Where we go · የምንሄድበት
Where we go, and where we won't yet
A dated map of Ethiopia drawn from the UK Foreign Office's zone list, with the US advisory alongside. We only offer routes outside the red and ochre zones.
Checked 26 October 2026 FCDO updated 21 October 2026
The map
Key
- Advised against all travel. We never go here.
- Advised against all but essential travel. We don't go here, except the main corridors the FCDO names.
- Advice covers part of this zone. We use only the parts outside the restriction.
- No regional warning beyond nationwide advice. Nationwide advice still applies.
- Flight
- Drive
Our routes · select one
Zone boundaries: geoBoundaries (2016 administrative zones, CC BY 4.0), simplified. Since 2016 some zones have been split or renamed (Guji and West Guji, the former SNNPR regions); the advice text below is what counts. The border strips are not drawn to scale.
01 · Places
On sale, and not
| Place | Status | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Addis Ababa | On sale | Open to us. FCDO reports increased crime in some districts (Bole Medhanealem, Bole Atlas, Meskel Square, Yeka Hills, Entoto) and possible drone attacks on military sites nationwide; we use vehicles after dark and avoid crowds. |
| Harar & Dire Dawa | On sale | Harari region and Dire Dawa carry no regional warning. We fly to Dire Dawa rather than drive from Addis. |
| Bale Mountains | On sale | Bale zone carries no regional warning. We fly Addis–Robe because the road crosses East Shewa, where the FCDO advises essential travel only away from the main corridors. |
| Kaffa & Jimma | On sale | Jimma and Keffa zones carry no regional warning. We fly Addis–Jimma; the West Shewa stretch of the A4/A5 road is not used. |
| Rift Valley lakes (A7 corridor) | On sale | We use only the A7 corridor south of the expressway junction, where the FCDO makes an exception, and the lakes beyond it in Sidama and West Arsi. We do not go to Bishoftu's lakes for Irreecha. |
| Omo Valley & Konso | On sale | South Omo is open to us except the 10 km strip along the Kenya and South Sudan borders and the Lake Turkana shore, which we never enter. |
| Gondar & Lake Tana | Not on sale | Amhara region: the FCDO advises against all travel and the US says do not travel. Not on sale. |
| Lalibela | Not on sale | Amhara region: the FCDO advises against all travel and the US says do not travel. Flights were suspended in September 2026. Not on sale. |
| Simien Mountains | Not on sale | Amhara region: the FCDO advises against all travel and the US says do not travel. Not on sale. |
02 · The advice
What the governments say
Summarised from the sources below on 26 October 2026. Read the originals before you book: they change, and they are the version your insurer will use.
UK FCDO: advises against all travel
- Tigray, Amhara and Gambela regions
- Afar within 50 km of Tigray and 20 km of Eritrea
- Oromia: West, East and Kellem Wollega, Horo Gudru Wollega; West Shewa north of the A4; North Shewa south and west of the A3
- Benishangul-Gumuz: Metekel and Maokomo; within 20 km of Sudan
- Within 20 km of the border with Sudan
- Within 10 km of the border with South Sudan
- Within 10 km of the border with Kenya (except principal roads and towns), including the shores of Lake Turkana
- Within 100 km of the Somalia and Kenya borders in Somali region, and within 30 km of the Somalia border in Fafan zone (Wajale crossing and the Jijiga–Wajale road excepted)
- Within 20 km of the border with Eritrea
UK FCDO: advises against all but essential travel
- The rest of Afar and of Benishangul-Gumuz
- East Shewa, except the Addis–Adama expressway, the expressway corridor to Bishoftu and the A7 to Hawassa
- The A4 between Addis and Cheliya (outside Finfine special zone); the rest of North Shewa
- Guji and West Guji, except the Hawassa–Mega road
- Somali region: Siti, Nogob, Jarar, Shabelle, Korahe, Dollo, and parts of Liben and Afder
US State Department
Level 3, Reconsider Travel, with Do Not Travel for Tigray, Amhara and the Afar border with Eritrea. An October 2026 US Embassy alert told citizens not to travel to Amhara (naming Lalibela), Tigray or Afar.
Everywhere in Ethiopia
The FCDO warns of a terrorism threat across the country, including at religious festivals, of possible drone attacks on military sites (including in Addis Ababa), of unrest that can start without notice, and of rising street crime in parts of Addis. We plan around all of it: vehicles after dark, vantage points rather than crowds at feasts, and no routes near military installations.
Sources
- UK FCDO travel advice: Ethiopia, updated 21 October 2026
- US Department of State: Ethiopia travel advisory, updated 27 August 2026
Before you write
About the advice
How often do you check?
Weekly, and before every quote and every departure. The date at the top of this page is the last check.
What if a zone on my route changes?
We change the route or postpone. Ask for our booking terms before you pay a deposit; we don't take deposits on routes close to a boundary.
Does my insurance cover me?
Usually not in places where your government advises against travel. Check your policy wording for Ethiopia before you book.
Plan inside the lines
Every journey we sell stays in the green on this map. Tell us your dates and we'll show you what fits.
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