Eritrea

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Asmara

Africa's Art Deco capital at 2,325 m

Visa & entry checker Plan a trip to Asmara Plan a trip around Eritrea

Best time to visit: Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec
Currency: ERN
Time zone: UTC+3
Country: Eritrea

Photo: Voice of Clam, Public domain

Asmara is Eritrea's highland capital, a UNESCO World Heritage city of remarkably preserved Italian colonial modernist architecture. People come for the Art Deco streets, espresso culture and cool mountain air.

Largest cities

Asmara
Keren
Massawa
Assab
Mendefera

Quick facts

Figures are rounded recent official estimates.

Country: Eritrea
Capital: Asmara
City population: 963,000
Population of Eritrea: 3.5M
Country area: 117,600 km²
Official language: Tigrinya, Arabic, and English
Currency: Eritrean Nakfa (ERN) · 1 USD ≈ 15 ERN
Time zone: UTC+3
Calling code: +291
Drives on the: Right
Elevation: 2,339 m
Plugs: C · 230V
Emergency numbers: 112 · 113 · 127
Best time to visit: Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec

Temperatures through the year

Average daily high and low for each month in °C. Months marked with a drop are often rainy.

Temperatures through the year

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High	20°	21°	23°	23°	25°	25°	22°	21°	23°	21°	20°	20°
Low	9°	11°	12°	13°	14°	15°	14°	14°	13°	12°	10°	9°

Best time to visitOther months

Approximate daily cost

Per adult per day: food, local transport and half a double room, without activities or flights.

ConservativeSimple stays, free and low-cost sights first.$26
HighComfortable hotels, a balanced mix of sights and trips.$68
LuxuryLuxury hotels, more paid experiences and day trips.$150

Plan a trip to Asmara

Top things to do

Free
Fiat Tagliero Building
See the futurist 1938 petrol station with its famous cantilevered wings, the icon of Asmara's modernist architecture, a short walk from the main avenue.
- Half day
- Central Asmara (Historic Centre)
- Good for kids
Free
Cinema Impero
Admire the 1937 Art Deco cinema, one of the world's finest examples of the style; check locally whether screenings are running during your visit.
- Half day
- Central Asmara (Historic Centre)
- Good for kids
- Indoors
Free
Enda Mariam Cathedral
Visit the eclectic Eritrean Orthodox cathedral in the heart of the city; dress modestly and avoid entering during services.
- Half day
- Central Asmara (Historic Centre)
- Good for kids
- Indoors
Free
Church of Our Lady of the Rosary
The neo-Romanesque Catholic church built in the 1920s anchors the colonial centre; mornings are quietest for a look inside.
- Half day
- Central Asmara (Historic Centre)
- Good for kids
- Indoors
≈ $1
Eritrean National Museum
Small but worthwhile collection covering Eritrean history and archaeology; closed Sundays, so plan it for a weekday.
- Half day
- Central Asmara (Historic Centre)
- Good for kids
- Indoors
- Closed: Sunday
Free
Governor's Palace
View the neoclassical former Italian governor's residence from the outside; the building itself is not open to the public.
- Half day
- Central Asmara (Historic Centre)
- Good for kids
≈ $20
Massawa day trip
Descend the escarpment to the hot Red Sea port of Massawa for its Ottoman and Italian old town; the rebuilt railway line also runs this route when operating.
- Full day
- Central Asmara (Historic Centre)
- Good for kids
≈ $15
Keren day trip
Drive north to Eritrea's second city for its markets and the Tigu tree, a huge sycamore that serves as a local landmark and meeting point.
- Full day
- Central Asmara (Historic Centre)
- Good for kids
≈ $5
Piazza cafes and gelato
Spend an arrival evening over espresso, gelato or Italian-Eritrean pasta around the palm-lined piazzas; bring a light jacket for the cool highland night.
- Half day
- Central Asmara (Historic Centre)
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening
Free
Liberation Avenue evening walk
Stroll the wide palm-lined boulevards past colonial villas and shopfronts with Italian names as the city lights come on.
- Half day
- Central Asmara (Historic Centre)
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening

Before you go

Entry and visas

Most visitors need a visa before travel; there is no general visa-free or visa-on-arrival access, and applications go through an Eritrean embassy or consulate in your home country. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond arrival and have at least 2 blank consecutive pages. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all but essential travel to the rest of Eritrea and against all travel within 25km of all land borders; check your own government's advice before booking. British-Eritrean dual nationals who enter on an Eritrean identity card need an exit permit from the Immigration Office in Asmara to leave the country.

Official website

From the airport

Asmara International Airport is about 5 km from the centre; a taxi into town takes roughly 15–20 minutes. Massawa International Airport is an alternative gateway on the coast.

Getting around

The compact centre is best explored on foot; shared minibuses and taxis cover longer distances, with fares agreed before you ride.

Local tips

No restrictions on clothing; Eritrea is an open society, and laws do not prohibit any kind of dress.
Bring enough cash in US dollars or euros and keep exchange receipts — spending foreign currency must be accounted for on departure.
Declare all laptops, phones and cameras on arrival or they can be confiscated when you leave.
December to February is driest and coolest; July and August bring most of the annual rain, and nights are chilly year-round at this altitude.

Areas worth knowing

North-East Asmara
North-West Asmara
South-East Asmara
South-West Asmara
Central Asmara (Historic Centre)

Official travel advice

The UK Foreign Office last updated its advice for this country on October 9, 2026. The advice includes warnings against travel to some areas. Read it before booking.

Read the advice on GOV.UK