When to go · Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa in March
Mixed month. Short rains begin; warm.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C) / 9°C (48°F)48°F (9°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 8
- Crowds
- Medium
- Ethiopia overall
- Prices
- Medium
- Ethiopia overall
Verdict
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
- Addis AbabaHighs around 25 °C (77 °F), lows around 9 °C (48 °F), rain on about 8 daysHighs around 77 °F (25 °C), lows around 48 °F (9 °C), 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.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.
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)77 °F (25 °C)
Jan: 23 °C (73 °F)73 °F (23 °C)
Night low
Mar: 9 °C (48 °F)48 °F (9 °C)
Jan: 6 °C (43 °F)43 °F (6 °C)
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