Eritrea travel guide

Best time to visit Eritrea from the UK

Best value: Jan–Apr, Sep–Oct. Oct–Mar on the highlands. Busiest and priciest: Nov–Dec.

Each bar is the average temperature in Asmara for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

• Our pick: April and SeptemberThe warmest of the best-value months (24–25°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
• Peak season: Nov–DecUsually 20–21°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
• Quiet season: May–AugAround 23–26°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
• Warmest: June (26°C) · coolest: January (20°C)A 6°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.

Festivals and events

• Independence Day May · Asmara
• Festival Eritrea Aug · Asmara

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time

About 7h

Distance

5,320 km

Main airport

ASM

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Eritrea to your bucket list Search flights to ASM

Practical info and travel guidance

• FCDO adviceAdvises against travel to parts of EritreaCheck which areas before you book.
• VisaVisa needed in advanceApply through the embassy
• HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
• LGBT+ travellersSame-sex relations are illegal or prosecutedRead the FCDO LGBT+ advice before you go.
• Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Eritrea, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 12 October 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Eritrea before you book and again before you go.