Getting around Ethiopia: domestic flights, roads and drivers

Ethiopia is roughly the size of France and Spain combined, and much of it is mountainous. Distances that look short on a map can take a full day by road. The good news is that the country has an excellent domestic flight network, and that the drives, when you do take them, are some of the most beautiful in Africa.

Domestic flights

Ethiopian Airlines flies from Addis Ababa to around twenty towns across the country, including Lalibela, Gondar, Axum, Bahir Dar, Mekele, Dire Dawa for Harar, Jinka for the Omo Valley, Arba Minch and Robe for the Bale Mountains. Flights are short, usually around an hour, and generally reliable.

• If you fly into Ethiopia on Ethiopian Airlines, you are often entitled to much cheaper fares on domestic flights. Book them with the same booking reference or show your international ticket, and check the current conditions when you book.
• Schedules change, and flights to smaller airports sometimes leave early. Reconfirm the day before.
• Arrive early: domestic terminals have security checks at the entrance as well as at the gate.

Travelling by road

Main roads between the big towns are mostly paved and in reasonable condition, but they climb and wind through the highlands and pass through villages, markets and herds of livestock. Plan on an average of 40 to 50 kilometres an hour.

• Gondar to the Simien Mountains (Debark): about two hours.
• Bahir Dar to Gondar: about three hours.
• Addis Ababa to Hawassa: about four to five hours on the expressway and main road.
• Gondar to Lalibela: a long day, best broken with stops.

We do not recommend self-drive for visitors. A private vehicle with an experienced local driver, a 4x4 for the south and the mountains, is safer, far more relaxing, and gives you someone who knows where to stop for the best coffee. Avoid driving after dark: livestock, pedestrians and unlit vehicles make night driving genuinely dangerous.

Fly the long legs, drive the beautiful ones. Bahir Dar to Gondar, and the road into the Simien, are worth every kilometre.

Getting around Addis Ababa

• Ride-hailing apps such as Ride and Feres work well in the city and avoid haggling over fares.
• Blue-and-white minibuses are cheap and everywhere, but crowded and confusing for first-timers.
• The light rail crosses the city on two lines and is useful for some trips.
• Traffic is heavy at rush hours. Leave plenty of time for the airport.

Not sure whether to fly or drive between two places? Send us your route and we will suggest the most comfortable combination.