When to go · Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa in January
Great month. Dry and sunny; Timkat (Epiphany) around 19 Jan brings crowds.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Temperature
- 23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C) / 6°C (43°F)43°F (6°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 1
- Crowds
- High
- Ethiopia overall
- Prices
- High
- Ethiopia overall
Verdict
Dry and sunny; Timkat (Epiphany) around 19 Jan brings crowds.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than January?
No other month rates higher than January for Addis Ababa in this guide.
Weather in January
- Addis AbabaHighs around 23 °C (73 °F), lows around 6 °C (43 °F), rain on about 1 dayHighs around 73 °F (23 °C), lows around 43 °F (6 °C), rain on about 1 day
- Central highlands, Ethiopia · Addis Ababa, Bishoftu, Bale Mountains, and the northern plateaubest weather
Mild all year at altitude (days 20–25 °C (68–77 °F), cold nights); the big rains (kiremt) run June to September, with short rains around March–April.Mild all year at altitude (days 68–77 °F (20–25 °C), cold nights); the big rains (kiremt) run June to September, with short rains around March–April.
Long dry season season
Clear, cool mornings and mild, sunny days; the best window for walking and viewpoints.
Watch: Cold mornings and evenings, sometimes near freezing in December.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Ethiopian Christmas (Genna)
7 January (6 January in some years) · Churches citywide
Overnight services; some restaurants reduce hours.
Timkat (Epiphany)
19 January (18 in leap years) · Jan Meda and churches citywide
The year's biggest religious festival: processions, replica Arks of the Covenant carried to water, huge crowds.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Ethiopia overall
- High
- Prices · Ethiopia overall
- High
Ethiopia overall: Dry and clear; Genna (7 Jan) and Timkat (19 Jan) fill churches and festival towns. Book early.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Addis Ababa, side by side.
Verdict
Jan: Great
Feb: Great
Daytime high
Jan: 23 °C (73 °F)73 °F (23 °C)
Feb: 24 °C (75 °F)75 °F (24 °C)
Night low
Jan: 6 °C (43 °F)43 °F (6 °C)
Feb: 8 °C (46 °F)46 °F (8 °C)
Rain days
Jan: 1 (better)
Feb: 3
Crowds
Jan: High
Feb: Medium
Prices
Jan: High
Feb: Medium
Festivals listed
Jan: 2
Feb: 0
January: Dry and sunny; Timkat (Epiphany) around 19 Jan brings crowds.
February: Dry and clear.
Addis Ababa: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm layer for the evenings