Stand at the eastern end of Harnet Avenue and you will see it before anyone explains it: half a bleacher, the surviving fragment of a stadium, marking where the palm-lined main street begins. From there the avenue runs a mile west, past cafés, bars, shops and old cinemas, to the Government palace at the far end. This is the spine of Asmara, and walking it is the simplest way to understand why the city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017 for its early 20th-century Italian colonial modernist architecture.
Asmara suits travellers who are interested in architecture, urban history and highland landscapes rather than beach resorts or nightlife circuits. The city sits at 2,325 metres, so the air is thin and dry, the sun is strong, and the shade can be genuinely cold. If you are coming from a low altitude, plan a couple of days of gentle strolling before you attempt anything strenuous.
This guide covers the central sights along and around Harnet Avenue, the museums and places of worship, and the escarpment and highland village excursions on the city's outskirts. It assumes you will use taxis or arrange a car for anything beyond the centre.
Top things to do in Asmara
1. Harnet Avenue
Harnet Avenue is the palm-lined main street, known colloquially as "Kombishtato", a creole of the neighbourhood's original name Campo Cintato, meaning fenced area. It is full of cafés, bars, shops and old cinemas, and makes for a mile-long stroll between the eastern end, where the "half" stadium stands, and the western end, where the Government palace is.
Walk it in one direction without rushing, and treat the cafés as stops rather than detours. This is the best single introduction to the city's Italian-built centre.
2. National Museum of Eritrea
The National Museum of Eritrea sits behind the Nyala Hotel on the quieter Maryam Gmbi Street. It is a modest museum with a collection of artifacts spanning over five millennia of the land's history, and it is well worth the time.
It is closed on Wednesdays and open all other days between 08:00 and 11:00 and 15:00 and 17:00, so plan your visit around those two windows. Combine it with a drink at the Nyala Hotel café, which has a good view over the city.
3. Church of Our Lady of the Rosary
Often referred to simply as "the cathedral", the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary is a former Roman Catholic church built in the early 1920s in a Lombard Romanesque style. Its significance declined with the shrinking Italian community after the Second World War; it stopped being a cathedral in 1975 and has been a parish in the Eritrean Catholic Church since 1995.
The colourful and bustling marketplace lies north of the cathedral, so the two pair naturally in one outing. It is a good place to learn how to haggle and to buy souvenirs.
4. Enda Mariam Cathedral
Enda Mariam Cathedral on Arbate Asmara St is an Eritrean Orthodox church built in 1938. It is one of the city's principal places of worship and a landmark in its own right.
The square in front of the main entrance is the departure point for the red city bus line No. 28 to Tselot, so it works well as the start of a half-day excursion rather than a standalone stop.
5. Fiat Tagliero Building
The Fiat Tagliero Building is one of the city's best-known pieces of futurist architecture, part of the early 20th-century building stock that earned Asmara its World Heritage listing. It is a quick stop rather than a long visit, but it rewards a close look at the structure itself.
There is reported to be another good internet café a few hundred metres west of Nakfa house and the Fiat Tagliero Building, which makes this a convenient point to break a walk along the avenue.
6. Cinema Impero
Cinema Impero opened in 1937 and is considered by experts one of the world's finest examples of Art Deco style building. Like the Fiat Tagliero Building, it belongs to the group of structures that define Asmara's architectural reputation.
It sits within the central area most of which was built between 1935 and 1941, so it fits easily into a walking route along Harnet Avenue rather than requiring a separate trip.
7. Asmara Theatre (Teatro di Asmara)
Asmara Theatre is a historic theatre built in 1918, in an architectural style combining Romanesque Revival and neoclassicism. The theatre is not well used, but there is a café in the building where you can soak in its atmosphere.
Treat the café as the reason to stop rather than expecting a performance. It is a short, low-commitment addition to a central walk.
8. Great Mosque of Asmara
The Great Mosque of Asmara is one of the city's central religious landmarks. Around the main mosque there is a cluster of jewellery shops, which makes the area useful if you are looking for a nice Eritrean pendant in gold or silver.
Combine the visit with the marketplace north of the cathedral, which is within the same central area.
