Best Destinations to Travel to in State of Eritrea

• Eritrea’s climate shifts dramatically with elevation and region. The central highlands around Asmara enjoy a temperate, Mediterranean-like climate with a rainy season from May through September and a dry season from December to April; annual rainfall can reach 610 mm. The Red Sea coastal plain is hot and dry year-round, with summer highs between 37°C and 50°C and minimal rainfall. The western lowlands are tropical, with high humidity during the May–September rains and dry, dusty days in the dry season. The northern Sahel is arid with little seasonal temperature variation, while the southern coast records some of the country’s highest temperatures, regularly reaching 55°C.

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• Dive or snorkel the coral reefs of the Dahlak Archipelago, where clear turquoise lagoons host dugongs, manta rays, tigerfish, and dolphins.
• Ride the vintage steam railway between Asmara and Massawa — a museum line winding through the subtropical eastern escarpment, available by chartered tour.
• Soak in the hot mineral springs near Massawa, where the naturally heated water is also bottled as the popular Dongollo brand.
• Hike the highland outskirts of Asmara, especially around the Martyrs National Park, a forested preserve inaugurated in 2000 at the edge of the plateau.
• Explore the western lowlands around Tessenei, where savannah meets Sahara and you may spot wild African elephants and nomadic herding communities.
• Walk Asmara’s streets to discover one of the world’s most intact collections of Italian Modernist and Art Deco architecture.

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• Admire the Fiat Tagliero service station in Asmara, a futuristic 1930s design with dramatic cantilevered wings resembling an airplane.
• Visit the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Asmara, a striking Lombard-Romanesque landmark whose tall bell tower dominates the skyline.
• Tour the Enda Mariam Orthodox Cathedral, an ancient church at Asmara’s center symbolizing the four directions, with a historic tree once used in funeral rites.
• Take in a performance at the Asmara Theatre and Opera House, an elegant Italian architectural piece completed in 1920.
• See the eclectic Al Khulafa Al Rashidin Mosque, one of Africa’s most elegant mosques blending Italian and local Moorish styles.
• Visit the war museum in Nakfa, the highland town that served as the main base during the independence struggle and gives the national currency its name.
• Head to the Solomouna National Park on the eastern escarpment — accessible by guided tour — for subtropical rainforest and exceptional birdwatching.

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• The highlands (including Asmara) are most pleasant during the dry season from December to April, with mild days and cool nights.
• For lush green highland scenery, plan your visit for August to October, after the May–September rainy season.
• The Dahlak Archipelago and Red Sea coast are best visited between October and March, when temperatures are a more bearable 25°C to 35°C and humidity eases.
• Avoid the coastal lowlands from May to September unless you can tolerate extreme heat and humidity.
• The western lowlands are most accessible during the dry season (November–April) when roads are passable and days are hot but dry.

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• Apply for your tourist visa at an Eritrean diplomatic mission in your home country well in advance, and prepare a detailed travel itinerary as part of the application.
• Obtain a travel permit from the Ministry of Tourism in Asmara before venturing outside the capital; allow at least 24 hours for processing.
• If arriving overland from Sudan via Kassala, begin the border crossing early in the day — the border posts close at dusk and bureaucracy can take hours.
• Pack for diverse climates: lightweight, modest clothing for coastal heat, and a warm layer for cool highland nights.
• Carry sufficient cash (preferably US dollars) as credit cards are almost never accepted outside the Intercontinental Hotel in Asmara, and ATMs are unreliable.
• Book a middle-range or higher hotel in hot coastal areas like Massawa — air-conditioning is essential and cheap guesthouses rarely have it.
• Respect local norms: ask permission before photographing people or buildings (especially government and military sites), and avoid photographing border zones entirely.

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