Hotels and Accommodation in Gondar

Gondar was the capital of the Ethiopian Empire from the 17th to the 19th centuries, and the legacy of that era dominates the city centre in the form of the Royal Enclosure — a walled compound containing six royal castles built by successive emperors between 1632 and 1855. The Fasil Ghebbi, as it is known, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most extraordinary historic complexes in Africa.

The city also holds the Debre Birhan Selassie church — possibly the most beautiful Ethiopian church in the country — with a famous ceiling covered in painted faces of cherubs looking down at worshippers. Gondar's Timkat festival is celebrated with even greater ceremony than in Addis Ababa, with the Fasilides Bath (a royal bathing pool) filled with water for the annual blessing ceremony.

Accommodation in Gondar ranges from simple guesthouses near the main piazza to mid-range hotels with castle views. The city has improved its hotel infrastructure significantly in recent years and there are now several reliable options across price points.

Gondar is typically combined with a visit to the Simien Mountains — one of Ethiopia's great trekking destinations and a UNESCO site in its own right — which begin approximately 100km north of the city.