Mekele (also spelled Mekelle) is the capital of the Tigray Region, set at around 2,000 m on the highland plateau above the Danakil. It is a lively, practical city, and for decades it has been the main starting and finishing point for Danakil expeditions — most local operators are based here, and tours usually pick up from hotels in town.
Mekele was seriously affected by the 2020–2022 conflict in northern Ethiopia, and tourism stopped for a long period. Tours from Mekele resumed after the peace agreement, but the situation can change quickly, so always check the latest advice from your government and from your operator before travelling.
Top things to do at Mekele
Rest before and after the Danakil
A night in a decent hotel with a hot shower before departure — and even more after returning — makes the whole trip better. See where to stay.
Visit the palace of Yohannes IV
The 19th-century palace of Emperor Yohannes IV, who made Mekele his capital, houses a museum (check current opening before you go).
Try Tigrayan food
Injera with tsebhi (stews), grilled meat and the local coffee ceremony — the city has plenty of simple, good restaurants.
How to get to Mekele
- By air: Ethiopian Airlines flies Addis Ababa to Mekele’s Alula Aba Nega Airport (MQX), about 1 hour 15 minutes. Check current schedules.
- By road: roughly 780 km from Addis Ababa — a long two-day drive.
- From Mekele, tours descend the escarpment to the Danakil via Berhale.
Insider tips
- Arrive the day before your tour departs so a delayed flight does not cost you the expedition.
- Withdraw or change cash in Mekele — there are no ATMs in the Danakil.
- Confirm the pick-up time and hotel with your operator the evening before.
Best tours that include Mekele
These licensed expeditions are the practical way to reach Mekele — transport, permits, Afar escorts and meals are all arranged for you:
3-day expedition from €396 Mekele: 3-Day Danakil Depression Tour & Volcano
A straightforward three-day circuit from Mekele, the traditional starting point for the Danakil. You drive down from the highlands to the salt plain, cross the lava fields to the volcano, walk up to the rim for the night and finish at Dallol before climbing back to Mekele.
- Round trip from Mekele with 4x4 transport
- Sunset, night and dawn at the Erta Ale caldera
- Dallol hydrothermal field and the salt caravans
3-day camping from €352 3-Day Danakil Depression Tour with Camping
A budget-friendly camping expedition from Mekele that covers the three essentials — Erta Ale, the salt flats and Lake Afrera — with sleeping mats, meals and drinking water provided. Expect basic but well-organised camps and a proper sense of how remote this place is.
- Erta Ale volcano with a night under the stars
- Lake Afrera and the salt flats
- Camping gear, meals and water included
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
