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When to go · Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa in March

Mixed month. Short rains begin; warm.

Key facts

Verdict
Mixed
Temperature
25°C (77°F) / 9°C (48°F)
average high / low
Rain days
8
Crowds
Medium
Ethiopia overall
Prices
Medium
Ethiopia overall

Verdict

MixedVoykit month rating for Addis Ababa

Short rains begin; warm.

All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.

Is another month better than March?

March is rated mixed. These months rate higher:

Weather in March

Long-term averages
  • Addis AbabaHighs around 25 °C (77 °F), lows around 9 °C (48 °F), rain on about 8 days
  • 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.

Short rains and belg season

Occasional showers, warming days; wildflowers on the hills.

Watch: Afternoon downpours become more frequent through May.

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.

  • Adwa Victory Day

    1 March · Nationwide

    Public holiday marking the 1896 victory over Italy.

  • Ethiopian Easter (Fasika) check

    Moves yearly, often later than Western Easter · Churches citywide

    Preceded by a long fast (no meat or dairy for observant Orthodox Christians); big family meals to break it.

  • Eid al-Fitr check

    Islamic calendar, moves yearly · Mosques citywide, including Anwar Mosque

    Public holiday; mosques busy.

Crowds and prices

Crowds · Ethiopia overall
Medium
Prices · Ethiopia overall
Medium

Ethiopia overall: Still mostly dry; Adwa Day (2 Mar); short rains can start late in the month.

Compare two months

Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Addis Ababa, side by side.

  • Verdict

    Mar: Mixed

    Jan: Great (better)

  • Daytime high

    Mar: 25 °C (77 °F)

    Jan: 23 °C (73 °F)

  • Night low

    Mar: 9 °C (48 °F)

    Jan: 6 °C (43 °F)

  • Rain days

    Mar: 8

    Jan: 1 (better)

  • Crowds

    Mar: Medium

    Jan: High

  • Prices

    Mar: Medium

    Jan: High

  • Festivals listed

    Mar: 3

    Jan: 2

March: Short rains begin; warm.

January: Dry and sunny; Timkat (Epiphany) around 19 Jan brings crowds.

Addis Ababa: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.

What to pack

  • A warm layer for the evenings

Build the full packing list for your trip →

Across Ethiopia in March →