What's on in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia through the year

Peak crowds — Genna, Timkat on Lake Tana

• Festival

  Genna

  6–8 JanChristmas & New YearCrowded

  Ethiopian Christmas on 7 January, kept with an overnight service and the first meat after the Advent fast. The lake boats and the monastery guides mostly stop for it. Source ↗

• Festival

  Timkat on Lake Tana

  18–20 JanMajor festivalCrowdedBook early

  The tabots are carried down to the lakeshore on the eve of the 19th and the blessing of the water happens at first light. Bahir Dar draws the regional crowd rather than the tour groups that fill Gondar, and beds still go weeks ahead. Source ↗

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in February.

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in March.

Busy — Fasika, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Fasika

  5 Apr – 5 May · usuallyEaster & Holy WeekCrowded

  Orthodox Easter ends fifty-five days of fasting with a midnight service and a long lunch the next day. It follows the Orthodox reckoning, so it usually lands a week or more after the Western date. Source ↗

Busy — Fasika, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: Fasika (5 Apr – 5 May (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in June.

Quiet — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Nature

  Blue Nile Falls in full flow

  15 Jul – 15 Oct · usuallyHigh water

  The hydro station upstream takes most of the water for the rest of the year, so Tis Abay is only the wall of spray in the postcards while the rains are running and for a few weeks after. Outside that it is four thin streams. Source ↗

Quiet — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Blue Nile Falls in full flow (15 Jul – 15 Oct (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Festival

  Meskel

  26–28 SepMajor festival

  A demera bonfire is stacked and lit on the eve of 27 September, and the direction the pole falls is read for the year ahead. It marks the end of the rains, which is exactly when the roads start to firm up again. Source ↗

Still on: Blue Nile Falls in full flow (15 Jul – 15 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Blue Nile Falls in full flow (15 Jul – 15 Oct (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in November.

Busy — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in December.