Eritrea

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all travel within 25km of Eritrea's land borders, (except the towns of Senafe and Tessenei, and the border crossings with Ethiopia at Debay Sima – Burre, Serha – Zalambessa and Kesadika (Adi Kuala) – Rama, plus the main paved roads leading to those crossings). Click here for more information.

Historically intriguing, culturally compelling and scenically inspiring, Eritrea is one of the most secretive countries in Africa. For those with a hankering for off-the-beaten-track places, it offers challenges and excitement alike, with a unique blend of natural and cultural highlights.

Eritrea wows visitors with its scenery, from the quintessentially Abyssinian landscapes – escarpments, plateaus and soaring peaks – to the deserted and desertified beaches of the Red Sea coast. Culturally, Eritrea is a melting pot with a superb array of archaeological sites that tell volumes of history. The cherry on top is Asmara, Eritrea’s delightful capital and a whimsical art deco city.

Explore Eritrea

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Tank Graveyard
Part junkyard, part memorial, the ruins of military vehicles from around the country have been dragged to this open field in the years since heavy…
O
Opera House
The Opera House, completed around 1920, is one of Asmara's most elegant early–20th-century buildings. It's free to have a look around during the resident…
B
Bowling Alley
A block south of the Municipality Building, the Bowling Alley is one of the few genuine 1950s alleys left in the world. It was probably built for US…
Q
Qohaito
Historians debate whether or not the ruins of Qohaito were once the inhabited walls of the ancient town of Koloe, a settlement that predated, but grew to…
I
Imperial Palace
Overlooking the harbour just north of the gates of the Dahlak Hotel is the Imperial Palace, the original iteration of which was built by the Turkish…
C
Camel Market
From 8am on Monday mornings, a small yard on the Nakfa road just before the edge of town comes alive with buyers and sellers from Keren and the…
H
House of Mammub Mohammed Nahari
The ancient House of Mammub Mohammed Nahari was built with magnificent soaring Ottoman-style windows on every side. Unfortunately they are particularly…
F
Fiat Tagliero Building
A futurist departure from the art deco standard that defines most of the notable Italian-era buildings in Asmara, this former petrol station was…
Dankalia
Dankalia is the name of the narrow strip of land about 50km wide that stretches south of Massawa down to Djibouti, about 600km along the coastline. You…

T
Tank Graveyard
Part junkyard, part memorial, the ruins of military vehicles from around the country have been dragged to this open field in the years since heavy…
O
Opera House
The Opera House, completed around 1920, is one of Asmara's most elegant early–20th-century buildings. It's free to have a look around during the resident…
B
Bowling Alley
A block south of the Municipality Building, the Bowling Alley is one of the few genuine 1950s alleys left in the world. It was probably built for US…
Q
Qohaito
Historians debate whether or not the ruins of Qohaito were once the inhabited walls of the ancient town of Koloe, a settlement that predated, but grew to…
I
Imperial Palace
Overlooking the harbour just north of the gates of the Dahlak Hotel is the Imperial Palace, the original iteration of which was built by the Turkish…
C
Camel Market
From 8am on Monday mornings, a small yard on the Nakfa road just before the edge of town comes alive with buyers and sellers from Keren and the…
H
House of Mammub Mohammed Nahari
The ancient House of Mammub Mohammed Nahari was built with magnificent soaring Ottoman-style windows on every side. Unfortunately they are particularly…
F
Fiat Tagliero Building
A futurist departure from the art deco standard that defines most of the notable Italian-era buildings in Asmara, this former petrol station was…
Dankalia
Dankalia is the name of the narrow strip of land about 50km wide that stretches south of Massawa down to Djibouti, about 600km along the coastline. You…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Eritrea.

See
Tank Graveyard
Part junkyard, part memorial, the ruins of military vehicles from around the country have been dragged to this open field in the years since heavy…
See
Opera House
The Opera House, completed around 1920, is one of Asmara's most elegant early–20th-century buildings. It's free to have a look around during the resident…
See
Bowling Alley
A block south of the Municipality Building, the Bowling Alley is one of the few genuine 1950s alleys left in the world. It was probably built for US…
See
Qohaito
Historians debate whether or not the ruins of Qohaito were once the inhabited walls of the ancient town of Koloe, a settlement that predated, but grew to…
See
Imperial Palace
Overlooking the harbour just north of the gates of the Dahlak Hotel is the Imperial Palace, the original iteration of which was built by the Turkish…
See
Camel Market
From 8am on Monday mornings, a small yard on the Nakfa road just before the edge of town comes alive with buyers and sellers from Keren and the…
See
House of Mammub Mohammed Nahari
The ancient House of Mammub Mohammed Nahari was built with magnificent soaring Ottoman-style windows on every side. Unfortunately they are particularly…
See
Fiat Tagliero Building
A futurist departure from the art deco standard that defines most of the notable Italian-era buildings in Asmara, this former petrol station was…
See
Dankalia
Dankalia is the name of the narrow strip of land about 50km wide that stretches south of Massawa down to Djibouti, about 600km along the coastline. You…

Guidebooks

Learn more about Eritrea

Ready to go? Get to the heart of Eritrea with one of Lonely Planet's in-depth, award-winning guidebooks.