Best Time to Visit Addis Ababa

October to March: dry and sunny

This is the stretch to aim for. Days are bright and mild, and December is the sunniest month. Mornings and evenings get properly cold, though, so a jacket is useful when you head up Entoto Mountain at dawn. December and January are the driest, with just 3 rain days each.

The dry months also bring the big events. Meskel, the Finding of the True Cross, falls in late September and fills Meskel Square with a huge bonfire. Ethiopian Christmas (Genna) is on 7 January. Timkat, the Epiphany festival in mid-January, is the one to catch: people in white shawls carry replica tabots (sacred tablets) through the streets with singing and drums.

These months are high season. Hotels fill around Timkat, and many diaspora families visit over the winter holidays. If you hate crowds, aim for February or early November.

April to May: the small rains

These two months are rated Good, not Excellent. Rain falls on most days, often as an afternoon downpour, and mornings are usually clearer. It's a fair time for the National Museum (home of Lucy, the famous early human fossil), Merkato (the huge open-air market), and long coffee stops. Try a traditional coffee ceremony, where beans are roasted in front of you.

Easter (Fasika) is a big holiday, with fasting beforehand. It usually falls in April or May. Restaurants serve special vegetarian dishes in the weeks before, and then meat returns with a flourish.

June to September: the big rains

Be honest with yourself about this season. July and August are the wettest, with rain on nearly every day, and the sky is often grey. At this elevation it feels cool and damp, not hot. Streets flood, traffic crawls, and day trips to the Entoto hills or out of town can get muddy.

The upside is low season. Rooms are easier to find, and the hills turn very green. If you're on a tight budget, or you mainly want museums, cafes and churches like Holy Trinity Cathedral, it can work. Just don't plan a hiking trip.

September is a turning point. Rain is still frequent early on, but skies open up by the end of the month. Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash) falls in the second week of September and marks the start of the brighter season.