What is a good 7-day Ethiopia itinerary right now?

Seven days is a good length for a first taste of Ethiopia, as long as you plan it around what is open right now. Our suggestion: three nights in Addis Ababa for the museums, food and music, one night at the crater lakes of Bishoftu, then down the Rift Valley past Lakes Ziway and Langano to Hawassa for two nights, and back to the capital for your flight.

It is a relaxed route with short driving days, lakes and birds, good coffee and a lot of everyday Ethiopian life. It also avoids the north, which is off the table for this trip. We drive this whole loop regularly, so one private car and driver can cover the week from Bole arrivals to your departure.

What does the 7-day itinerary look like, day by day?

1. Day 1: Arrive in Addis Ababa. Land at Bole, get to your hotel and take it easy. The city is at high altitude, so an early night and plenty of water help on the first day.
2. Day 2: Museums and the palace grounds. See Lucy, the famous early-human fossil, at the National Museum, walk round Holy Trinity Cathedral, and spend the afternoon at Unity Park in the old palace grounds.
3. Day 3: Piassa, Merkato and a music night. Visit the Adwa Victory Memorial in Piassa, and Merkato, the city's huge open-air market, in the morning when it is calmer. In the evening, book a cultural restaurant with live traditional music and dancing.
4. Day 4: Bishoftu's crater lakes. A short drive on the expressway to Bishoftu, about 47 km south-east of Addis. Lunch on a crater rim, a lakeside walk, and a night by one of the lakes.
5. Day 5: South through the Rift Valley to Hawassa. Continue south past Lake Ziway, with its birdlife and island monasteries, and Lake Langano, then on to Hawassa to arrive before dark.
6. Day 6: A full day in Hawassa. The lakeside fish market early in the morning, Amora Gedel park with its monkeys and lake views, and sunset from the lake shore or Mount Tabor.
7. Day 7: Back to Addis Ababa. Drive back north in daylight, or take a direct flight from Hawassa to Addis, in time for an evening departure from Bole.

Why spend three nights in Addis Ababa?

Because the capital is the best introduction to the country. The National Museum holds Lucy, Unity Park opens up the palace grounds where emperors lived, and the Adwa Victory Memorial tells the story of Ethiopia's 1896 victory over Italy. Add Merkato and an evening of music and dancing, and three nights go quickly.

A driver by the day makes these days easy: the car waits at each stop, drops you at the door and takes you on to the next, and you are never flagging taxis on the street at night. Petty theft happens in Addis as in any capital, so keep your phone out of sight in crowds and let the car do the walking after dark.

What is there to do at Bishoftu and the Rift Valley lakes?

Bishoftu (Debre Zeit) is a resort town surrounded by volcanic crater lakes, among them Hora, Bishoftu, Babogaya and Kuriftu. Resorts and lakeside restaurants sit on some of the rims, and the birdlife is good. It is also the classic weekend escape for people from Addis, so it has decent places to stay.

Further south, the road runs down the floor of the Rift Valley. Lake Ziway has hippos, water birds and islands with old monasteries. Lake Langano, about 200 km from Addis, is known for its brown, mineral-rich water and is described as free of bilharzia, which makes it one of the few Ethiopian lakes where people swim. Next to it is Abijatta-Shalla National Park, where you may see ostriches and gazelles as well as water birds. Most other lakes carry a bilharzia risk, so check before you swim.

One date to watch: Irreecha, the Oromo thanksgiving festival, is held in early October. In 2026 it falls on 3 October in Addis Ababa and 4 October at Lake Hora in Bishoftu, and it draws huge crowds. If your week falls then, expect road closures and heavy traffic, and plan the Bishoftu night around it.

Why end the week in Hawassa?

Hawassa is the capital of Sidama Region, a relaxed lakeside city about 275 km south of Addis Ababa. The morning fish market on the shore, where fishermen land and clean tilapia while pelicans and marabou storks wait for scraps, is the highlight for most visitors. Amora Gedel park, the lakeside promenade and the view from Mount Tabor fill the rest of a day, and Wondo Genet's hot springs are a short drive away.

Our drivers drive to Hawassa and other southern cities regularly and can tell you current road conditions before you set off. The drive usually takes about four to five hours each way, so we plan every leg to arrive in daylight.

How do we plan the road trip with you?

Before every trip outside Addis, we do our own security check using reports from our drivers across the country. We talk it through with you and decide together on the route, what time to leave, and whether anything needs to change. Driving after dark outside Addis isn't advised, because vehicles often have no lights and livestock stray onto the road, so every day is planned to finish in daylight.

We can also book your hotels in Addis, Bishoftu and Hawassa and a domestic flight in birr, so you pay us one amount in US dollars or your own currency and carry far less cash.

What should you pack and check before you go?

• Malaria: the Rift Valley lakes and Hawassa sit well below 2,000 m, and current CDC guidance recommends tablets for all areas below 2,500 m, including Addis. Ask a travel clinic about your exact route.
• Layers: Addis is cool in the evenings; the lakes are warmer. A light jacket and sun protection cover both.
• Binoculars: great for the lakes' birdlife, but Ethiopia restricts importing binoculars without prior approval, so check the customs rules first.
• Cash: outside Addis, most places take cash only. Bring a card for Addis ATMs and some US dollars as a backup.
• Season: the long rains run from about June to mid-September; October to February is drier and greener, and the most popular time to travel.

What if you want a slower week?

Drop Hawassa and spend four nights in Addis and two at Bishoftu, with a day trip to the Entoto hills. Or skip Bishoftu and give Hawassa three nights, with a day for Wondo Genet. If you have more time, our 10-day and 2-week itinerary adds Arba Minch and its two lakes.