Dire Dawa

Railway reached the area. The railway could not reach the city of The city is an industrial center on the Dechatu River, and home to several markets. It lies at the foot of a ring of cliffs that has been described as "somewhat like a cluster of tea-leaves in the bottom of a slop-basin". The entire chartered city has a population of 440,000 and the city proper has 277,000 residents (2015), making the latter the seventh largest city in Ethiopia. There are three bus companies operating services linking Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa. The cheapest, least comfortable and slowest is the government local bus service. This can take 12-15 hours. The most expensive is the Sky bus service, a luxury Chinese coach with toilets and a movie system, which takes around ten hours. The Salem bus is a reasonable middle option, which is much quicker than the local service but still a bus rather than a coach. Tickets for government buses are bought in the main bus station. Sky bus tickets are sold from a discrete office in the Cornell area of town. Salem bus tickets are purchased at the Samrat Hotel opposite the Ras. Renown throughout the region for its baclava and other baked goods. If you want the baclava, come early (before 9am ideally), because they sell out fast.

The best time to visit Dire Dawa is from late April through early October, when temperatures are pleasant (15-28 °C) and outdoor activities are most enjoyable. May and September offer mild weather without the summer crowds. Winters can be cold and grey, with temperatures dropping below freezing, but the off-season offers lower prices and quieter streets.

Railway reached the area. The railway could not reach the city of Dire Dawa is connected to Addis Ababa and the historical city of Harar by road, but fly or take train from Addis to get in to Dire Dawa. By bus There are three bus companies operating services linking Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa. The cheapest, least comfortable and slowest is the government local bus service. This can take 12-15 hours. The most expensive is the Sky bus service, a luxury Chinese coach with toilets and a movie system, which takes around ten hours. The Salem bus is a reasonable middle option, which is much quicker than the local service but still a bus rather than a coach. Tickets for government buses are bought in the main bus station. Sky bus tickets are sold from a discrete office in the Cornell area of town. Salem bus tickets are purchased at the Samrat Hotel opposite the Ras. Harar is the other major destination. Small mini buses leave whenever they are full from the main bus station and take about an hour. It rarely takes longer than fifteen minutes for a minibus to be ready to leave. A railway line was inaugurated between Dire Dawa railway station Get around The blue and white minibuses are in abundance in Dire Dawa, as are the small blue Twice yearly (July and December) there is a religious ceremony at the nearby city of Kulubi (30 birr by minibus, 1 hour). It is a mass gathering with many small stalls selling clothes, sugar cane, etc. Hotel prices in Dire Dawa double or triple for the three-day period.

• Dire Dawa

It takes 11 hours from Addis Ababa to reach Dire Dawa. As of November 2025, this is running as a night train with sleeper cabins available. Bring enough food and water for your trip as the train restaurant can run out of everything in the middle of the trip to Dire Dawa (and there are no shops nor restaurants at the station). ). In the afternoon, in many places, Dire Dawans sit in circle and consume khat, with several cups of coffee. During this time there could be a heated discussion. Avoid political topics, especially with the Ethiopian Somalis or Somali refugees. Other than that, you could have an interesting experience with the lightly narcotic drug. The market near the river has traditional African spices, incense, and fruits such as guava, sour sop and custard apple. Eat Paradiso restaurant found on the road to Harar near the edge of town is regarded as the best Italian in town. It is most famous for lasagna and the roasted goat meat with rice. The traditional Ethiopian dishes are also of high quality. Generally safe. However, you need to pay attention to your belongings. Your backpacks, camera and other shiny tourist items can attract pickpockets and con artists. Immigration of Somalis and a tension that may have created with locals has resulted in the city being heavily policed. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

The market near the river has traditional African spices, incense, and fruits such as guava, sour sop and custard apple. found on the road to Harar near the edge of town is regarded as the best Italian in town. It is most famous for lasagna and the roasted goat meat with rice. The traditional Ethiopian dishes are also of high quality.

). In the afternoon, in many places, Dire Dawans sit in circle and consume khat, with several cups of coffee. During this time there could be a heated discussion. Avoid political topics, especially with the Ethiopian Somalis or Somali refugees. Other than that, you could have an interesting experience with the lightly narcotic drug. found on the road to Harar near the edge of town is regarded as the best Italian in town. It is most famous for lasagna and the roasted goat meat with rice. The traditional Ethiopian dishes are also of high quality.