When to go · Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa in September
Mixed month. Rain easing; Meskel around 27 Sep brings crowds in Meskel Square.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C) / 10°C (50°F)50°F (10°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 14
- Crowds
- Medium
- Ethiopia overall
- Prices
- Medium
- Ethiopia overall
Verdict
Rain easing; Meskel around 27 Sep brings crowds in Meskel Square.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than September?
September is rated mixed. These months rate higher:
Weather in September
- Addis AbabaHighs around 21 °C (70 °F), lows around 10 °C (50 °F), rain on about 14 daysHighs around 70 °F (21 °C), lows around 50 °F (10 °C), rain on about 14 days
- Central highlands, Ethiopia · Addis Ababa, Bishoftu, Bale Mountains, and the northern plateaurainy
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.
Main rains season
Green, lush landscapes; the countryside at its most dramatic.
Watch: Heavy, sustained rain, especially Jul–Aug; plan indoor days.
New Year and Meskel season season
Yellow daisies bloom, the rains ease, and Enkutatash (New Year) and Meskel bring major festivals.
Watch: Accommodation can fill around Meskel (27 Sep).
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 New Year (Enkutatash)
11 September (12 in leap years) · Citywide
Yellow daisies (adey abeba) bloom around this time; families gather, songs and new clothes.
Meskel
27 September (26 in leap years) · Meskel Square
A huge bonfire (Demera) and procession the evening before, in the square that takes its name from the festival.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Ethiopia overall
- Medium
- Prices · Ethiopia overall
- Medium
Ethiopia overall: Rain tails off; Enkutatash (11 Sep) and Meskel (27 Sep) bonfires. Green hills, yellow meskel daisies.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Addis Ababa, side by side.
Verdict
Sep: Mixed
Jan: Great (better)
Daytime high
Sep: 21 °C (70 °F)70 °F (21 °C)
Jan: 23 °C (73 °F)73 °F (23 °C)
Night low
Sep: 10 °C (50 °F)50 °F (10 °C)
Jan: 6 °C (43 °F)43 °F (6 °C)
Rain days
Sep: 14
Jan: 1 (better)
Crowds
Sep: Medium
Jan: High
Prices
Sep: Medium
Jan: High
Festivals listed
Sep: 2
Jan: 2
September: Rain easing; Meskel around 27 Sep brings crowds in Meskel Square.
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
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast