Eritrea is a fascinating country that is not yet on many people’s travel radar, which makes the trip to this closed country an unforgettable off-the-beaten-path experience. The country has been ruled for years by president Isaias Afewerk who rules the country with an autocratic regime, full of cumbersome bureaucratic rules. Many people are demotivated because of all the paperwork and long procedures involved and yes, while it definitely is a challenge, once you’re here, you’ll see that the atmosphere is quite chill and that the country is one of the calmest, cleanest and safest places in the continent. The horn’s little pearl has a lot to offer. The capital Asmara is full of  Italian architecture, while on the coast you will find tons of islands with white beaches dotted in a blue sea. During the evenings you can also enjoy good pasta and pizza, with an Eritrean twist, followed by Eritrean style macchiato or a tasty local beer. There are many archeological sites to be discovered throughout the whole country, towns rich in culture to be explored and mountains waiting to be hiked. We are here to help you through the paperwork and make your dream come true by offering the best quality tours in Eritrea.

Is it safe to travel to Eritrea?

Eritrea has a bit of a bad rep and is often dubbed ‘The North Korea of Africa’, while it is true that the country is ruled with a firm hand, we are not a fan of this term as it paints a negative picture of the country. While the country has its fair share of problems and poverty, it is very rare to encounter any problems while traveling the country. If you obey the rules and behave, you are very unlikely to run into any problems with authorities or locals. While of course the occasional crime can happen, most of the country is calm and safe. Tourists feel at ease and one can even walk at night on the streets in downtown Asmara without anyone bothering you. There aren’t many big cities in Africa where you can do this. Although you should always take care of your belongings, pickpocketing is rather rare as well as running into aggressive locals or beggars. People are most of the time genuinely friendly and interested. Don’t be scared if people come to say hello to practise their English or Italian and ask you more about yourself and what you think of their country. Unlike other countries this is almost always an honest interest. Just be cautious, wise, behave, respect the country and its people, be polite and avoid talking about politics and you’ll be fine. But isn’t that the mentality anyone should have anywhere?

While all of the sites we visit are safe and calm it is not recommended to travel to and in the border areas of Eritrea with neighboring countries. Not only do violent incidents occur in these areas and “security zones”, there are also many land mines.

The temporary security zone (TSZ=Temporary Security Zone) is located on the border with Ethiopia and  covers a 25 kilometer wide strip around Eritrean territory from the common border. It is strongly advised not to travel in this border area. Military personnel are deployed in these zones and kidnappings, robberies and murders have already been reported. In addition, all border crossings between Ethiopia and Eritrea are currently closed. There is also a security zone on the border between Eritrea and Sudan which should be avoided. In the border area with Djibouti there is still a territorial conflict and political tension. This border crossing is also currently closed. Piracy is prevalent throughout the Horn of Africa. Although the coast of Eritrea has not been ravaged by attacks so diving and sailing close to the coast is fine for now. Because there are land mines all over the country, it is recommended to travel only on tarmac roads and always stay on the main road.

To avoid periods of strong heat (over 45°C), it is recommended to travel in the low western and especially eastern areas (Sahel, Dankalia) between May and October. On the high plateaus (Asmara is at an altitude of 2300 meters) the temperature is comparable to western-European climate. In winter the temperature can drop below 0°C at night (December to March). The rainy season takes place between June and September. Dirt roads often become impassable in the rainy season.

During periods of rain, there is a risk of flooding; there is strong growth of the wadis; moreover, landslides may occur, especially in the low-lying western areas (January-February, and June-August) and in the high-altitude areas (May-August).

Eritrea is located in a zone where volcanic activities occur. Due to a major volcanic eruption in 2011, the airspace over Eritrea was closed for a long time.

Travel permits

The Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has imposed a travel ban outside the city of Asmara on all foreign residents/tourists/diplomats. To go outside of Asmara, those involved must apply for a travel permit in advance at the Ministry of Tourism. This also applies to foreign residents who work in other cities of Eritrea, this includes diplomats and embassy personnel. We can set up the travel permits for you without any problem. At the moment we can do this in advance with a copy of your travel documents. Note that the situation can change at any time and it might be necessary to do it here. With a bit of luck this can be done in half a day.

What to pack to go to Eritrea?

The most essential things to bring are of course a valid passport and your yellow fever vaccination proof. As there are NO ATMs in Eritrea you need to bring dollars or euros with you. These can be changed at multiple places in Asmara. Don’t change everything at once, as it’s hard to change the local currency (Nafka) back to USD/Euro. It’s wise to always carry a copy of your passport and other documents with you as well as a picture in your phone and email. If you have a local embassy, try to have their contact details on you as well. Make sure you have good travel insurance and have their number in your phone.

Make sure you have a sweater and a jacket with you as Asmara is over 2.000 meter above sea level and it can get very cold during the night so be sure to be prepared against the cold. Some of the regions can get very hot so bring a good sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat to protect yourself against the bright sun. If you’re planning to visit the beach, make sure you bring your swimsuit as well as towels and flip flops with you.

If you plan to visit areas outside the capital it’s not a bad idea to bring a mosquito net and you’ll definitely have to bring a mosquito repellant such as DEET. If you plan to do some hiking, bring adequate walking shoes and good socks with you. A torch also might come in handy. Don’t forget to bring the necessary adaptors for your chargers and plugs. 

Electricity

Certain regions do not have access to power or limited access only and may suffer from blackouts. It’s advised to bring a power bank with you and enough batteries for your camera. If you’re coming from the US you’ll have to bring a suitable power adapter and a power converter if your device isn’t dual voltage or 230 volts. You will need a type L plug adapter.

Internet in Eritrea

Less than 1 percent of people in Eritrea have access to the internet and there is no mobile internet available. There are a few cyber cafes and hotels which offer wifi or connected computers which you can use. The connection is very slow and only can be used for whatsapp or emails. Sim cards are very hard to get by and one shouldn’t even bother. In case of emergency you can use the public pay phones. Be sure to download your music, series and movies before you go to Eritrea and that you’re not depending on online apps for your work.

Money in Eritrea

There are no ATMs in Eritrea and one shouldn’t depend on their credit cards. Make sure to bring plenty of dollars or euros with you and only change them at licensed places. Avoid changing money on the black market as you can get in trouble with authorities if they catch you.

The local currency is the nakfa, which was introduced in 1997 to replace the Ethiopian birr. One nakfa is divided into 100 cents and is pegged to the USD at a fixed rate of 1 USD = 13.5 ERN. On the black market you can get 15 to 18 nakfa per dollar. In 2015 the Bank of Eritrea started replacing all banknotes to combat counterfeiting and Sudanese human traffickers.

Local transport in Eritrea

It is possible to take buses in between cities and they are relatively comfortable and safe. Although they’re modern, the only downside is that there is no set timetable and it can take hours before a bus will depart and some of the buses can be really slow. If you have enough time this doesn’t cause too many problems, but if you’re on a tight schedule it might be better to book a car with a driver instead. Taxi’s can be hailed everywhere in Asmara and bigger towns. Be sure to negotiate the price before you enter. It’s possible to rent a car with or without a driver, although it’s necessary to get all the necessary travel permits and never leave the road in case of landmines. If you are interested in renting a car in Asmara, please send us an e-mail and we’ll happily help you get you the right vehicle.

Asmara – Massawa: 120 km
Asmara – Keren: 90 km
Asmara – Argodat: 172 km
Asmara – barentu: 238 km
Asmara – Mendefera: 60 km
Asmara – Dekemhare: 40 km
Asmara – Ghinda: 50 km
Asmara – Assab: 700 km
Asmara – Nefasit: 25 km
Asmara – Tessenei: 357 km
Asmara – Adi Keih: 110 km
Asmara – Senafe: 135 km
Asmara – Adi Quala: 85 km
Keren – Nacfa: 130 km

Trains in Eritrea

There was a narrow-gauge railway line which was built by the Italians in the end of the 19th century and was originally intended to go all the way to Tesseny and to be linked to the Ethiopian and Sudanese rail networks. Eventually the railway covered a little over 300 km between Massawa to Agordat through Asmara and Keren. A large part of it got destroyed and later on the line got repaired from Massawa to Asmara, but currently there are no scheduled trains. It is possible to charter a train for tourists and the experience is a lot of fun if you’re in a group.

Getting into Eritrea

Currently the whole border of Eritrea is a no-go zone. That means that it’s not possible to enter Eritrea overland from Sudan, Ethiopia or Djibouti. Your only way of getting into Eritrea is by an international flight going to the International Airport of Asmara.

Asmara International Airport is connected to:

Cairo: EgyptAir, Eritrean Airlines
Addis Ababa: Ethiopian Airlines, Eritrean Airlines
Jeddah: Eritrean Airlines
Khartoum: Eritrean Airlines, Sudan Airways, Tarco Airlines 

Dubai: FlyDubai
Istanbul: Turkish Airlines 

Furthermore we have Assab International Airport with flights to Addis Ababa and Asmara, operated by Eritrean Airlines and then smaller airports with no scheduled flights in Agordat, Massawa and Teseney.

Accommodation in Eritrea

Eritrea has good, clean, secure hotels at different price levels. Asmara has the most options with even a few hotels which can be booked online on booking.com. The other hotels have to be arranged on the spot or through a travel agency if you want to secure a room.

The best hotels are in Asmara with rooms starting around 10 to 30 usd at budget hotels and midrange hotels between 30 usd and 60 usd hotels. There are a few hotels offering more upscale rooms of 100 to 150 USD as well in beautiful old colonial buildings. Keren and Massawa also have a few budget and mid-range hotels as well as Mendefera and Dekemhare, although limited given the small population.

Food in Eritrea

Eritrea has excellent food. The staple is injera, eaten with meat or fish or vegetarian food, very similar to Ethiopian food. Vegans and vegetarians will be happy during their stay in Eritrea. Eritreans love their meat, but the cuisine also has several vegan dishes. This is due to the fasting traditions in the Orthodox Christian community which is the biggest religion in the country. Many Orthodox Christians fast twice a week, typically every Wednesday and Friday and they also fast during Lent, a forty day fasting period before Easter. Fasting means that they just don’t eat any animal products. Some people also try to stay away from alcohol, sweets and other things during this period. Even outside the fasting periods, vegan food is widely available.

Because of the strong Italian influence there are also a lot of Italian dishes to be found, mostly pasta and pizza, but you can also find excellent desserts and gelato (ice cream)! 

Coffee in Eritrea

There is some excellent coffee to be had in Eritrea and because of the Italian presence during colonial times, Eritreans mastered their own macchiato style as well as cappuccino and latte. These can be had in many old stylish buildings throughout Asmara and the other cities.

There is also a more traditional coffee ceremony in Eritrea, just like in its neighbour Ethiopia. The serving of coffee is mostly for the purpose of being together with family and friends. When visiting an Eritrean family it is likely that you will be offered this. Some grass and flowers are put on the floor to decorate the place and the ceremony is mostly led by the woman of the household. The fresh beans are roasted over an open fire in a pan, followed by grinding and sieving and finally put to boil. During the ceremony incense is lit and small snacks such as popcorn and peanuts are eaten.

Can you drink alcohol in Eritrea?

Yes! There is one brewery in all of Eritrea which produces Asmara Lager, Asmara Draught and Asmara Stout. The same brewery also makes Asmara Zibib, Asmara Gin, Asmara Cognac and Asmara Fernet. There are also other liquors, often Italian, to be found throughout the country. Especially Asmara has several bars, restaurants and hotels where you can drink alcohol.