Things to do in Eritrea in a 11-day itinerary

Wanna travel to Eritrea with Against the Compass?

Join a group of like-minded travelers in our next scheduled tour in Eritrea on:

February 21st to 28th, 2025

This itinerary covers pretty much everywhere you can possibly visit in Eritrea.

With the exception of the Dahlak Islands, anywhere not covered in this Eritrea itinerary is typically restricted or off limits to tourists.

Please also remember that this itinerary is aimed at independent backpackers who are traveling by public transport, and like to take things relatively slowly although you could easily complete this itinerary much quicker, assuming you are traveling by car.

In fact, on our Eritrea Expeditions, we manage to squeeze this itinerary in only 8 days.

Learn more about our upcoming tours to Eritrea.

For travel tips, info on visas, etc., don’t forget to read our travel guide to Eritrea

In this Eritrea travel itinerary, you will find:

Places to visit in Eritrea with a 11-day itinerary

Map of the things to do in Eritrea

Here are my recommended places to visit in Eritrea, and the most common travel itinerary we use for our expeditions.

How to plan your itinerary for Eritrea

As you may know, Asmara is located in the center of the country.

Since the only way of traveling to Eritrea is by flying in, your trip will always start and end in Asmara.

Furthermore, you’ll always have to come back to the capital before heading in any other direction, as there’s no direct transportation from Keren to Massawa. Instead, you will need to stop in Asmara, and most likely spend the night there.

Fortunately, Asmara is a pretty cool city and the best place to visit in Eritrea, so heading back there every other day isn’t something you will regret.

Don’t forget to check our travel guide to Eritrea for all the practical information.

Day 1, 2 – Arrival and Asmara visit

In my experience, Asmara was without a doubt the highlight of my trip to Eritrea.

Unlike many other sub-saharan African capitals, this is such a charming, peaceful city.

There’s no…