×

Ethiopia🇪🇹 | attractionsHarar JugolWalled alleys, Feres Magala market, Jamia Mosque, Rimbaud’s house | things to do and best time to go

Explore Ura Kidane MehretExplore Hyena Feeding Site

Backpacking in Harar Jugol
🏆 Top pickattraction ranked #3
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 22, 2026

A boy in a doorway off Feres Magala hands me a glass of sweet, cardamom-heavy tea, and the price is US$0.20, paid in birr coins I fumble out of my pocket. Steam, roasting coffee and the smell of khat leaves hang in the alley. Harar Jugol sits in the east of Ethiopia, a walled old town on a hilltop, reached from Dire Dawa. It has 368 alleys packed inside 3.5 meters of stone wall, so GPS fails and you get lost on purpose. Locals expect you to pay in birr, and cards rarely work, so carry small notes from an ATM in the new town. Crowds are thin, the call to prayer arrives from dozens of mosques, and entry costs little. It suits curious walkers who like markets and slow bargaining. It will frustrate anyone who wants signposts, polished museums or quick ticking-off.

Discover everything you want to know in the 📖 Ethiopia Travel Guide.
Safety warning

The current risk level for Ethiopia is high. Check the advice before going.


example page 0 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
example page 1 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
example page 2 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
example page 3 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
example page 4 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
example page 5 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
example page 6 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
example page 7 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
Loading the map 🌍
CLICK TO FILTER
cities
towns
landmarks
national parks
hikes
attractions
festivals
regions
SHOW COUNTRY’S BESTSHOW ALL

✨ Why go?
Ranked #3 attraction in EthiopiaWhat makes this attraction worth visiting

Harar Jugol is one of Islam’s holiest cities in the Horn of Africa, with 82 mosques and more than 100 shrines packed inside its walls. That density is what you come for. Walk ten minutes in any direction and you pass a green-painted minaret, a courtyard of women selling spice, and a doorway where someone insists you sit for coffee. The architecture is distinct from the rest of Ethiopia: Harari houses have raised sitting platforms and rows of niches, so you can see living rooms that look nothing like a highland homestead.

The city also gives a backpacker a milestone on the eastern route. After the churches of the north, Harar Jugol feels like a different country, with Somali, Oromo and Harari voices all in the same lane. Then there is the nightly hyena feeding outside the walls, an odd and … read more 👉
Harar Jugol is one of Islam’s holiest cities in the Horn of Africa, with 82 mosques and more than 100 shrines packed inside its walls. That density is what you come for. Walk ten minutes in any direction and you pass a green-painted minaret, a courtyard of women selling spice, and a doorway where someone insists you sit for coffee. The architecture is distinct from the rest of Ethiopia: Harari houses have raised sitting platforms and rows of niches, so you can see living rooms that look nothing like a highland homestead.

The city also gives a backpacker a milestone on the eastern route. After the churches of the north, Harar Jugol feels like a different country, with Somali, Oromo and Harari voices all in the same lane. Then there is the nightly hyena feeding outside the walls, an odd and memorable ritual that has gone on for generations. It is cheap, safe to attend with a local feeder, and absorbing in a way few Ethiopian stops are. A day is enough for the highlights, but two lets you linger.

