Danakil Depression

One of the lowest, hottest places on Earth, where Dallol's colorful sulfur springs, the Lake Asale salt caravans and the Erta Ale lava lake form an otherworldly landscape.

The Danakil Depression lies in the Afar Region of northeastern Ethiopia. It is part of the Afar Triangle, where the East African Rift, the Red Sea Rift and the Gulf of Aden Rift meet. Its lowest point is about 125 m below sea level and its average annual temperature exceeds 34°C, making it one of the hottest, lowest and driest places on Earth; it is also the Afar region where the human ancestor "Lucy" was unearthed. The best season is November to February, when daytime temperatures still often reach 35–40°C; from May to September daytime highs can exceed 45°C and travel is generally not recommended. The main sights fall into two areas. The north is centered on Dallol, with colorful sulfur springs, salt-mountain canyons, the Gaet'ale oil lake, an abandoned mining town, and the salt-harvesting grounds and salt caravans of Lake Asale (Lake Karum); groups overnight in the village of Hamed Ela. The south is the Erta Ale volcano, which you climb on a night hike to see its lava lake; farther south, Lake Afdera offers hot springs and floating in its salty water. The two areas are linked by about 80–100 km of sand and gravel track. Getting there: you can only visit with a licensed tour operator, usually on a 3–4 day itinerary departing from Mekelle via Berahile down into the depression, or from the Afar regional capital, Semera. Groups come with 4WD vehicles, a cook, local Afar guides and armed escorts, and fees include permits. Note: the area lies right next to the Eritrean border, tourists were attacked there in 2012 and 2017, and the situation in Tigray and Afar also changes from time to time. Before you travel, be sure to check the latest advisories from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, and choose only reputable operators. Accommodation is very basic; bring a headlamp, dust mask, hiking boots, sun protection and oral rehydration salts, and drink more than 4 liters of water per person per day. The pools at Dallol are strongly acidic, so do not touch them.

Top sights

• Danakil Depression & Dallol – One of the lowest and hottest places on Earth. The yellow-green sulphur salt pools of the Dallol hot springs look otherworldly, Erta Ale ha…
• Dallol Hydrothermal Field – A volcanic geothermal area below sea level, where sulphur, iron and salts have built colourful yellow, green, orange and white pools and sa…
• Erta Ale – Erta Ale means "smoking mountain" in the Afar language. Its crater has long held a churning lava lake, and visitors reach the top on a nigh…
• Dallol Salt Mountains & Salt Canyon – Southwest of Dallol, wind and water have eroded red and white salt rock into canyons, spires and mushroom-shaped pillars. It is a popular s…
• Dallol Ghost Town – The abandoned remains of a potash mining town built in the early 20th century by Italian miners, with houses made of salt bricks. The site…
• Lake Gaet'ale (Yellow Lake) – A hot, highly saline lake that formed after an earthquake in 2005. Its water looks oily and churns constantly, making it one of the salties…
• Lake Assale Salt Flats & Camel Caravans – Afar salt miners cut salt beds into salt bricks with axes, and camel and donkey caravans carry them up to the highlands, a scene that has c…
• Lake Karum – A shallow salt lake about 120 meters below sea level. Its thin water creates a mirror-like surface, and tours often watch the sunset here.
• Hamed Ela – An Afar salt-mining village south of Dallol, and the main overnight camp for Danakil tours. Its starry skies are excellent.
• Lake Afrera – A highly saline lake in the southern part of the depression. It has hot springs and salt evaporation ponds on its shores, and you can float…
• Berahile – An Afar town on the way down from Mekele into the depression. It is a transfer point for salt caravans and a place where tours check permit…