Ethiopia walking guide
Pull on your hiking boots, grab a backpack and lose yourself in Ethiopia’s landscapes.
Ethiopia travel advice
Preparing for the culture shock
Eskinder Hailu, from our Ethiopian supplier Highway Tours:
“Ethiopia is a developing country so people shouldn’t expect the comfort they get in Europe or America. But this doesn’t mean that everything we have here is basic. We have some good hotels, everything is improving. Week after week, year after year, we are having lots of changes in the country. So if they are ready for a kind of adventure experience they will enjoy the things we have here. Reading helps – study the background of the people, it’ll help them come to terms with the tastes and culture because we have different timing, a different calendar. These days you can find Ethiopian restaurants almost everywhere in big cities and a little experience of the food prior to arrival can help.”
“Ethiopia is a developing country so people shouldn’t expect the comfort they get in Europe or America. But this doesn’t mean that everything we have here is basic. We have some good hotels, everything is improving. Week after week, year after year, we are having lots of changes in the country. So if they are ready for a kind of adventure experience they will enjoy the things we have here. Reading helps – study the background of the people, it’ll help them come to terms with the tastes and culture because we have different timing, a different calendar. These days you can find Ethiopian restaurants almost everywhere in big cities and a little experience of the food prior to arrival can help.”
Lukey Bourne, from our supplier Wild Frontiers, shares her Ethiopia travel advice for families who are thinking of coming here: “I think it would be a fascinating family destination. But the reality is that the accommodation is very simple, and generally families do want a higher level than what you get here. As a general rule – you’re not going to Ethiopia for the hotels; you’re going for the experience. The driving distances are also quite long. I have sent families, and they’ve loved it – but with older children. The children have to be old enough to want to experience the landscapes and the history and the walking – it’s not for everyone.”
Opinions on food differ…
Jane Daniell, from our Ethiopia specialist supplier Alligan Travel:“The national dish is injera which is a flatbread with various toppings which are put in spoonfuls on the injera. It’s really delicious and they eat that all the time. There doesn’t seem to be much else apart form that; it’s eaten morning, noon and night. The only other alternatives are things like really dreary pasta, nothing particularly memorable. But the injera is amazing.”
Linda Maguire, from our supplier Undiscovered Destinations:
“The food wasn’t great… that injera! I didn’t find it bad but I wouldn’t say the food was absolutely fabulous. It was edible, and some of it’s quite nice, quite spicy – but that injera, I would have nightmares about that when I came home! You won’t starve, and if you go to the better restaurants it’s fine, but I wouldn’t say the food was a reason to go. It wasn’t a highlight of Ethiopia.”
“The food wasn’t great… that injera! I didn’t find it bad but I wouldn’t say the food was absolutely fabulous. It was edible, and some of it’s quite nice, quite spicy – but that injera, I would have nightmares about that when I came home! You won’t starve, and if you go to the better restaurants it’s fine, but I wouldn’t say the food was a reason to go. It wasn’t a highlight of Ethiopia.”
Lukey Bourne, from our supplier Wild Frontiers, advises looking beyond the south for cultural experiences: “The north is very different from the Omo Valley, where you are looking at tribal communities with tattoos and lip plates; it is a bit more staged. In the north you won’t get that, you are seeing local people how they really are. You’re just seeing local life, how people live in rural communities, how they’re farming, visit local houses… it’s a very authentic experience. You’re not just visiting, you’re staying with them. If you do the community trekking, they host you and the money goes back into their pockets. It is a community experience and the money is going back to the right people. You’re not staying with a family, there are tukuls [traditional huts] which they put aside for guests, so it’s between a guesthouse and a homestay. They live in a different tukul within the same community.”
Our top trip
Ethiopia holidays, tailor made
Discover the natural beauty and culture of Ethiopia
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£3785
14 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made at a time to suit you and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary. Minimum 2 people
This trip can be tailor made at a time to suit you and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary. Minimum 2 people
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Ethiopia tips from our travellers
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travellers are often... other travellers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Ethiopia travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday - and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful Ethiopia travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday - and the space inside your suitcase.