💡 HighlightsEssential experiences to have while visiting Harar Jugol

  1. Jugol Walls and Gates: The 16th-century wall, about 4 kilometers around, has five main gates. Walk the loop and watch the old town’s life pour in and out of Harar Gate and Erer Gate.
  2. Feres Magala Market Square: The central market area, where Oromo women in bright dress sell fruit, spices and baskets. The noise and smell hit you at once, and it is the best place to buy coffee beans.
  3. Harar Hyena Feeding: Each evening outside the walls, feeders toss scraps to wild spotted hyenas. You can take a piece of meat on a stick yourself. It is theatrical, a bit eerie, and very popular.
  4. Jamia Mosque: The great mosque in the heart of the old town, with two slim white minarets. Simple inside, but the courtyard tells you how central worship is to the city.
  5. Rimbaud’s House: A wooden house said to have been the
… read more 👉
  1. Jugol Walls and Gates: The 16th-century wall, about 4 kilometers around, has five main gates. Walk the loop and watch the old town’s life pour in and out of Harar Gate and Erer Gate.
  2. Feres Magala Market Square: The central market area, where Oromo women in bright dress sell fruit, spices and baskets. The noise and smell hit you at once, and it is the best place to buy coffee beans.
  3. Harar Hyena Feeding: Each evening outside the walls, feeders toss scraps to wild spotted hyenas. You can take a piece of meat on a stick yourself. It is theatrical, a bit eerie, and very popular.
  4. Jamia Mosque: The great mosque in the heart of the old town, with two slim white minarets. Simple inside, but the courtyard tells you how central worship is to the city.
  5. Rimbaud’s House: A wooden house said to have been the home of the French poet Arthur Rimbaud during his years trading in Harar. It has a small display of photos and period furniture.
  6. Harari Cultural Museum (Sherif Harar Museum): A traditional house showing how a Harari family lived, with wall baskets, textile and wedding items. Helpful for understanding the town’s distinctive interiors.
  7. Ras Tafari Makonnen House: A building tied to the family of Haile Selassie, who governed Harar as a young man. It shows a more formal side of local history.
  8. Alley wandering in Gey Gar: The name means City of Harar. The lanes wind past blue and pink walls, with details only slow walking reveals.
The museums and Rimbaud’s House charge a small entry fee at the door, while the hyena feeding is paid on the spot and needs no booking.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

Things to do around Harar Jugol

Harar Tour Walled City of Legends in Ethiopia

Harar Tour Walled City of Legends in Ethiopia

5.0(1) 48h
From €362
per personViator

Ratings based on Tripadvisor reviews. When you book through this link, you support our work at no extra cost to you.

🌤️ When to go?Best time to visit Harar Jugol

October to February is the most comfortable window for Harar Jugol, with dry, sunny days and cool nights at roughly 1,850 meters of elevation.
  • Dry Season (October to February): Days run 24 to 28°C (75 to 82°F), nights drop to 10 to 14°C (50 to 57°F). Walking the 5 km of old walls is pleasant. Crowds peak around Ethiopian Christmas (early January) and Timket (mid-January), and guesthouse prices rise a little.
  • Short Rains (March to May): Afternoon showers arrive, temperatures reach 26 to 30°C (79 to 86°F), and the hills turn green. Alleys get slick and muddy, but visitors are few and beds are easy to find.
  • Main Rains (June to September): Expect 22 to 26°C (72 to 79°F) with frequent downpours in July and August. Prices are lowest and the markets are quiet. Daylight stays close to 12 hours all year.
… read more 👉
October to February is the most comfortable window for Harar Jugol, with dry, sunny days and cool nights at roughly 1,850 meters of elevation.
  • Dry Season (October to February): Days run 24 to 28°C (75 to 82°F), nights drop to 10 to 14°C (50 to 57°F). Walking the 5 km of old walls is pleasant. Crowds peak around Ethiopian Christmas (early January) and Timket (mid-January), and guesthouse prices rise a little.
  • Short Rains (March to May): Afternoon showers arrive, temperatures reach 26 to 30°C (79 to 86°F), and the hills turn green. Alleys get slick and muddy, but visitors are few and beds are easy to find.
  • Main Rains (June to September): Expect 22 to 26°C (72 to 79°F) with frequent downpours in July and August. Prices are lowest and the markets are quiet. Daylight stays close to 12 hours all year.
  • Festivals: Ashura and Maulid draw pilgrims into the shrines, and the nightly hyena feeding outside the walls runs year-round.
Book a bed ahead if you arrive for a major festival, since the town is small and fills fast.


source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: highly recommended for travelingFEBFebruary: excellent for travelingMARMarch: excellent for travelingAPRApril: good for travelingMAYMay: fair for travelingJUNJune: fair for travelingJULJuly: below average for travelingAUGAugust: below average for travelingSEPSeptember: fair for travelingOCTOctober: excellent for travelingNOVNovember: excellent for travelingDECDecember: highly recommended for traveling
when-to-go

✈️ The backpacker research shortcutEthiopia Travel Guide

An offline-friendly backpacking guide with optimized travel routes, ranked highlights, transport advice, and the best areas to stay.
example page 0 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
example page 1 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
example page 2 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
example page 3 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
example page 4 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
example page 5 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
example page 6 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
example page 7 from our offline Travel Guide for Ethiopia
The digital guide (380 pages) contains:
✅ 98 highlights, ranked by travel appeal
✅ Optimized 7, 14 & 21-day travel routes
✅ Cities, national parks, landmarks, beaches
✅ How to get around
✅ Offline-friendly for travel without Wi-Fi
👉 Click to see all 30+ guide features

