Best time to visit Lalibela, Ethiopia

Our verdict

The best time to visit Lalibela is May

Lalibela can be visited year-round, but based on the ideal climate conditions, cost of travel, and avoiding peak holiday periods, May is the best time to go.

In the summer months, temperatures tend to get to a maximum of around 27℃ (81℉). The weather at night in the winter, which is around December-time, can get down to a minimum of 5℃ (41℉).

If you’re keen to see the sights of Lalibela during the day, the sun stays up the longest around May. The wet season in Lalibela falls around August, so if you prefer the dryer weather, you should look to visit in December instead.

Find out everything you need to know about when to visit Lalibela below, including detailed information about the weather and tools to help you find the best prices and book your trip.

Warmest month

June

Least rainfall

December

Most daylight

May

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Lalibela seasons

Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in Lalibela as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. Lalibela is in the Northern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:

Season Months
Summer June to August
Autumn/fall September to November
Winter December to February
Spring March to May

Average temperatures in Lalibela

If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Lalibela for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.

Lalibela climate by month

If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in Lalibela for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.

Jump to:

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

Lalibela in January

  • Average temperature: 14℃ (57℉)
  • Average high temperature: 20℃ (68℉)
  • Average low temperature: 9℃ (48℉)
  • Average humidity: 63%
  • Average sunny days: 19 days
  • Average rainfall: 14mm (1") over 10 days
19 days
of pure sunshine
10 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lalibela in January, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Lalibela in February

  • Average temperature: 15℃ (59℉)
  • Average high temperature: 21℃ (69℉)
  • Average low temperature: 10℃ (50℉)
  • Average humidity: 61%
  • Average sunny days: 16 days
  • Average rainfall: 43mm (2") over 10 days
16 days
of pure sunshine
10 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lalibela in February, make sure you pack a coat or jumper for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Lalibela in March

  • Average temperature: 16℃ (61℉)
  • Average high temperature: 21℃ (70℉)
  • Average low temperature: 11℃ (52℉)
  • Average humidity: 63%
  • Average sunny days: 13 days
  • Average rainfall: 90mm (4") over 17 days
13 days
of pure sunshine
17 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lalibela in March, make sure you pack a coat or jumper for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Lalibela in April

  • Average temperature: 17℃ (62℉)
  • Average high temperature: 22℃ (72℉)
  • Average low temperature: 11℃ (52℉)
  • Average humidity: 66%
  • Average sunny days: 12 days
  • Average rainfall: 84mm (3") over 17 days
12 days
of pure sunshine
17 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lalibela in April, make sure you pack a coat or jumper for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Lalibela in May

  • Average temperature: 17℃ (63℉)
  • Average high temperature: 23℃ (73℉)
  • Average low temperature: 12℃ (53℉)
  • Average humidity: 59%
  • Average sunny days: 16 days
  • Average rainfall: 41mm (2") over 12 days
16 days
of pure sunshine
12 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lalibela in May, make sure you pack a coat or jumper for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Lalibela in June

  • Average temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average high temperature: 25℃ (77℉)
  • Average low temperature: 13℃ (55℉)
  • Average humidity: 42%
  • Average sunny days: 18 days
  • Average rainfall: 35mm (1") over 8 days
18 days
of pure sunshine
8 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lalibela in June, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Lalibela in July

  • Average temperature: 18℃ (65℉)
  • Average high temperature: 23℃ (73℉)
  • Average low temperature: 14℃ (56℉)
  • Average humidity: 60%
  • Average sunny days: 4 days
  • Average rainfall: 129mm (5") over 25 days
4 days
of pure sunshine
25 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lalibela in July, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Lalibela in August

  • Average temperature: 17℃ (62℉)
  • Average high temperature: 22℃ (71℉)
  • Average low temperature: 12℃ (54℉)
  • Average humidity: 71%
  • Average sunny days: 2 days
  • Average rainfall: 172mm (7") over 28 days
2 days
of pure sunshine
28 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lalibela in August, make sure you pack a light jumper or hoodie for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Lalibela in September

  • Average temperature: 16℃ (60℉)
  • Average high temperature: 22℃ (71℉)
  • Average low temperature: 10℃ (50℉)
  • Average humidity: 65%
  • Average sunny days: 8 days
  • Average rainfall: 57mm (2") over 16 days
8 days
of pure sunshine
16 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lalibela in September, make sure you pack a coat or jumper for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.

Lalibela in October

  • Average temperature: 14℃ (58℉)
  • Average high temperature: 21℃ (69℉)
  • Average low temperature: 8℃ (47℉)
  • Average humidity: 64%
  • Average sunny days: 22 days
  • Average rainfall: 29mm (1") over 8 days
22 days
of pure sunshine
8 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lalibela in October, make sure you pack a coat or jumper for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Lalibela in November

  • Average temperature: 14℃ (57℉)
  • Average high temperature: 20℃ (68℉)
  • Average low temperature: 8℃ (47℉)
  • Average humidity: 64%
  • Average sunny days: 22 days
  • Average rainfall: 16mm (1") over 7 days
22 days
of pure sunshine
7 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lalibela in November, make sure you pack a coat or jumper for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Lalibela in December

  • Average temperature: 13℃ (56℉)
  • Average high temperature: 19℃ (67℉)
  • Average low temperature: 8℃ (47℉)
  • Average humidity: 62%
  • Average sunny days: 24 days
  • Average rainfall: 7mm (0") over 6 days
24 days
of pure sunshine
6 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lalibela in December, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Top FAQs

The hottest month of the year in Lalibela is usually June, where temperatures tend to rise to around 25℃ (77℉) in the middle of the day or early afternoon.
The month with the least amount of rain in Lalibela is generally around December. The dry season often coincides with cooler weather, so you should check the temperatures in December first to make sure it’s still a good time to go.
The rainiest time of year in Lalibela is generally around August, although the wetter season can sometimes extend a few months either side of August too.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Lalibela, or if you're just afraid of the dark, the days in May are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset.

Lalibela map

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