What to see, where to stay and the best time to visit Harar, Ethiopia.
Photo: Ninara31 / Wikimedia Commons
Harar is a walled old town in eastern Ethiopia, home to around 157,000 people. Its Jugol quarter is a maze of narrow lanes, painted houses, mosques and markets, all small enough to explore on foot. Outside the walls, the nightly hyena feeding is one of the city's strangest sights. The best months to visit are November, December, January and February, when conditions are most comfortable for walking around the old town.
Plan on 2 days. One full day covers Jugol itself, with its gates, mosques, tombs and museums, while a second day leaves room for the hyena feeding and the markets around Shoa Gate.
Jugol
The walled old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the main reason to visit Harar. Its narrow, winding lanes are lined with colourful houses, small mosques, shrines and workshops. A local guide helps you find your way and explains the history.
Outside the city walls
After dark, local hyena men call wild hyenas out of the night and feed them meat by hand, sometimes from a stick held in their mouth. Visitors can watch from close by and can often try the feeding too. It began as a local tradition and is now Harar's best-known sight.
Jugol
A large wooden merchant's house with painted ceilings and coloured glass windows, named after the French poet who lived and traded in Harar. Inside are photographs of old Harar and displays about Rimbaud. The upper floors give good views over the old town roofs.
Jugol
A private museum in a restored old house, run by a local family. It holds coins, weapons, manuscripts, jewellery and household objects from Harar's past as a trading city and emirate. It is a good introduction to Harari history before you explore the lanes.
Jugol
A traditional Harari home (gegar) set up to show how families have lived for generations. Look for the raised seating platforms, the wall niches and the woven baskets hung on the walls. It helps you understand the houses you pass in the old town.
Jugol
The main gate into the old walled city and the busiest entrance today. It is a good starting point for a walk into Jugol. Walking along the outside of the walls also lets you see the other historic gates.
Jugol
The main mosque of the old town, with tall white minarets visible from many lanes. Harar is an important centre of Islamic learning, and this mosque is at its heart. Non-Muslims usually view it from outside; dress modestly nearby.
Jugol
A small, green, dome-shaped tomb of an emir who is linked to the building of Harar's walls. It is one of many shrines in the old town that local people still visit. It is a quiet stop on a walk through Jugol.
Jugol
An old house in the Indian style, with a carved wooden balcony, associated with Ras Makonnen and his son Ras Tafari, who later became Emperor Haile Selassie. The building's style shows Harar's old trading links across the Indian Ocean.
Jugol and around Shoa Gate
Harar's markets sell spices, coffee, khat, colourful fabric, baskets and everyday goods. Sections such as the meat market draw kites and birds overhead. Mornings are the busiest and most interesting time to walk through.
Average weather and our month score, from 10 years of climate data.
| Month | High / low | Rain days | Sunshine | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best month: January | 25°C / 13°C | 2 days (5 mm) | 11.0 h/day | 9.7/10 |
| Best month: February | 27°C / 14°C | 2 days (4 mm) | 11.0 h/day | 9.3/10 |
| March | 27°C / 15°C | 7 days (38 mm) | 10.9 h/day | 8.1/10 |
| April | 25°C / 15°C | 17 days (116 mm) | 10.7 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| May | 25°C / 15°C | 20 days (124 mm) | 10.5 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| June | 24°C / 14°C | 11 days (53 mm) | 10.2 h/day | 7.8/10 |
| July | 23°C / 14°C | 16 days (96 mm) | 8.2 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| August | 23°C / 15°C | 16 days (86 mm) | 9.4 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| September | 24°C / 15°C | 17 days (91 mm) | 10.8 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| October | 25°C / 14°C | 10 days (64 mm) | 11.0 h/day | 8.1/10 |
| Best month: November | 24°C / 13°C | 5 days (30 mm) | 11.0 h/day | 8.9/10 |
| Best month: December | 24°C / 13°C | 1 day (4 mm) | 11.3 h/day | 9.8/10 |
Dry and sunny, with highs of 25.1°C, lows of 12.7°C and just 1.6 rain days. A best month with a score of 9.7.
Highs of 26.8°C, only 1.5 rain days and 11 hours of sun a day. A best month with a score of 9.3.
The warmest month, with highs of 27°C. Rain picks up to 7 days and 38 mm, but March still rates best at 8.1.
The rains arrive, with 17.3 rain days and 116 mm. Highs are 25.2°C. Expect frequent showers. Rated good, with a score of 7.
