush green, the waterfalls are theire best beauti and the flowers are blooming everywhere. This coincides with The Ethiopian new year and the Meskel celebration. In some areas, the number of tourists will start to increase, and the price of the accommodation may also increase, but around 27 September, the Meskel festival attracts a lot of tourists for this festival. Since then, tourists travel to more areas in the north and south of the country.
Tip: If you want to participate in a colorful festival in Ethiopia, this is the best time to visit Ethiopia
- Meskel / the fining of the true cross September 27 & 28 on leap year The best Place to Celebrate is in Addis Ababa.
November, December, and January
The best time to visit Ethiopia is from Nov to January. The rain should stop and it is the begining of the dry season, After October, the waterfall still exists but with less water through November and evntually starts to dry in December. Farmers srats to see the fruit of therie plantations. some of the landscape are covered with riots farm color with diffrent crops. The weather is usually at its best. In the mountainous areas, especially in the northern and central regions, the climate becomes cool and dry. The sun will shine freely in the clear sky and the night is usually cold.
Tips: For the best experience Consider to Coincides your travel time to Ethiopia to match with this Cultural Celebrations
- Timket / Epiphany Jan 18 & 19 / January 20 on Leap year The best Place to Celebrate is inGonder and Addis Ababa
- Gena / Ethiopian Christmas Jan 7 / Jan 8 in Leap year. The best place to celebrate is in Lalibela.
- There are some Pilgrimages and Traditional celebrations that are not on the Guide books, that we know. They could give you a wonderful experience, let us know the Time you Plan to Visit and We will try to include something for you.
February to June is the Mid-season
The period between February and June is a good time to visit Ethiopia, as there are fewer tourists in these months compared to the high season. And due to the reduced number of visitors, the price of accommodation will go down. You can find good deals on accommodation, travel, etc. This time of year is almost dry, with a few irregular rainy weeks in April, March, or May.
The best time to visit to different Parts of Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a large country, with unique ecosystems from lowlands to highlands, from north to south. The weather and rainfall patterns are different. Because of this, the best time to visit and carry out activities in different regions are different.
- It is best to visit the Ethiopian Northern History site from late September and early October to late February.
- Simeon Mountain is best from mid-October to early June.
- Bale Mountain is best from mid-October to early June.
- The Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia can be visited year-round, but it’s best to visit between June to September and December to March. There are occasional rains in from October to November
- Danakil Depression and Ertale Volcano- best visited, starting from Novmber in the coolest season of the year in the hot desert. It runs through February and March.
Low Season June to September
The main rainy season lasts from late June to September. July and August, in particular, receive the most rainfall. this means July and Auguest are the wettest seasons in Ethiopia. This is the main rainy season to avoid. It rains during the day for a few hours once or a few times in short intervals. Heavy rains can interrupt hiking, especially in the northern part of the country. Due to low visibility ranges, it is recommended not to go for a hike. However, this is also a good time to travel, as it can reduce the number of tourists for accommodation trips and give you a better deal. The landscapes are lush, and there are some spectacular waterfalls to wander across the country. The rivers are full of water, flowing with all their power to create some magical waterfalls. During this period, you can still travel by carefully choosing clothes. There is almost no rainfall in southern Ethiopia, so you can travel to the Omo Valley.