Gondar (sometimes spelled as Gonder) is among largest towns in Ethiopia and an established tourist destination. The main draws of Gondar are its historical sites. The town is also an obvious overnight stop en route to Axum and other destinations in the north. For many travellers, Gondar is the starting point for tours to Simien mountains. At an altitude of over 2000 metres, spending a night or more in Gondar helps acclimatising for a hike in the Simien mountains.
Fasil Ghebbi (Gondar Castle)
The Gondar Castle, locally named Fasil Ghebbi, is the main attraction of the town, located right in the city centre. The castle was built in the 17th century by Emperor Fasilides. Fasil Ghebbi has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979.
The castle consists of several buildings, and takes up a fairly large compound. Compared to many European castles, this is not that impressive, but consider that castles in Africa are few and far between. Uniquely, Fasil Ghebbi was built by locals, instead of colonial powers.
Disappointingly, visitors are not permitted to go to the top of the castle, where views towards the town and surrounding mountains would be great.
Entrance costs 200 Birr (around $10 ), with discount for students having an ISIC card. Official guides are available, fortunately not as pushy as ones in Lalibela or Blue Nile Falls, for example.
More attractions
There are number of other attractions around Gondar (none of which did I visit inside).
If Fasil Ghebbi isn’t enough, go to historical ruins at Mentewab’s Palace (aka Kuskuam Complex). The site is located 3 kilometres northwest of the town up a mountain. The entrance fee is around 5 USD, according to Bradt Guide to Ethiopia.
Fasilide’s Bath is a centuries-old bathhouse west of the city centre. It can be visited anytime, but the pool is open only during special festivities. A ticket to Fasil Ghebbi should be valid to visit here too. Fasilide’s bath is conveniently located en route to Mentewab’s Palace.
Debre Berhan Selassie is a 400-year old church, looking nice from outside and is said to have fascinating paintwork inside. This is located east of the city centre, easily within walking distance.
Gorgora village, some 60 kilometres south of Gondar, is a place to visit Lake Tana northern shore monasteries.
Simien trek
There are numerous tour companies in Gondar selling Mount Simien tours. As a westerner, you get approached all the time by touts selling tours to Simien, but ignore them and go to office instead to arrange the trip. To get the best price, it is necessary to visit several tour companies. Otherwise, you may try to find a good guide in advance (that’s how we did), this will save some dollars compared to using a tour company. Those who want to do the trek as independently as possible, should head straight to Park headquarters in Debark, but supplies there are very limited.
Eating
As with any Ethiopian town, restaurants and cafes serving cheap local food are everywhere. L-Shape hotel has a diverse menu, probably serving best pizzas of the town.
Gondar also has some upmarket restaurants worth a mention (yet not too expensive). Four Sisters restaurant serve great lunch and dinner buffets. Another nice option just few blocks away is Master Chef. Getting good pasta in Ethiopia is almost impossible, but this place made a difference.
Accommodation
As a town popular with tourists, accommodation options are many, fitting everyone’s budget. I stayed in two hotels and checked a few more.
First I went to Ethiopia Hotel asking for a room. According to the latest Bradt Ethiopia guide, cheapest rooms there should cost just 5 USD, but they asked me 200 Birr for a very basic room (non-ensuite), this is almost double the price quoted by Bradt. As the receptionist showed no intention of giving a discount, I had no other option than walk out to find another place.
So I went up the hill, where are some budget hotels. I settled for Crown Pension, getting a room for 150 Birr, again not ensuite, but for this price it didn’t matter. The place is small and pleasant, and they provide adequate wi-fi. Queen Taitu Pension right next door is another similar option.
After spending couple of nights at Crown Pension, I moved to Hotel Michael, where my friends for our Simien tour were staying. Here a single room cost 250 Birr, a good price considering this is a new and fairly nice hotel. For similar budged, L-Shape hotel located almost next door is another good option.
Transport
Central Gondar has everything within walking distance. To reach nearby attractions, taking a bajaj (rickshaw) is a good and cheap option.
The bus station is bit off the city centre, but most buses from other destinations pass through the centre, stopping there for drop-off. On leaving Gondar by local buses, it is necessary to go to the bus station, as these will be full on departure by all likelihood.
Best buses to/from Addis Ababa are those by Selam Bus, Skybus and other “luxury” operators. These buses leave usually around 5:30 am from Meskel Square in city center, expect the ride to take around 14 hours.
Bahir Dar is served by very frequent minibuses. Other destinations of interest served by buses or minibuses include Gorgora, Debark and Axum. There is also a direct bus to Lalibela (I took it the other way, check my Lalibela post for experiences).
A more adventurous than luxurious way of travel will be a two-day boat ride on MV Tananich between Bahir Dar and Gorgora. This service runs just once a week. Check out a story about the ride on travelblog.org, and another one by The Candy Trail.
Gondar has an airport and Ethiopian Airlines serves flight connections to Addis, Axum and Lalibela.
Related blog posts
Bahir Dar attractions – Lake Tana Monasteries and Blue Nile Falls
WanderWicked 
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