Royal City · Amhara
Gondar
The royal city of the highlands.
- Best Time
- Oct – Mar
- Suggested Stay
- 1 – 2 days
- Altitude
- About 2,100 m
- Region
- Amhara
Why We Go
Stone castles, painted churches and the mountains waiting beyond the city.
Emperor Fasilides made Gondar his permanent capital in 1636, and for more than two centuries it was the seat of Ethiopia’s emperors. Today it is the bridge between the history of the north and the Simien Mountains.
Fasil Ghebbi, the fortress city of Fasilides and his successors, is enclosed by a wall about 900 metres long. Its palaces, churches and buildings mix local tradition with Arab, Indian and Baroque influences brought by Jesuit missionaries.
Debre Birhan Selassie was built under Emperor Iyasu I (1682–1706) and is the only Gondar church to have survived the Mahdist invasion of 1888, by legend protected by a swarm of bees. Its ceiling is covered with rows of winged angels’ faces.
Fasilides’ Bath is a sunken royal pool that is filled every year for Timkat, Ethiopian Epiphany, on 19 January (20 January in leap years), when the city gathers for the blessing of the waters. The most memorable moments often happen away from the monuments: a coffee ceremony, a meal, a walk through town.
Highlights
- Fasil Ghebbi, the royal enclosure, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Debre Birhan Selassie and its ceiling of painted angels
- Fasilides’ Bath, filled each January for Timkat
- Coffee, meals and walks through town
Expeditions Including Gondar
Routes that pass through here
Plan This Destination
Build Gondar into your journey
Tell us what you are curious about, what you want to photograph and how slowly or quickly you want to travel. We build the journey around you and confirm current conditions for your dates.
Speak With a Designer
Your Ethiopia should not feel like someone else’s itinerary
Ask about road conditions, the season or what a day here is really like. You will get a straight answer from the team that runs the route.
Or call us directly on +251 956 61 6969