Is Ethiopia safe to visit right now? Region by region (October 2026)

Yes, for most of the places visitors actually go. As of 10 October 2026, Addis Ababa is calm, with people going to work, filling the cafés and crowding the churches on Sunday. South of the capital, Bishoftu's crater lakes, the Rift Valley lakes, Hawassa and Arba Minch are open, and our drivers are on those roads regularly. The conflict is in the north, and that is the part of the country to leave for another trip.

We're a family-run private driver service in Addis Ababa, so we see the country day to day rather than through headlines. Below is how each region looks to us right now, the one line of official advice you need, and the simple habits that make a trip easy.

What is Ethiopia like for visitors right now?

Ordinary, in the good sense. Flights land at Bole every day, hotels and restaurants in Addis are open, and markets, museums and coffee houses run as normal. The south is busy with farming, fishing and weekend visitors from the capital. Most travellers spend their time in exactly these places, and they find people warm, curious and keen to help.

The US rates Ethiopia Level 3, Reconsider Travel, and several governments advise against travel to parts of the north and to border areas. Since early October they have also warned of possible long-range attacks on military sites, including in Addis Ababa, so keep away from military installations. Addis Ababa and the south are open and busy with ordinary life.

Which parts of Ethiopia are open, region by region?

Ethiopia region by region, as of 10 October 2026

• Addis Ababa: Open. Calm day to day. Watch for pickpockets in crowds and don't walk at night.
• Bishoftu and the Rift Valley lakes: Open. We drive here regularly. Stick to the main roads and travel by day.
• Hawassa: Open by day. We drive the A7 regularly. Leave early; be off the road by mid-afternoon.
• Arba Minch and the south: Open, plan it. Towns are open. Some remote zones, such as Konso, are under warnings.
• Harar and Dire Dawa: Open, fly in. Fly to Dire Dawa; the long road east from Addis isn't advised.
• Bale Mountains: Open, we drive there. The park is outside the strictest warnings; we check the roads before every trip.
• Amhara (Lalibela, Gondar, Bahir Dar, Simien): Not advised now. Active conflict. Leave it for a later trip.
• Tigray and Afar (incl. Danakil): Not advised now. Active conflict and suspended flights.
• Border areas: Not advised. Warnings near every border, including Kenya and Sudan.

Addis Ababa: open and calm

Day to day, the capital is stable and relaxed. The risks are the ones you'd expect in any big city: pickpockets and bag snatchers in crowded places, and more trouble after dark than by day. Our guide on whether Addis Ababa is safe for tourists goes into the city in detail.

Bishoftu, the Rift Valley lakes and Hawassa: open, and we drive them regularly

Bishoftu's crater lakes are an easy day out from Addis. Further south, the A7 runs past the Rift Valley lakes to Hawassa, with its lakeshore, fish market and Sidama coffee country. These are the roads we drive most, and a whole-car trip from Addis to Hawassa is one of our regular routes. We drove Addis to Hawassa on 9 October 2026 and the road was normal by day.

Our own rule for this road, and any long road: travel in daylight, set off early in the morning, and don't be on the road after about 3 pm or at night. Late in the day, livestock and unlit vehicles are much harder to see, and problems are harder to sort out.

Arba Minch and the south: open, with some zones to check

Arba Minch, with Lake Chamo's crocodiles, Nechisar National Park and the Dorze highlands, is open and we drive to it. A few zones in the far south are under warnings, including Konso and its neighbours south of Arba Minch, parts of the Omo Valley and the areas near the Kenyan border. We plan southern trips around those spots.

Harar and Dire Dawa: open, best reached by air

Harar's walled old town and Dire Dawa are outside the strictest warnings, but the long road east from Addis passes through areas where travel isn't advised. Fly to Dire Dawa instead. Our guide on visiting Harar right now explains the route.

Bale Mountains: open, with route planning

The national park itself is outside the strictest warnings, but some of the roads that lead there are not. We drive to Bale: before every trip we check the route with our drivers, tell you plainly what we think, and plan it so the whole drive is in daylight. Flying to Robe is a shorter option if you'd rather spend less time on the road.

The north: travel isn't advised right now

Amhara (including Lalibela, Gondar, Bahir Dar and the Simien Mountains), Tigray and Afar (including the Danakil Depression) have active conflict, and official advice warns against all travel there. Please don't plan them for this trip. Our page on whether you can visit Lalibela right now explains why it's worth waiting for.

What you can do instead: a few days in Addis, a crater-lake day in Bishoftu, and a road trip south to Hawassa and Arba Minch fill a week very well.

Border areas

Official advice warns against the areas close to Ethiopia's borders with Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and Kenya. None of them are on a normal visitor's route, and we don't drive there.

How do you have an easy trip in Ethiopia?

A few simple habits cover almost everything.

• Keep your phone and bag close in crowds. Petty theft is the most common problem for visitors in Addis, especially in busy places such as Merkato and Meskel Square. Use a bag that closes and leave spare cards in the hotel safe.
• Don't walk around after dark. Take a car, even for short trips at night. Outside Addis, don't drive at night at all.
• Check before every road trip. Conditions can change within days, so look at the latest advice before you set off, not only when you book. We check every route outside Addis with our drivers before you leave.
• Expect the internet to drop sometimes. Mobile data can be cut in an area during unrest. Save offline maps and your hotel's address before you travel; our guide on whether Ethiopia shuts down the internet explains more.
• Carry your passport, and keep away from military sites. Checkpoints are routine, photographing military sites or personnel is illegal, and official advice now also warns of possible attacks on military sites, so give them a wide berth.

For the road itself, from checkpoints to night driving, see our guide on whether it is safe to travel by road in Ethiopia. And if you stand out as a foreigner, our guide on whether Ethiopia is safe for white tourists covers attention, "foreigner prices" and what to wear.

How does Ethiopia Driver help you travel safely?

In Addis, our driver stays with you for the day, drops you at each door and waits outside, so you never flag taxis on the street or walk dark streets. A driver by the day in Addis is the easiest way to see the city.

Before every trip outside Addis, we do our own security check using reports from our drivers across the country, and we often know about a change before it reaches the news. Then we talk it through with you and decide together: the route, what time to leave, a reroute, or, if needed, a different day. Please check your own government's advice too.

We're open 24/7, so a late landing at Bole is no problem (night pickups cost a little more). Your quote covers fuel, tolls, parking and the driver's food and lodging, and you pay us in US dollars or your own currency. We can also book your hotels and domestic flights in birr for you.