Things to Do in Ethiopia in March
March weather, activities, events & insider tips
March Weather in Ethiopia
Is March Right for You?
Advantages
- Tail end of the dry season means you get mostly clear skies for trekking the Simien Mountains and visiting rock-hewn churches in Lalibela, with that crisp highland air that makes 4,000 m (13,123 ft) climbs actually manageable. The landscapes are still green from earlier rains but trails are dry and accessible.
- Shoulder season pricing kicks in after February peak tourist rush - you'll find accommodation rates drop 20-30% compared to January-February, and you can actually negotiate with hotels in Addis Ababa and Gondar without the European winter escape crowds competing for rooms.
- Perfect timing for the northern historical circuit (Axum, Lalibela, Gondar) before the rains start in earnest by late April. The weather sits in that sweet spot of 18-25°C (64-77°F) during the day in the highlands, warm enough for comfortable exploring but cool enough that you're not melting while climbing up to Debre Damo monastery.
- Cultural calendar delivers with preparations for Ethiopian Easter which sometimes falls in late March or April - you'll see churches being cleaned and repainted, special breads being prepared, and a palpable energy in Christian highland communities that gives you insight into how central Orthodox Christianity is to daily life here.
Considerations
- Weather becomes genuinely unpredictable as the dry season transitions toward the rainy season - you might get five perfect sunny days followed by two days of afternoon downpours. This makes planning multi-day Simien treks slightly risky, and you need flexible itineraries rather than rigid schedules.
- The Danakil Depression starts becoming brutally hot, with temperatures pushing toward 40°C (104°F) even in March. If that's on your list, you're better off visiting November-February. By March the heat becomes the kind that makes you question your life choices, not the adventurous discomfort kind.
- Dust season in full swing, particularly in the Rift Valley and lowland areas. That fine, reddish dust gets into everything - your camera gear, your sinuses, your luggage. If you have respiratory sensitivities or are precious about your equipment, this can be genuinely irritating rather than just a minor inconvenience.
Best Activities in March
Simien Mountains trekking and wildlife spotting
March offers the last reliable window for multi-day treks before the rains make trails muddy and leeches emerge. The endemic gelada baboons are incredibly active in the cooler morning temperatures around 10-15°C (50-59°F), and you'll spot them in massive troops near the escarpment edges. The landscapes are still green but the ground is firm, which matters when you're navigating those dramatic cliff edges at Imet Gogo. Visibility tends to be excellent in the morning before any afternoon cloud buildup. This is genuinely one of Africa's most spectacular mountain ranges, and March weather makes it accessible without the January-February crowds at campsites.
Lalibela rock-hewn churches exploration
The weather in March is ideal for spending full days exploring the eleven medieval churches carved from solid rock - temperatures sit around 20-23°C (68-73°F) during the day, comfortable for the walking and climbing between church clusters. The morning light, particularly from 7-9am, creates incredible shadows and golden tones on the rock faces that photographers obsess over. You'll avoid the intense crowds of January-February Orthodox Christmas period, which means you can actually sit quietly in Beta Giyorgis and absorb the spiritual atmosphere without tour groups shuffling through every ten minutes. If Easter falls in late March, you might catch early preparations with priests cleaning and decorating.
Rift Valley lakes birdwatching circuits
March sits at the tail end of the northern winter migration, so you'll still catch European migrants at lakes Ziway, Langano, and Awasa alongside resident African species. The weather is warm, around 24-28°C (75-82°F) in the Rift Valley, but not yet oppressively hot like it gets by May. Water levels are good after the short rains, which concentrates birds along shorelines. Early morning sessions from 6-9am are productive before the heat builds. Lakes Abijatta and Shalla offer spectacular flamingo congregations when conditions are right, though populations fluctuate. This is genuinely world-class birding with 400 plus species possible across the valley.
Addis Ababa cultural immersion and coffee ceremonies
March weather in Addis is pleasant, around 22-25°C (72-77°F), perfect for walking through neighborhoods like Piazza and the Mercato without the November-January cold or the June-August rains. This is the time to understand urban Ethiopian life - attending traditional coffee ceremonies in local homes, exploring the National Museum to see Lucy, and visiting the Ethnological Museum in Haile Selassie's former palace. The city sits at 2,355 m (7,726 ft) so take your first day easy if flying in directly. Street food is excellent and safe if you follow where locals queue - ful medames for breakfast costs 30-50 birr, and you'll find injera with wot everywhere for 80-150 birr.
Gondar castles and Debre Birhan Selassie church visits
March offers clear, dry weather for exploring the 17th-century Royal Enclosure castles and the famous church with its ceiling of angels. Temperatures around 20-25°C (68-77°F) make walking between the castle compounds comfortable. The light in late afternoon, around 4-5pm, creates beautiful warm tones on the stone architecture. You'll have significantly fewer tour buses than the January-February peak, which means you can actually photograph the castles without crowds in every frame. The surrounding Gondar town gives you a genuine sense of highland Ethiopian city life beyond the tourist sites.
Bale Mountains trekking and Ethiopian wolf tracking
March is actually excellent for Bale Mountains in the southeast, with dry conditions on the Sanetti Plateau at 4,000 m (13,123 ft) where the endemic and critically endangered Ethiopian wolves hunt giant molerats. Morning temperatures drop to near freezing, around 0-5°C (32-41°F), but days warm to 15-18°C (59-64°F). The Harenna Forest on the southern slopes is lush and atmospheric. This area sees far fewer visitors than Simien Mountains, which means more authentic wilderness experience. The high-altitude Afroalpine moorland is otherworldly, and March offers clear skies for spotting the wolves, which are most active in early morning.
March Events & Festivals
Preparations for Fasika (Ethiopian Easter)
Ethiopian Easter sometimes falls in late March or early April depending on the Orthodox calendar, which differs from Western Easter dates. Even if the actual celebration is in April, March sees visible preparations in Christian highland communities - churches being repainted, special fasting foods appearing in markets, and increased religious activity. You'll see the 55-day fasting period in full effect, which means many Orthodox Christians avoid animal products, so restaurant menus shift heavily toward lentils, chickpeas, and vegetable dishes. This gives genuine cultural insight into how deeply Orthodox Christianity shapes daily life.
Addis Ababa International Film Festival
When it runs in March, this festival showcases Ethiopian and East African cinema at venues around Addis. It's a chance to see contemporary Ethiopian storytelling and meet local filmmakers and artists. The festival has been growing in recent years and attracts a mix of local cinephiles and international visitors. Screenings are typically in the evenings, with panel discussions during afternoons. Check specific 2026 dates closer to travel time as the festival schedule can shift.