📅 Plan smarter in minutes, not weeks
✅ Month by month travel advice
✅ Festivals & national holidays
✅ Budget expectations

🗺️ Go to the right places, skip the overrated ones
✅ Honest pros & cons of destinations
✅ Top hikes, parks & viewpoints
✅ Lesser-known places most travelers miss
✅ Clear “worth it vs skip it” guidance

🛏️ Travel smoothly without rookie mistakes
✅ Best areas to stay
✅ Transport systems explained simply
✅ Common scams & safety advice
✅ SIM cards, money & practical tips

🌍 Understand the country, not just visit it
✅ Culture & traditions
✅ 52 Essential phrases & customs
✅ Festivals worth planning around
✅ Traveler-friendly historical context
✅ Insights that make places more meaningful

📱 Built for real travel conditions
✅ Fully downloadable PDF
✅ Works completely offline
✅ Optimized for phone use
✅ Useful in remote areas & buses
✅ Everything in one place
Stop searching, start planning
Get instant access to your full guide. 30‑day money-back guarantee.
+ Add another guide for just

By proceeding you agree to our terms.
Sent to your inbox immediately after payment • 100% Secure Checkout
Best Backpacking Travel Advisor 2025 tourism awardBest Backpacking
Travel Advisor
2025
What others say about Take Your Backpack Guides:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fantastic, amazing amount of information!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My goodness this is amazing, it's what I've been looking for hats off too you!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I think this is absolutely BRILLIANT
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Very complete and informative. It's still missing places, but I gotta to commend you
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is truly amazing, thank you, can't wait to explore it with my kids!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Awesome resource, thank you!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is amazing! Can't wait to explore the ones I haven't seen
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love this! Well done, great idea.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks for taking the time to make this gem!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This might be the best website I've ever seen.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Congratulations, and thank you so much for your work; it's incredibly valuable.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
In all seriousness I think you did a great job pointing out the important spots
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
10/10 very good
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
As someone who's only just starting to visit regularly this is awesome, thank you.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you very much! I'm going to visit my dad, it's going to be very useful!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is really cool! We'll be travelling for the first time and this definitely come in handy.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
You are now our minister of culture, congratulations 👨‍💼
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Just wanted to tell you that this is a pearl! Going to follow your recommendations.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is so cool. I'll definitely be using the resource for my travels soon.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is very impressive! Good work.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is an amazing and informative site. Very well done!

🛏️ Where to stay?How to pick the right area

Stay inside the walls of the old town, ideally within a few minutes of Feres Magala square and Harar Gate, where most budget travelers end up. The walled Jugol is compact enough to cross on foot in 20 minutes, so a bed here means you walk to the markets, shrines and the evening hyena spot without any transport. Narrow lanes are dim after dark, but the area is lively until about 9 pm, and the neighbors are used to visitors.

The streets around Feres Magala and Mekina Girgir have the most traditional guesthouses, many built as courtyard homes with painted walls. These tend to be the most social … read more 👉
Stay inside the walls of the old town, ideally within a few minutes of Feres Magala square and Harar Gate, where most budget travelers end up. The walled Jugol is compact enough to cross on foot in 20 minutes, so a bed here means you walk to the markets, shrines and the evening hyena spot without any transport. Narrow lanes are dim after dark, but the area is lively until about 9 pm, and the neighbors are used to visitors.

The streets around Feres Magala and Mekina Girgir have the most traditional guesthouses, many built as courtyard homes with painted walls. These tend to be the most social places, with shared tables and travelers swapping plans for Dire Dawa, Jijiga or Babile. Expect simple rooms, shared bathrooms at the cheapest end, and hot water that comes and goes.

