The capital and the coast
Almost every trip begins in Djibouti City, home to the only major international airport, most hotels and the best food in the country. It is the base for day trips and the place to arrange tours. Just offshore, the Moucha and Maskali islands offer white sand, reefs and snorkelling, and in the cooler months boats from the capital head out to swim near whale sharks.
The salt lakes and the desert
Two lakes define Djibouti for most visitors. Lake Assal is a turquoise crater lake ringed by salt, lying far below sea level a couple of hours west of the capital, and it is an easy day trip. Lake Abbe, far out on the Ethiopian border, is a plain of limestone chimneys that steam at dawn, and needs an overnight stay in a simple camp.
The north
Across the Gulf of Tadjoura, Tadjourah is the oldest town in the country, a calm whitewashed place of mosques and seafront. Behind it, the Goda Mountains hold the Day Forest, a cool green surprise in the desert, with Afar villages and simple ecolodges.
How to combine them
A short trip of four or five days covers the capital, Lake Assal, the islands and one night at Lake Abbe. A week or more adds Tadjourah and the Goda Mountains. Use our places to visit list for specific spots and the free trip planner to build a route that respects the heat and the distances.