No. As of 28 September 2026, the honest advice is to leave Bahir Dar, Gondar and the Simien Mountains off this trip. All three are in Amhara region, and official travel advice currently warns against all travel there. Lake Tana, the castles of Gondar and the Simien escarpment make up Ethiopia's classic northern loop, so this is hard news if you'd planned around them.

The good news is that there's still plenty to do from Addis Ababa. At Ethiopia Driver we drive visitors around Addis, out to Bishoftu's crater lakes and down to Hawassa and the south, which we drive regularly. Tell us your dates and we'll help you rebuild the trip.

Why is Amhara under 'all travel' advice?

Amhara has seen significant conflict between Fano militias and the Ethiopian authorities since 2023, along with banditry and kidnapping for ransom. The situation is very volatile, with heavily restricted movement, a risk of arbitrary detention and more roadblocks. Clashes happen in and around cities, towns and airports, and both Ethiopians and foreigners have been kidnapped for ransom there.

In late September 2026 the picture got worse. Tigrayan forces launched attacks into Afar and Amhara, and Fano is reported to have joined an alliance of armed groups with the TPLF against the federal government. Flights to Lalibela, in the east of Amhara, were suspended on 24 September because of fighting nearby. On 25 September US citizens already in Amhara were advised to leave if safe to do so, or shelter in place.

Are flights to Bahir Dar and Gondar still running?

As of 28 September 2026 there are no reports that Ethiopian Airlines has suspended Bahir Dar or Gondar flights. The confirmed suspensions are Mekelle, Axum and Shire in Tigray (from 22–23 September) and Lalibela (from 24 September).

That isn't a green light. Flights across northern Ethiopia can be suspended or cancelled at short notice, and it has happened before: in August 2023, during clashes in Amhara, Ethiopian Airlines cancelled flights to Bahir Dar, Gondar, Lalibela, Dessie and Kombolcha for three days and paused its ticket offices before restarting. If you hold tickets, check directly with the airline. The travel advice applies whether or not the plane flies.

What about going by road?

Please don't. Armed men have attacked vehicles on the main Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar road (the A3), usually in the early hours, and there are extra military checkpoints and closures along it. There have also been deadly clashes around Central Gondar zone. On the way north, the A3 crosses Oromia's North Shewa zone, which is also under all-travel warnings. We don't drive this road at the moment.

What are Bahir Dar, Gondar and the Simien Mountains?

Bahir Dar and Lake Tana

Bahir Dar sits on the southern shore of Lake Tana, Ethiopia's largest lake and the main source of the Blue Nile. Visitors usually take boats to the old monasteries on the lake's islands and the Zege Peninsula, several of which keep old manuscripts and royal tombs. The Blue Nile Falls lie downstream of the lake.

Gondar

Emperor Fasilides made Gondar his permanent capital in 1636, and it remained the centre of Ethiopian government for more than two centuries. The walled Fasil Ghebbi compound, with its palaces, churches and monasteries, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

Simien Mountains National Park

North of Gondar, the Simien plateau breaks off in cliffs that drop around 1,500 metres. It's home to gelada monkeys, the Walia ibex (a wild goat found nowhere else) and the rare Ethiopian wolf. UNESCO listed the park in 1978 and kept it on its 'in danger' list from 1996 until 2017, when conservation measures had improved.

What can you see instead from Addis Ababa?

• For history and churches: Holy Trinity Cathedral and the National Museum in Addis Ababa. With a driver by the day you can combine several stops in one day.
• For lakes and birds: Bishoftu's crater lakes, south-east of Addis, an easy day trip that sits outside the warnings.
• For a longer trip south: Hawassa, on the shore of Lake Hawassa. We drive the road to Hawassa and the south regularly and can tell you current road conditions before you go.
• For mountains: Bale Mountains National Park itself is exempt from some warnings, but the roads to it cross zones that aren't. It's not a simple swap; check the latest advice for your exact route first.
• For Timkat in January: the festival is celebrated across Ethiopia, including in Addis Ababa, though big crowds carry their own risks and major religious dates call for extra caution.

What if you've already booked a northern loop?

1. Call the airline or your agent. Ask about moving Bahir Dar, Gondar or Lalibela flights to later dates, or getting a refund. Lalibela flights are already suspended.
2. Contact hotels and guides directly. Ask whether you can move your booking to a later date rather than cancel outright.
3. Talk to your insurer. Get their position in writing before you pay for anything new.
4. Rebalance the days. Spend the freed-up time in Addis Ababa, on a day trip to Bishoftu, or on a few days in Hawassa. Tell us your new dates and we can book the hotels in birr and drive you, with one amount to pay in dollars.

What should you watch before rebooking the north?

• Official travel advice no longer listing Amhara under 'all travel' or Do Not Travel.
• Flights to Bahir Dar, Gondar and Lalibela running normally for several weeks.
• Mobile data and internet working normally in the region.
• Your travel insurer confirming in writing that you're covered.

We're a family-run driver service based in Addis Ababa, not a security authority. We only drive to places where travel is advised, and we'll update this page when the official picture changes.