Just outside Harar Gate, the Gidir Megala and Shoa Gate sides of town offer a few more modern, quiet options with reliable water and easier parking for a taxi or minibus. This suits you if you arrive late by bus or want a proper shower. The ride into the walls by bajaj is short. Avoid the far outskirts, where you lose the evening atmosphere and need a ride after dark.
Best hostels in Ethiopia


Best quality hotels in Ethiopia

👛 Costs (as of 22 October 2026)How expensive it really is

Harar Jugol costs roughly US$38 to 62 per day for a backpacker, with a total daily budget of US$50 in high season, and most spending goes on the entrance fee, a bed and meals. Travelers pay in Ethiopian birr, though foreigner fees at some sites are quoted in dollars.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Walled town entryUS$0Wandering the lanes and gates is free, with no ticket booth for the old town itself.
Museums and house visitsUS$2 to 5Sherif Harar City Museum and Rimbaud-era houses charge small separate fees for foreigners.
Hyena feedingUS$2 to 4Paid to the feeder outside the walls at dusk. Taking a bajaj there and back adds a little.
Accommodation (high season)US$12 to 25Dorm or basic private room in a traditional guesthouse. Off season is US$8 to 18.
Food and drinkUS$6 to 12Local meals, fresh
… read more 👉
Harar Jugol costs roughly US$38 to 62 per day for a backpacker, with a total daily budget of US$50 in high season, and most spending goes on the entrance fee, a bed and meals. Travelers pay in Ethiopian birr, though foreigner fees at some sites are quoted in dollars.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Walled town entryUS$0Wandering the lanes and gates is free, with no ticket booth for the old town itself.
Museums and house visitsUS$2 to 5Sherif Harar City Museum and Rimbaud-era houses charge small separate fees for foreigners.
Hyena feedingUS$2 to 4Paid to the feeder outside the walls at dusk. Taking a bajaj there and back adds a little.
Accommodation (high season)US$12 to 25Dorm or basic private room in a traditional guesthouse. Off season is US$8 to 18.
Food and drinkUS$6 to 12Local meals, fresh juices and Harari coffee cost little. Tourist restaurants charge more.
Local transportUS$1 to 4Bajaj rides within town are cheap. Shared minibuses go to Dire Dawa and Jijiga.
Guide (optional)US$10 to 20Useful for the shrines and hidden alleys. Agree the price first.
Total Daily BudgetUS$50Comfortable for one traveler including a guide for half a day.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

FAQCommon questions from travelers

One full day covers Harar Jugol well, and two days lets you slow down. Start at Harar Gate and Feres Magala in the morning, visit the Sherif Harar City Museum and the Rimbaud house, then catch the hyena feeding at dusk outside the walls. Add a second day for the camel market, a coffee farm visit or a trip to Babile, about 30 km away.
For most visitors, yes, because Harar Jugol has no ticket for the old town itself and the only fees are small charges of roughly US$2 to 5 at museums and houses. The 368 alleys, 82 mosques and brightly painted houses are free to wander. The museum fees are worth paying if you want context on Harari culture and the poet Rimbaud’s time here.
Fly or drive to Dire Dawa, then continue about 55 km by shared minibus or taxi, which takes roughly 1.5 to 2 hours. From Addis Ababa, buses take 9 to 11 hours, and flights to Dire Dawa are about an hour. Minibuses from Dire Dawa cost around US$2 to 4 and drop you near Harar Gate.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Other Ethiopian attractions near Harar Jugol

Explore more nearby:


💡 Not sure where to go next?
Create a personalized itinerary for Ethiopia including Harar Jugol and the places that fit your trip.

Generate my itinerary

👉 Discover all attractions

Or checkout all Ethiopia has to offer (think cities, towns, villages, national parks, hikes, beaches, festivals)
Explore Ethiopia
Country photo of Ethiopia
© Google Images

We 💚 feedbackFinal thoughts on visiting Harar Jugol

Harar Jugol rewards people who look up. Above many doorways, you will see painted decoration and carved lintels that most visitors walk right under. I would spend a slow morning on side lanes with no destination, and save the museums for the afternoon when the heat sends everyone indoors.

✈️ When did I visit Ethiopia?
Ethiopia I visited back in October 2017. I combined the trip with a visit to Sudan. Ethiopia was a pure surprise with the magical scenery like the Danakil Depression and the Simien Mountains.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in Ethiopia, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



🙋‍♂️ Give feedback

👋 Meet the founderWho’s Behind Take Your Backpack?

Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

The goal is to provide realistic, experience-driven guidance — not generic itineraries — so you can explore destinations with better context, clearer expectations, and more confidence.

Read the full story