No. As of 28 September 2026, official travel advice is clear: do not plan a Danakil trip right now. The Danakil Depression is one of the most extraordinary landscapes on Earth, and for years it was the adventurous add-on to an Ethiopia trip. Here is why the advice is so strict, what to look for before you consider it again, and what you can do instead from Addis Ababa, including a crater-lake day at Bishoftu with a driver.

What is the Danakil Depression?

The Danakil is a low desert basin in the north of Ethiopia's Afar region, close to the border with Eritrea. Parts of it lie more than 100 metres below sea level, average daily highs are above 40°C, and it is often described as the hottest inhabited place on Earth. The Afar people have lived there for centuries.

Visitors typically came for three things. Dallol, a hydrothermal field of acid pools and yellow, green and white mineral crusts. The salt flats, where Afar workers cut salt blocks by hand and load them onto camels. And Erta Ale, an active shield volcano famous for a lava lake that has been present, in some form, since at least 1906. It is usually climbed at night from a base camp.

Why is the advice so strict right now?

Fighting is ongoing between armed groups and the Ethiopian military in Tigray, Afar and Amhara, and clashes have been renewed in parts of Afar and Tigray, with reports of drone strikes that have become more frequent since August 2026. On 23 September the US Embassy barred its own staff from travelling to Tigray or Afar and advised its citizens already there to shelter in place.

Access is the other problem. Danakil tours have traditionally started either from Mekelle in Tigray or from Semera, the Afar regional capital. On 22 and 23 September Tigrayan forces took control of the airports in Mekelle, Axum and Shire, and all civilian flights to and from Tigray were suspended. Foreign nationals currently cannot use airports in Afar either.

One detail worth knowing: older advice from August 2026 excluded the Danakil Depression from the Eritrea border no-go zone. Later alerts in September cover the whole of Afar, so that older wording is no longer the current position.

Has the Danakil had security incidents before?

Yes, and this is part of why governments treat the area cautiously even in calmer times.

• January 2012: gunmen attacked a group of European tourists in northern Afar, about 20 to 25 km from the Eritrean border. Five tourists were killed and others wounded. Two Germans were kidnapped along with two Ethiopians, and the two Germans were released in March 2012.
• December 2017: a German tourist was shot dead while coming down from Erta Ale.
• Natural hazards too: most of Ethiopia's active volcanoes are in Afar, and ash clouds can disrupt air travel.

Armed groups have previously targeted foreigners in the Danakil. That history, plus extreme heat, very basic facilities and limited medical help, is why Danakil tours have normally run with an experienced guide and an armed escort.

What should you check before planning a Danakil trip in future?

1. The official advice. For now it warns against travel to Afar. Wait until it clearly eases before you plan.
2. How you would get there. Confirm that flights to Mekelle or Semera are running and that foreign visitors are allowed to use them. Do not assume the road is an easy alternative: there are sporadic clashes along the main Addis Ababa to Djibouti road through Afar, sometimes with roadblocks and vehicles targeted.
3. The operator's security arrangements. Use an experienced guide from a reputable company, escorted by official security forces, and keep your fuel tank at least half full.
4. Insurance with evacuation cover. Get cover for local treatment and medical evacuation, because medical services in the area are extremely limited.
5. Your own fitness for the heat. Dehydration and heatstroke can be fatal here, and the Erta Ale hike is done in the dark over rough lava.
6. Fuel and communications. There are currently fuel shortages across Ethiopia, and phone and internet can be cut during unrest.

What can you do instead on this trip?

If you came to Ethiopia for volcanic scenery, the easiest option is the group of volcanic crater lakes at Bishoftu, a short drive south-east of Addis Ababa along the expressway. Further south, Hawassa sits on a Rift Valley lake. We drive to Bishoftu, Hawassa and other southern cities regularly, and can tell you current road conditions before you decide.

We are a family-run driver service in Addis Ababa, not a tour company. We do not run Danakil trips, and we do not drive into areas where travel isn't advised. We will update this page when the official advice for Afar changes.