Lake Asale (also written Assale, and linked to Lake Karum) sits in one of the deepest parts of the Danakil Depression, more than 100 m below sea level. Most of the time it is a vast, dazzlingly white crust of salt; after rare rains, a thin sheet of water turns it into a mirror.
This is where one of the oldest trades in the Horn of Africa continues: workers cut the salt crust into regular blocks by hand, and camel and donkey caravans carry them up to the highlands. Watching the caravans set off, and sunset over the flats, are highlights of most Erta Ale itineraries that include the north.
Top things to do at Lake Asale Salt Flats
Watch the salt cutters
With axes and wooden poles, teams lever up slabs of salt and trim them into blocks. Ask your guide before taking photos — it is hard, hot work and people are not a spectacle.
See the camel caravans
Long lines of camels, loaded with salt blocks, cross the plain towards Berhale and the highlands. Numbers vary with the season, and trucks now carry part of the trade.
Sunset on the salt
Many tours stop on the flats at the end of the day for photos as the colours change — spectacular when there is a little water on the surface.
How to get to Lake Asale Salt Flats
- The flats are close to Hamed Ela, on the northern route from Mekele via Berhale.
- They are included in most 3- and 4-day tours that visit Dallol.
- The road from the highlands descends a spectacular escarpment; allow most of a day from Mekele.
Insider tips
- Sunglasses and sun cream are essential — the glare is extreme.
- Bring sandals you do not mind getting salty if there is standing water.
- Be respectful when photographing workers and caravans; always ask first.
Best tours that include Lake Asale Salt Flats
These licensed expeditions are the practical way to reach Lake Asale Salt Flats — transport, permits, Afar escorts and meals are all arranged for you:
3-day expedition from €320 Mekelle: 3 Day Afar Albado Danakil Tour
One of the lowest-priced three-day departures, with a stronger emphasis on Afar life: the salt cutters on the Asale flats, the camel trains and the villages that support them, alongside the volcano and Dallol.
- Hike to the Erta Ale crater rim
- Explore the Dallol area
- Learn how the Afar salt caravans still work
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
3-day expedition from €462 3-Day Danakil Depression: A Journey into Earth’s Fiery Heart
A three-day programme with consistently high ratings, covering the volcano, Dallol and the salt flats. A good alternative when the most popular departures are full.
- Erta Ale’s active crater
- Dallol and the salt plain
- Consistently high ratings