9. Nyala Hotel café
From the café on the top floor of the Nyala Hotel you get a great view of the city while enjoying a well-chilled beer. The beer in Asmara is exceptionally good and is aptly called "Asmara Beer".
Go once in daylight for the view and once in the late afternoon if you want to watch the light change over the rooftops. The National Museum of Eritrea is directly behind the hotel on Maryam Gmbi Street, so the two combine easily.
10. Massawa Road and the eastern escarpment
On the Massawa Road on the outskirts of the city you can see the spectacular scenery of the eastern escarpment. There was a zoo there, but it closed many years ago.
You will need a car or taxi to get beyond the last stop of the No. 1 bus at Biet Ghiorghis. This is the most accessible taste of the dramatic highland landscape without committing to a full day out.
11. Bar Durfo
Further down the Massawa Road, Bar Durfo is a bar and café perched on a cliff overlooking the dramatic precipice of the Asmara–Massawa highway. The setting, rather than the venue itself, is the reason to go.
Because it lies beyond the last stop of the No. 1 bus at Biet Ghiorghis, arrange a car or taxi for the whole trip rather than relying on public transport for the return.
12. Tselot
Tselot is a traditional Eritrean highland village about 7 km south east of the city centre. It is served by the red city bus line No. 28, which departs from the square in front of the main entrance of Enda Mariam Cathedral. The name means "prayer", and the village is also known for being the President's village.
The rural highland lifestyle there resembles Biblical times: stone houses known as Hidmo, small plots, ancient temples both Christian and Muslim, and people farming and herding with traditional means, transporting goods and themselves on mule and camel back. Leave as early as possible, because there are only a couple of buses per day and you must be sure of a way back.
13. Martyrs National Park
Within walking distance of Tselot is the Martyrs National Park, inaugurated in 2000. It is a mountainous forest and wildlife reserve at the ridge of the highland plateau, with an eerily quiet semi-arid plain in a valley interrupted by the dramatic chasm of the eastern ridge, which the village centre straddles.
The highest viewpoint features chasms, gorges and mountaintops bathed by a sea of clouds, giving the impression of standing above the clouds. If you plan to hike, climb or mountain bike here, bring your own gear, including a bike, as there are no rental bikes and only a very limited supply of safety equipment in Asmara. Consult locals and bring a guide who speaks the local language.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the eastern end of Harnet Avenue at the "half" stadium and walk west, taking in Cinema Impero, the Fiat Tagliero Building and Asmara Theatre (Teatro di Asmara) along the way. Finish the walk at the western end at the Government palace. Then head to the National Museum of Eritrea on Maryam Gmbi Street, remembering it is open between 08:00 and 11:00 and again between 15:00 and 17:00 and closed on Wednesdays.
Afternoon. Visit the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and the marketplace north of it, then continue to Enda Mariam Cathedral and the Great Mosque of Asmara, where you can look at the jewellery shops around the main mosque. Take a late lunch or a fresh juice break in the centre before the afternoon heat settles.
Evening. Go up to the café on the top floor of the Nyala Hotel for the view over the city and a well-chilled Asmara Beer. If you still have energy and a car or taxi arranged, drive out along the Massawa Road for the eastern escarpment and end at Bar Durfo on the cliff overlooking the Asmara–Massawa highway.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Asmara?
The long dry season runs from September until around April, with a season of occasional showers from April to June. December to February are typically the driest months. About 60% of annual precipitation falls in July and August, so those two months are the wettest.
What should I pack for the altitude and the sun?
Unless you come from a high altitude area yourself, you may need a couple of days of strolling to get used to the thin dry air at 2,300 m. Bring plenty of sunscreen and UV-blocking shades, but also a sweater, because it can get really chilly at night and even when standing in the shade. Temperatures can vary greatly on different sides of the same street depending on the position of the sun.
Is the National Museum of Eritrea open every day?
No. It is closed on Wednesdays and open all other days between 08:00 and 11:00 and 15:00 and 17:00.
How do I get to Tselot and Martyrs National Park?
Take the red city bus line No. 28, which departs from the square in front of the main entrance of Enda Mariam Cathedral. Leave as early as possible, because there are only a couple of buses per day and you have to make sure you have a way to get back. Martyrs National Park is within walking distance of the village.
Start with the mile of Harnet Avenue and let the city set your pace from there.