The wettest month, with 20 rain days and 124 mm. Highs reach 24.5°C. Rated good at 7, but pack for regular rain.
Rain eases to 11.2 days and 53 mm, with highs of 24.3°C. A short break between rainy spells, rated best at 7.8.
The coolest month, with highs of 23°C, 16 rain days and 96 mm. Sun drops to 8.2 hours a day. Rated good at 7.
Still wet, with 16 rain days and 86 mm. Highs are 23.3°C, with 9.4 hours of sun. Rated good at 7.
Rain stays steady at 16.8 days and 91 mm, with highs of 23.9°C. Sunshine climbs back to 10.8 hours. Rated good at 7.
The rain fades to 9.6 days and 64 mm. Highs of 24.7°C and 11 hours of sun. Rated best at 8.1.
Drier, with 5.4 rain days and 30 mm. Highs are 24.4°C and nights cool to 12.9°C. Rated best at 8.9.
The top-scoring month at 9.8, with 0.8 rain days, 4 mm of rain, 11.3 hours of sun and highs of 24.4°C.
Climate averages 2015–2024 · Best time to visit Ethiopia →
The best areas to base yourself and who each one suits.
Good for first-timers, culture, photographers
This is the old walled city, a maze of narrow lanes, mosques and traditional Harari houses, some of which take in guests. Staying here puts you in the middle of daily life, close to the markets, shrines and the gates where the evening hyena feeding happens. The lanes are steep, uneven and unlit at night, rooms are often simple, and you will hear the call to prayer early in the morning.
Good for comfort seekers, practical stays
The old horse-market square just outside the main Harar Gate is the modern centre, with cafés, banks and shops along wider streets. It is an easy walk into Jugol but gives you more standard rooms and simpler access by car or bajaj. Traffic and street noise carry on into the evening, and it has less old-city atmosphere.
Good for budget travellers, onward transport
The area around this eastern gate of the walls has busy markets and is close to minibus and bus links. It suits travellers on a budget or those arriving late or leaving early. It is crowded and noisy by day, and the streets can feel chaotic, with lots of traffic and touts.
Coffee from the highlands around Harar is sold under the city's name. Locals drink it strong and often, at home or in small cafés, sometimes in a slow coffee ceremony with incense.
A Harari meat broth topped with whipped fenugreek, which gives it a bitter, earthy taste. It is home-style cooking, usually eaten with bread or injera at lunch.
Slow-cooked fava beans mashed with oil, onion, chilli and sometimes egg or yoghurt. It is a common breakfast, served in small eateries with fresh bread for dipping.
A drink made by brewing dried coffee leaves instead of the beans. It is lighter than coffee and is drunk in homes across the Harar area, often with milk or spices.
The Ethiopian staple: a sour, spongy flatbread served under spicy stews of lentils, meat or vegetables. You will find it in most local restaurants, eaten by hand from a shared plate.
Best: Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec
Best: Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec
Best: Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec
November to February is the best time to visit Harar, and December scores highest at 9.8 out of 10. December has only 0.8 rain days and 4 mm of rain, with 11.3 hours of sun a day. January and February are almost as dry, with 5 mm and 4 mm of rain. Daytime highs in these months sit between 24.4°C and 26.8°C.
Yes, April and May are still good months, but they are the wettest of the year. May has 20 rain days and 124 mm of rain, and April has 17.3 rain days and 116 mm. You still get more than 10 hours of sun a day, and highs stay around 24.5°C to 25.2°C. Pack a rain jacket and plan indoor sights for wet spells.
July and August are mild and fairly wet, with 16 rain days in each month. July brings 96 mm of rain and August 86 mm. These are also the coolest months, with highs of 23°C to 23.3°C. July has the least sun of the year at 8.2 hours a day, while August has 9.4 hours.
Harar is warm by day and cool at night all year. Highs range from 23°C in July to 27°C in March. Lows drop to 12.5°C in December and 12.7°C in January, so bring a warm layer for evenings in the dry season. Even the warmest nights, in April, only reach about 15.3°C.
Plan at least a full day, because exploring Jugol, the walled old town, takes a full day on its own. Inside Jugol you can add the Sherif Harar City Museum (1–2 hours), Arthur Rimbaud House (1 hour) and the markets (1–2 hours). Hyena Feeding outside the walls takes about 1 hour. An extra day lets you see it all at an easy pace.
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