Northern Ethiopia
Gondar, Bahir Dar, the Simien Mountains and Tigray: what's open, what's not, and the official advice right now.
4 answers
Gondar, Bahir Dar, the Simien Mountains and Tigray: what's open, what's not, and the official advice right now.
4 answers
Is it safeNot right now. Bahir Dar, Gondar and the Simien Mountains are in Amhara region, where official travel advice warns against all travel after fighting in the north escalated in late September 2026; as of 10 October that advice hasn't eased. Flights to Lalibela have been suspended since 24 September; Bahir Dar and Gondar flights were not reported suspended as of 10 October, but the advice applies either way. Addis Ababa, Bishoftu and Hawassa in the south are good alternatives in the meantime.
Updated Oct 2026 · 6 min
Is it safeNot at the moment. As of 10 October 2026, flights to Lalibela are still suspended (since 24 September, because of fighting nearby) with no restart date announced, and official travel advice warns against all travel to Amhara region, which includes Lalibela. Postpone rather than cancel: the rock-hewn churches will still be there. In the meantime you can see Ethiopian Orthodox church life in Addis Ababa, and Bishoftu and Hawassa make good alternatives.
Updated Oct 2026 · 5 min
What to expectSometimes, usually in specific regions rather than nationwide. The latest disruption was in Tigray, confirmed on 25 September 2026 as fighting resumed there; one local outlet reported phone and internet back in Mekelle on 4 October, but much of Tigray was still described as disrupted, and Addis Ababa was not reported cut off (as of 10 October). Past examples include Tigray during the 2020–2022 war, mobile internet in most Amhara cities from August 2023 to July 2024, and a nationwide block on major social media platforms from February to July 2023. Cuts can come without notice, so keep tickets, bookings and maps saved offline.
Updated Oct 2026 · 7 min
Is it safeThe Danakil Depression, in Ethiopia's Afar region, is not a trip to plan right now: as of 10 October 2026, official travel advice warns against travel to Afar (and against all travel near the Eritrean border and the Tigray boundary), and foreign nationals cannot use airports in Afar. The restrictions are in the north. Addis Ababa and the south stay open, and Bishoftu's volcanic crater lakes, a short drive from Addis, make an easy alternative, with Hawassa's Rift Valley lake further south.
Updated Oct 2026 · 5 min
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