Dallol lies in the far north of the Danakil, close to the Eritrean border, on top of a buried salt dome heated from below by the same volcanic system that feeds Erta Ale. Groundwater rises through thick salt layers and emerges as hot, highly acidic springs that deposit crusts of yellow sulphur, green and white salts and red-brown iron oxides, changing colour as they age.
The area around Dallol is also one of the hottest inhabited regions on Earth: records from a short-lived mining settlement in the 1960s gave an average annual temperature of about 34 °C. It is almost always combined with Erta Ale on a 3- or 4-day tour, usually visited early in the morning from the camp at Hamed Ela.
Top things to do at Dallol
Walk the hydrothermal field
A short, easy walk on a salt crust takes you among bubbling pools, tiny geysers and terraces that look like coral in improbable colours. Stay on the paths your guide shows you: the crust can be thin above acid water.
Explore the salt canyons
Nearby, wind and rain have carved salt mountains into pillars and canyons — a strange, pale landscape that makes a quieter contrast to the colours of the springs.
Stop at Gaet’ale Pond
Some itineraries continue to Gaet’ale, a small, intensely salty pond fed by hot springs, where gas bubbles through the water. Ask in advance exactly which sites your tour includes.
How to get to Dallol
- Usually visited from Hamed Ela, a short drive away, at dawn to avoid the worst of the heat.
- From Mekele it is roughly a day’s drive down the escarpment to the salt plain — the classic tours reach Dallol on day one or three.
- As with the whole Danakil, access requires a licensed operator and escort.
Insider tips
- Go early. By mid-morning the heat and fumes become oppressive.
- Do not touch the pools: the water is extremely acidic and can be scalding.
- Wear old shoes — the salty, acidic ground can damage leather and fabric.
- Bring sunglasses; the reflection off the salt is intense.
Best tours that include Dallol
These licensed expeditions are the practical way to reach Dallol — transport, permits, Afar escorts and meals are all arranged for you:
3-day expedition from €369 From Addis Ababa: 3-Day Danakil Depression and Erta Ale Tour
Handy if you want everything arranged before you leave the capital: a three-day programme covering the Erta Ale trek and Dallol, starting from Addis Ababa. Check exactly which flights and transfers are included before you book.
- Booked and organised from Addis Ababa
- Trek up Erta Ale to see the lava
- Dallol’s geothermal formations
3-day expedition from €460 3-Day Danakil Volcano, Dallol & Salt Flats Tour
A well-balanced itinerary that gives equal weight to the three great sights of the Danakil — the volcano, Dallol and the salt caravans on the Asale flats — at a comfortable pace.
- Trek to the Erta Ale volcano
- Watch the Afar salt caravans
- The colourful Dallol formations and the vast salt flats
2-day express from €440 Extreme Danakil: Lava Lakes & Acid Springs
A compressed two-day version of the classic loop from Semera, pairing the volcano with Dallol and its acid springs. Demanding, but it gets both headline sights into a weekend.
- The Erta Ale trek
- Dallol’s acid springs and salt formations
- The Sulphur Lake
