Harar (sometimes spelled Harrar or Harer) is an ancient city in eastern Ethiopia. Harar Jugol, the old walled city is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is considered the fourth holiest city of Islam by Sunni Muslims (after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem), with 82 mosques, three of which date from the 10th century, and 102 shrines.
Understand
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For centuries, Harar has been a major commercial centre, linked by trade routes between Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. It is also known in Arabic as the City of Saints.
According to Sir Richard Burton, Harar is the birthplace of the khat plant. The original domesticated coffee plant is also said to have originated in Harar.
In 2007 the six largest ethnic groups reported in Harar were the Amhara (41%), the Oromo (28%), the Harari (12%), the Gurage (3%), the Somali (7%), and the Tigrayans (3%). Amharic was spoken as a first language by 49% of city inhabitants, Oromo by 24%, Harari by 12%, and Somali by 7%. It is home to about 157,000 people (2022) 
Residents of Harar are friendly even by Ethiopian standards. The best thing you can do is at a minimum learn the gender-neutral Amharic word for hello: selam (or selam-new). You will use it a lot. If you are easily recognizable as a foreigner (farangi in Amharic), walking one city block you can expect:
- 5-10 people greeting you
- 1-2 people stopping you to ask where you're from
- 1 person walking with you and making conversation
- 0.5-1 people offering their services as a tour guide or general fixer (usually in a genial, non-pushy way)
- 0.5-1 children following you repeating the word "money" ad infinitum
Be sure to allocate extra time for these interactions, although in Harar you are unlikely to be going anywhere in a hurry. Harar is small and you are likely to see the same people over and over again, so keep that in mind before blowing someone off.
Climate
[edit]Throughout the year, afternoon temperatures are warm to very warm, whilst mornings are cool to mild. Rain falls between March and October with a peak in August, whilst November to February is usually dry.
Tourist information
[edit]Get in
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Harar is not the easiest city to reach; budget transportation options involve long hours and/or cramped conditions. For maximum comfort (and cost) from Addis Ababa, fly to Dire Dawa and have a hotel there arrange private car transport to Harar.
By bus
[edit]There is bus service from Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa and Jijiga.
- From Addis Ababa, the Selam Bus Company bus leaves around 4:30-5:30 in the morning and takes about 11 hours. It arrives at the 1 Selam Bus Station about 500 metres west of the Harar Gate.
- From Dire Dawa there are minibuses for 150 birr (2025). The trip takes about 1-1.5 hours and arrives at the 2 Bus Station (western) just outside the Harar Gate.
- If you somehow find yourself in Jijiga, the minibus from there costs 300 birr (officially in 2025; in reality you’ll likely be asked for 400) and takes 2-2.5 hours. It arrives at the 3 Eastern Bus Station about 4 kilometres southeast of the Jugol.
Minibus prices are regulated by the government. There will be many checkpoints along the way and if you find a transportation (not military) official who speaks English you may ask them the correct price to see if you’ve been overcharged (you will almost invariably have been). From Dire Dawa a government agent will likely collect your fare at the beginning of your route, but then the driver/conductor will add various service charges (e.g. for luggage). You may notice them doing this to locals also so it is your call whether to kick up a fuss.
By train
[edit]If the bus from Addis Ababa sounds uncomfortable (it is), alternatively you can take the overnight train from southern outskirts of Addis Ababa to the Dire Dawa station (about 10km west of the city), and then take a bajaj to the minibus station in Dire Dawa where the minibuses depart for Harar (your bajaj driver will know where to go). If the short minibus ride also sounds uncomfortable, see below about hiring a private car from Dire Dawa. Regardless, consider breaking the trip up with a hotel stay in Dire Dawa.
By car
[edit]Harar is 54 km by asphalt road from Dire Dawa. In Dire Dawa you can hire a private taxi to take you to Harar for around 5000 birr (as of 2025; ask at a hotel).
By plane
[edit]Harar is served by Dire Dawa International Airport. From the airport you need to take a shared taxi to the minibus station where the minibuses depart for Harar.
Get around
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Auto rickshaws ("bajaji" in Ethiopia) are readily available. Flag one down pretty much anywhere. There is no need to take them around the Jugol as it is very walkable.
