Travel to Ethiopia

Flying to Ethiopia

Flights to Ethiopia are served by the national airline, Ethiopian Airlines (www.ethiopianairlines.com), which has regular flights to Addis Ababa from all of the major European capitals including Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Milan, Paris, Rome, and Stockholm. There are also routes from Chicago, Los Angeles, Newark, Toronto and Washington in North America.

From Asia, Ethiopian Airlines serve many destinations including Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Singapore.

Apart from Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com), which has direct departures from Frankfurt, flying with any other European or North American airlines requires a stopover. Regional airlines which have direct flights to Addis Ababa include Egypt Air (www.egyptair.com) from Cairo and Kenya Airways (www.kenya-airways.com) from Nairobi.

The major airport is Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, which is currently undergoing a grand expansion plan.

Notes

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport is Ethiopia's only international hub. It is located 6km (4 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa.

Airport Guides

Flight times

From London - 7 hours 35 minutes.

From Washington DC - 13 hours 15 minutes.

From Singapore - 9 hours 30 minutes.

From Beijing - 11 hours 10 minutes.

Departure tax

US$20, included in the airfare. On local flights, there is a boarding charge of 10 Birr per person.

Travelling to Ethiopia by Rail

A standard gauge line between Addis Ababa and Djibouti City (in Djibouti) with passenger services started in 2018.

Driving to Ethiopia

Ethiopia borders Sudan and South Sudan to its west, Kenya to its south, Somalia, the self-proclaimed separatist territory of Somaliland, and Djibouti to its east and Eritrea to its north. Check current information if you plan to travel to Ethiopia by road from Eritrea, Somalia or South Sudan as it may not be possible.

Driving from Kenya, the main border crossing is Moyale on the main A2 highway, 777km (483 miles) from Nairobi.

If crossing by land from Sudan, you can only use the Gallabat/Metema border crossing, 570km (354 miles) from Khartoum.

Djibouti has two border crossings with Ethiopia. The Galafi border is 162km (101 miles) from Djibouti City on the N8 and N1 highways. This route is sealed on both sides of the border and is the easiest route if you are self-driving. Another border crossing is on the N5 road via Ali Sabieh.

The Somaliland border crossing is at Wajale, 93km (58 miles) from the capital Hargeisa.

Driving note

Visas for Ethiopia are not available at any of the land borders mentioned above so must be procured in advance from an Ethiopian Embassy or Consulate. Using a 4-wheel drive is highly recommended and before travelling, please pay attention to current government travel advisories.

Getting to Ethiopia by boat