The people of Ethiopia are fantastic, never once did we feel unsafe. Give them a smile or a wave… a Salam'na will always break the ice![]()
- John Palmer
"Guides were great, of special note was our young female guide Kidist, an inspiring example of a women in Africa and a privilege have her company... go for as long as you can! Its a huge country, very diverse, and if you can go for 3 weeks you can see so much more." - Christine Browning
"Try and get small denomination notes (1,5 & 10 birr) for tips, small purchases in markets, coffees etc." - Lorraine Goodhew
"The deprivation was startling and one had to remind oneself this is how so many people live. Mixing with the locals at markets and villages was very real and exciting." - Phil Hughes Rocne
"The people of Ethiopia are fantastic, never once did we feel unsafe. Give them a smile or a wave… a Salam'na will always break the ice and the offer of a hand shake goes a long way in establishing a relationship, even a brief one. Spend your money in villages, don't quibble, they need it more than you do." - John Palmer
"Try and get small denomination notes (1,5 & 10 birr) for tips, small purchases in markets, coffees etc." - Lorraine Goodhew
"The deprivation was startling and one had to remind oneself this is how so many people live. Mixing with the locals at markets and villages was very real and exciting." - Phil Hughes Rocne
"The people of Ethiopia are fantastic, never once did we feel unsafe. Give them a smile or a wave… a Salam'na will always break the ice and the offer of a hand shake goes a long way in establishing a relationship, even a brief one. Spend your money in villages, don't quibble, they need it more than you do." - John Palmer
Be in Lalibela on a Sunday morning to see the churches in 'action'.![]()
- Christine Didsbury
“Do not be tempted to try and see too much, as road travel in Ethiopia is slow and bone-shaking, and distances routinely measured in hours rather than kilometers.” -Robert Reid
“Take shoes which are easy to take off and put on - you have to remove your shoes every time you enter a church.” -Paul Infield
“If you don't have a lot of time, then go with the reputable tour company, as we did. This meant that they took charge of all guides and scouts when visiting sites (usually compulsory) and made life easy and relatively hassle-free.” - Jan Baker
“Be in Lalibela on a Sunday morning to see the churches in ‘action’, visit a nightclub in Gondar for immersion in Ethiopian music and co-incide with teh Dimeka and/or Kefar Afar market days in the South Omo Valley.” - Christine Didsbury
“Take shoes which are easy to take off and put on - you have to remove your shoes every time you enter a church.” -Paul Infield
“If you don't have a lot of time, then go with the reputable tour company, as we did. This meant that they took charge of all guides and scouts when visiting sites (usually compulsory) and made life easy and relatively hassle-free.” - Jan Baker
“Be in Lalibela on a Sunday morning to see the churches in ‘action’, visit a nightclub in Gondar for immersion in Ethiopian music and co-incide with teh Dimeka and/or Kefar Afar market days in the South Omo Valley.” - Christine Didsbury
More Ethiopia articles
Whether you’re here for trekking, culture or wildlife, read our guide to discover when to travel.
Our travel guide reveals a destination where you can step back seven years and explore with local guides.
Ethiopia is massive, so when planning a holiday you'll need to have an idea of where to start.
Ethiopian culture is such an intrinsic part of any trip here that we thought it was worth dedicating a whole page to it.
Northern Circuit holidays take you to Lalibela, Axum, Gondar and the Simien Mountains.
Discover the origins of coffee, the joys of being a vegan traveller, and why you’ll get a great pizza in Addis Ababa.
Walking holidays focus on two key areas: the Simien and Gheralta mountains.
Ethiopian wildlife, much of it endemic to the country, is a memorable highlight.
The cultural diversity is astounding, but tourists must tread lightly and with respect.
Lalibela, in Ethiopia’s Northern Circuit, is one of the most iconic locations in Africa.
Ethiopia’s Orthodox Christian celebration, Timkat, takes place 19 and 20 January every year. Read more in our guide.
Guest house stays are the best way to meet local people and explore their culture.
The Northern Circuit is the classic Ethiopia itinerary, but there is plenty to see elsewhere in the country.
The biggest issue by far when it comes to responsible tourism in Ethiopia is the Omo Valley.
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