The main entry into the Jugol is the 1 Harar Gate at its western end. The other gates are:
- 2 Fallana Gate to the north
- 3 Argoba Gate to the east
- 4 Sukutat Gate to the southeast
- 5 Bedri Gate to the southwest
- 6 Shoa Gate, a pedestrian-only gate just south of the Harar Gate
See
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The old town is home to ninety-nine mosques and many more shrines, centered on 1 Feres Magala square.
- 2 Abdela Sherif Museum. Located in a mansion where Haile Selassie lived as a child. Better to have a guide for this one to explain the dusty artifacts. 200 birr.
- 3 Rimbaud's House and Museum. A mansion that once housed the renowned French poet Arthur Rimbaud now converted to a museum. 100 birr.
- 4 St. Mary Catholic Church (Harar Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Name of Mary) (Walking east down the main street in the old town, turn left immediately after the Jamia Mosque, and then take the next right. The church is behind a large unmarked solid metal gate.). One of two churches in the Jugol. Has an impressive carved wood door.
- 5 Medhane'alem Church (Medhane Alem Cathedral). A beautiful Ethiopian Orthodox cathedral on the Feres Magala square.
- 6 Jamia Mosque (Grand Mosque of Harar). At the centre of the Jugol. Only Muslims may enter.
- 7 Awaach of Amir Nur (Emir Nur's Tomb) (Heading east on the main road through the Jugol, turn left before the hospital). A domed shrine for the 16th-century Emir of Harar.
- 8 Harari National Museum. Displays artifacts of the region. Its gate is locked as of 2025, although the signs are still up and it appears well maintained. Across the street are mansions that belonged to Haile Selassie's family.
Do
[edit]Get lost in the Jugol (old city) and wander around brightly colored houses and small vendors. Some local houses can be visited; the guides can show you which ones, or you can try to find them on your own.
- 1 Feed the hyenas. Watch hyenas and then feed them yourself with rotten meat. Every bajaj and taxi driver knows the location, but you can walk there from the old city. There is a long standing tradition of feeding porridge to hyenas one night a year. 500 birr for tourists.
- 2 Feed the black kites. Purchase meat from the Gidir Magala butcher shops and then feed the black kites (birds of prey) waiting patiently above you. Or you can sit around and see if they get lucky enough to snatch someone else's meat. 100 birr per person.
Festivals
[edit]- Eid al-Fitr. The festival celebrating the end of Ramadan.
- Shewal Eid. A Harari cultural festival lasting 24 hours. Held on the 8th day of the Islamic calendar month of Shewal (through 2028 this will be in March; in 2029 it will be in February).
- Ashura. A celebration to mark the parting of the Red Sea by Moses. Held on the 10th day of the Islamic calendar month of Muharram.
Further afield
[edit]- Visit the town of Ejersa Goro, where the former emperor Haile Selassie was born.
- To the west the town of Aweday has the largest khat market in Ethiopia.
- Beyond Aweday, the town of Haramaya abuts the southern shore of the picturesque Lake Haramaya.
- To the east the town of Babile hosts a large camel market.
- Beyond Babile is the spectacular Dakhata Valley (also known as the Valley of Marvels) and the Babile Elephant Sanctuary.
Buy
[edit]Markets
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- 1 Spice market (exit the Jugol at the Harar Gate and walk south about 300 metres). Has a huge variety of coffee and spices and is worth a visit.
- 2 Cloth market (look for sewing machines lining the alleys between Feres Magala and Gidir Magala). Wonderful handmade traditional fabric and clothing, along with some Asian imports around the outskirts.
- 3 Khat market. The drug of choice for pretty much everyone in the region, the first step to trying khat is buying it. Be discerning or hire someone who can discern for you.
Groceries
[edit]- 4 Grocery store (exit the Harar Gate and look to the next corner on your right). A medium-sized grocery store.
- 5 Late-night street vendors (exit the Harar Gate and turn left). Vendors crowd around the westbound minibus station just south of the Harar Gate, in case you're in a pinch.
