When to go · Bahir Dar
Bahir Dar in May
Mixed month. Outside the best window (Oct–Mar (dry, clear)). Across Ethiopia: Hot in the lowlands, rain in the Omo; quiet and cheap in the highlands.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C) / 16°C (61°F)61°F (16°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 10
- Crowds
- Low
- Ethiopia overall
- Prices
- Low
- Ethiopia overall
Verdict
Outside the best window (Oct–Mar (dry, clear)). Across Ethiopia: Hot in the lowlands, rain in the Omo; quiet and cheap in the highlands.
Is another month better than May?
May is rated mixed. These months rate higher:
Weather in May
- Bahir DarHighs around 30 °C (86 °F), lows around 16 °C (61 °F), rain on about 10 daysHighs around 86 °F (30 °C), lows around 61 °F (16 °C), rain on about 10 days
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.
Siklet and Fasika (Good Friday and Orthodox Easter) big impact
Apr–May (moves yearly — check; 2 May in 2027) · Ethiopia
End of the 55-day fast; offices close, domestic flights busy.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Ethiopia overall
- Low
- Prices · Ethiopia overall
- Low
Ethiopia overall: Hot in the lowlands, rain in the Omo; quiet and cheap in the highlands.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Bahir Dar, side by side.
Verdict
May: Mixed
Jan: Great (better)
Daytime high
May: 30 °C (86 °F)86 °F (30 °C)
Jan: 29 °C (84 °F)84 °F (29 °C)
Night low
May: 16 °C (61 °F)61 °F (16 °C)
Jan: 12 °C (54 °F)54 °F (12 °C)
Rain days
May: 10
Jan: 1 (better)
Crowds
May: Low
Jan: High
Prices
May: Low
Jan: High
Festivals listed
May: 1
Jan: 1
May: Outside the best window (Oct–Mar (dry, clear)). Across Ethiopia: Hot in the lowlands, rain in the Omo; quiet and cheap in the highlands.
January: Inside Bahir Dar's best window: Oct–Mar (dry, clear).
Bahir Dar: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and sunscreen
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast