What to see, where to stay and the best time to visit Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Photo: A.Savin / Wikimedia Commons
Bahir Dar is a lakeside city in Ethiopia, home to about 243,300 people, on the shore of Lake Tana. Most visitors come for boat trips to old island monasteries such as Kebran Gabriel, Azwa Maryam on the Zege Peninsula, hippo viewing at the Blue Nile outlet, and the Blue Nile Falls at Tis Abay. The town centre has a main market and a lakeside promenade. The best months to visit are November, December, January and February.
Plan for a half-day trip to the Blue Nile Falls, plus several stops of 1–2 hours each: monasteries by boat, hippos at the Blue Nile outlet, Bezawit Hill and the main market. Extra time lets you explore the lake slowly.
Tis Abay
Known locally as Tis Issat, 'smoking water', this is where the Blue Nile drops over a wide basalt ledge. A short walk from the village crosses an old stone bridge and leads to viewpoints and a suspension bridge. The flow is much stronger in the rainy season because upstream dams take less water then.
Zege Peninsula
A short walk from Ura Kidane Mehret, this circular church also has painted walls and a small collection of church treasures. Most boat trips to Zege stop at both.
Lake Tana shore
This is where the Blue Nile flows out of Lake Tana, near the edge of town. Short boat trips often see hippos in the shallow water, along with pelicans and other water birds.
East of the town centre
This hill above the Blue Nile has a former palace of Emperor Haile Selassie on top. You usually cannot go inside the palace, but the hill gives wide views over the river, the lake and the town. Many visitors come late in the day for the sunset.
Kebran Island
This old monastery stands on a small wooded island close to Bahir Dar. Tradition still allows only men to visit, so many groups combine it with other sites.
Near the Blue Nile outlet
This simple monastery sits on an island where the Nile leaves the lake. It is easy to reach from town. It has a quiet setting and a few old manuscripts, and it can be added to a hippo-viewing boat trip.
Town centre
The main market sells local cotton cloth, baskets, spices and food. Farmers come in from the countryside to trade. It is a good place to see everyday life in the Amhara region.
Town centre
Bahir Dar is known for its wide avenues lined with palm and jacaranda trees. The lakefront paths and cafés are a relaxed place for a walk, a coffee and some birdwatching, especially in the evening.
Average weather and our month score, from 10 years of climate data.
| Month | High / low | Rain days | Sunshine | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best month: January | 26°C / 13°C | 0 days (0 mm) | 11.0 h/day | 10.0/10 |
| Best month: February | 28°C / 15°C | 1 day (5 mm) | 11.1 h/day | 9.0/10 |
| March | 29°C / 17°C | 1 day (2 mm) | 11.2 h/day | 8.4/10 |
| April | 29°C / 18°C | 4 days (16 mm) | 11.3 h/day | 7.9/10 |
| May | 27°C / 17°C | 13 days (100 mm) | 10.9 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| June | 24°C / 16°C | 21 days (169 mm) | 10.2 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| July | 22°C / 15°C | 31 days (413 mm) | 7.9 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| August | 22°C / 15°C | 30 days (370 mm) | 8.3 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| September | 23°C / 15°C | 24 days (198 mm) | 10.0 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| October | 24°C / 15°C | 10 days (51 mm) | 10.9 h/day | 8.0/10 |
| Best month: November | 25°C / 14°C | 3 days (16 mm) | 11.0 h/day | 9.3/10 |
| Best month: December | 25°C / 13°C | 1 day (3 mm) | 11.0 h/day | 9.8/10 |
Highs near 26°C, 0 rain days and 11 hours of sun a day. A top score of 10 makes this the driest, clearest month.
Warm and dry, with highs of 27.5°C and about 1 rain day. It scores 9, a best month with 11 hours of sun.
The hottest month, with highs of 29°C and under 1 rain day. It scores 8.4 and is still a best month, though afternoons feel hot.
Highs of 28.8°C and about 4 rain days as the first showers arrive. It scores 7.9, the last best month before the rains.
Rain builds to about 13 rain days and 100 mm. Highs reach 26.8°C. It scores 7, a good month with more frequent showers.
The rainy season sets in, with about 21 rain days and 169 mm. Highs reach 24°C. It scores 7, good if you plan around showers.
The wettest month: 30.6 rain days, 413 mm and only 7.9 sun hours. Highs reach 22°C. It scores 7, good for green-season travellers.
Still very wet, with 30.4 rain days and 370 mm. Highs of 21.8°C are the coolest of the year. It scores 7, a good month.
Rain eases but stays heavy, with about 24 rain days and 198 mm. Highs reach 22.8°C. It scores 7, a good month.
The rains fade to about 10 rain days and 51 mm. Highs reach 23.8°C with 10.9 sun hours. It scores 8, a best month again.
Dry and mild, with highs near 25°C, about 3 rain days and 11 hours of sun. It scores 9.3, a best month.
Highs of 25.2°C, about 1 rain day and cool nights near 13°C. It scores 9.8, one of the best months of the year.
Climate averages 2015–2024 · Best time to visit Ethiopia →
The best areas to base yourself and who each one suits.
Good for first-timers, budget travellers
The flat grid of palm-lined avenues around the main roundabout and market streets has most banks, cafés, bus links and tour offices within walking distance. It is the easiest base for arranging boat trips and onward travel. Traffic, bajaj horns and early mosque and church calls can make it noisy.
Good for couples, relaxed stays, birdwatchers
The lakeside strip west and north of the centre has shady gardens, waterfront paths and boat landings for trips to the island monasteries. Sunsets over the water and birdlife are the main draws. It can feel spread out, so you may need a bajaj to reach the market and bus station.
Good for views, quiet, repeat visitors
This hill across the river from town is known for its old imperial palace and wide views over the city, lake and Blue Nile. It suits travellers who want peace and space. It is away from restaurants and services, and the slope makes walking back in the heat tiring.
Good for culture seekers, slow travel
Reached by boat or road across the lake from town, Zege is a forested peninsula with old monasteries and coffee groves. Staying here lets you visit the churches before day-trippers arrive. Facilities are basic and getting in and out of Bahir Dar takes planning.
Fried or sautéed fish from Lake Tana, often tilapia, served with injera or bread. Lakeside restaurants in Bahir Dar cook it, and it is popular on Wednesdays and Fridays, when many Orthodox Christians skip meat.
Injera is a soft, sour flatbread made from teff. Shiro is a thick stew of ground chickpeas or beans. Locals eat it at home and in simple cafés, especially on fasting days.
A spicy chicken stew made with berbere spice and served with a hard-boiled egg and injera. Families often cook it for holidays and special meals.
A fasting platter of several vegetable dishes, such as lentils, cabbage and greens, served on one large injera. Many local restaurants offer it at lunchtime, often on fasting days.
Coffee is roasted, ground and brewed in a clay pot in front of guests, usually with incense and popcorn. People hold it at home and in small cafés throughout the day.
A sweet honey wine flavoured with gesho leaves. People drink it from small round flasks in traditional bars called tej bets, often in the evening.
The best months are January, December, November and February. January scores 10 out of 10, with 0 rain days, highs of 25.9°C and 11 hours of sun a day. December is close behind with a score of 9.8 and only 3 mm of rain. November and February are also dry and sunny, with highs of 24.6°C and 27.5°C.
August is rated good, with a score of 7, but expect rain almost every day. It has about 30 rain days and 370 mm of rain, and sunshine drops to 8.3 hours a day. It is also one of the coolest months, with highs of 21.8°C and lows of 14.8°C. Travellers who like cooler air and wet-season conditions can still enjoy it.
The rainy season runs from May to September. May brings 100 mm of rain, then totals rise through June (169 mm) to a peak in July, with 413 mm over about 31 rain days. August is also very wet at 370 mm. Rain eases in September (198 mm) and October (51 mm). From November to April, monthly rain stays at 16 mm or less.
Bahir Dar is warm but rarely very hot. The warmest month is March, with average highs of 29°C, and April is close at 28.8°C. July and August are the coolest, with highs of about 22°C. Nights are mild all year. The lowest average lows are 13.4°C in December and January, so a light layer helps in the evening.
Allow half a day for Blue Nile Falls at Tis Abay. Then add 1–2 hours for each other sight. The Lake Tana monasteries take this long each, including Kebran Gabriel with its boat trip, Azwa Maryam on the Zege Peninsula and Debre Maryam. Hippo viewing at the Blue Nile outlet, Bezawit Hill and the main market take 1–2 hours each. The lakeside promenade takes about 1 hour.
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