Eat
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Harar is not exactly a culinary wonderland. Restaurants are few, and most are located west of the Jugol.
- 1 Gidir Magala butchers. Butchers who sell camel meat which they will cook for you. You can eat it at the juice shop next door (they will deliver it to you). Now you can finally quiet those who ask "have you ever tried camel?" It's quite delicious, but know that it served with hot peppers and an even spicier sauce (along with the obligatgory injera bread). Now only elephant and snow leopard to go.
- 2 Fresh Touch Restaurant (the approach from the south is blocked as of 2025; you can reach it from the northeast). Has Ethiopian, Italian and American food. Popular with locals and tourists.
If you find yourself hungry in the Jugol but without a hankering for camel, you can get (spicy) rice or (spicy) pasta at the Mermaid Cafe listed in the Drink section.
Drink
[edit]Harar does a lot better in the drinks category. Bunna bets (street coffee stands) dot the Jugol. Outside of the Jugol, Harar has a surprisingly active nightlife.
Coffee
[edit]Harar coffee is one of Ethiopia's oldest and most distinctive Arabica varieties. It is traditionally dry-processed, producing a heavy-bodied cup with wine-like, fruity, and sometimes spicy or chocolatey notes. It holds a Geographical Indication (protected regional name) for its unique character. Cultivated at high altitudes using traditional methods, harar coffee is becoming rarer, as these days farmers can get a better price for khat.
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- 1 Nure Roasted Harar Coffee (on the east side of Jamia Mosque). Watch Harar coffee being roasted. Purchase coffee beans. You can drink it as well!
- 2 Mermaid Cafe (Near the western gate to the Jugol; look for beaded curtains hanging in a doorway on the south side of the main road). 7:00-20:00. Strong and delicious coffee. Strong even by Ethiopian standards.
Juice
[edit]- 3 Gidir Magala juice bar. A pleasant place to drink juice outdoors with a great view to the south. If you've made it to Harar, then you've probably already tried Ethiopian juice. If you haven't, then drop everything immediately and try Ethiopian juice.
Alcohol
[edit]- 4 Desalegn Kitfo. This is the go-to bar in Harar. Loud music, sports (football), and decent, although not great, bar food (basically tibs). Try the local Harar beer here before everyone heads out to the clubs around 10 or 11pm.
- 5 Nightclubs. Nightclubs line this unnamed street; you'll have to use the map. They get livelier as the night goes on. Expect a mix of Ethiopian and American music. Most charge a cover, but for most foreigners it will be minimal (say, 100 birr per person). Party nights in Harar are Saturday and Sunday nights.
- 6 Harar Brewery. Try the brew from the source: Harar Beer from the Harar Brewery.
There are other bars in the vicinity of Desalegn Kitfo as well as just outside the Harar Gate on the same block as the grocery store.
Sleep
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There are very few quality accommodations. Hot water is unlikely and in fact you'll be lucky to get running water at all. Dire Dawa has a better selection of hotels.
- 1 Sherif Guest House. A cozy and clean place, bathroom inside, running water, friendly staff. Located near the eastern hyena feeding site.
- 2 Wonderland Hotel (just outside the Harar gate). Good rooms and facilities. Friendly staff. Breakfast included. There is also a restaurant. 2800 birr for singles; a complicated price list involving relationship status and extra pillows goes up from there.
- 3 Harar Guest House (just inside the Harar gate), ☏ +251 935 975 053, [email protected]. Basic but clean rooms and a pleasant courtyard. Good value for money. 1500 birr per night.
- 4 Fresh Touch Hotel (the approach from the south is blocked as of 2025; you can reach it from the northeast), ☏ +251 915 321 182. Popular due to its on-site restaurant and bar.
Go next
[edit]- Dire Dawa, Ethiopia's hot and dusty second-largest city.
- Jijiga and then onward to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland (you'll need a Somaliland visa).
- To Addis Ababa there are buses leaving daily early morning (04:30 or 05:00). Buy your ticket a few days in advance. There are a few companies and most of the offices are located at Charleville Ave, near Bank of Abyssinia. The ride takes 11 hours (on a good day) and takes you to Meskel Square in Addis.