When to go to Ethiopia?
There is no real high or low season for tourism in Ethiopia. However, it is during the dry season from October to March that the country is most visited. In July and August, it rains in the North, but it is nevertheless pleasant to visit southern Ethiopia where rains are much less abundant at this time of year. For Lalibela, avoid December and January, a period of religious celebration that is certainly spectacular, but during which prices suddenly rise to US$100 per night...
During this period, a peak is recorded : between Christmas and Timkat, around mid-January, and it is then necessary to book hotels and domestic flights well in advance. Outside this period, during which prices are subject to a certain inflation, it is possible to negotiate discounts with luxury hotels. Also avoid Addis Ababa at the end of January at African Union summits, hotels are full and prices are soaring.
April, May and June are the months when tourist demand is dormant.
October, November and December are months with a favourable climate during which the country is very green after the rainy season. These months also correspond to the time of the harvests that animate the campaigns with typical scenes. Since tourist demand is not excessive, it is not difficult to find hotels at major tourist sites.
In July, August and September, most of the tourist demand is concentrated on the southern routes (Omo Valley), while the highlands are in the middle of the rainy season.
The period from November to March is ideal for trekking in the Bale or Simien mountains. Still a little wet, October also corresponds to the flowering period when the landscapes become even more beautiful.
The desert region of Danakil should be avoided from mid-May to November, a period of hot weather.