The Eritrean capital of Asmara is a vibrant mix of Italian and African architecture and culture. It is by far the biggest and most important city of Eritrea and not just the administration center of the country but also the cultural center and the place where every tourist will arrive to the country.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Electric power is not available throughout the day, although it depends a lot in which part of the city you are and also in which season. In the central part there is power mainly between afternoon and the early morning. So you should charge your phone and camera when you are able to. Power cuts are common, specially in the rainy season so you might be without power for some days in some cases. The internet connection is very slow. Don't expect to be able to do more than receiving and sending emails.
Asmara has 10 downtown bus-lines on distinctive Red Mercedes Benz buses, with a sign in the front saying where they're headed (oftentimes in Latin script). The bus stops are easily identifiable (there are signs and an obvious shelter with a bench), but the buses stop running quite early in the evening (about 19:00). They run on 15-30 minute intervals during the day (every day), but there is no fixed or published schedule. The roads get pretty jammed at rush hours (in the morning, midday and around 16:00). The fare is about Nkf 2, and the entrance is in the back where one buys the ticket.
Asmara's main attraction is its World Heritage listed colonial Italian architecture. The palm-lined main street "Harnet Avenue" is colloquially referred to 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 it makes for a nice mile long stroll between the eastern end of this avenue where the "half" stadium is (you'll know when you see half a bleacher) and the western end where the Government palace is. Asmara's colourful and bustling marketplace lies north of the Catholic cathedral.
If you are in Asmara for a short stay, the best thing to do after you're done sightseeing in this city is to head for the outskirts where the scenery is stunning at the very least. Unless you come from a high altitude area yourself, you may need a couple of days of strolling in Asmara to get your body used to the thin dry air at 2,300 m. Bring lots of sunscreen lotion but also a sweater as it can get really chilly not only at night but even when standing in the shade (temperatures can vary greatly on different sides of the same street depending on the position of the sun).
1 Bar Zilli, Sematat Ave. Eritrean restaurant housed in one of the most iconic colonial Art Deco buildings. (updated Feb 2022) Albergo Italia, for authentic Italian food. (updated Apr 2015) Casa Degli Italiani. outdoor setting (updated Apr 2015) Alba Bistro, Opp. Post Office. (updated Apr 2015) The Spaghetti and Pizza House, Harnet Avenue. a great choice of pizza and pasta dishes as well as its signature Chilli red snapper. (updated Apr 2015) Rooftop Garden (for Asian food.). (updated Apr 2015) For traditional food (injera), you have many options, for example Hamassien Restaurant on Seraye Street.
Eritrea is not a big wine country, even though it used to have a wine-making tradition during the colonial period. On the other hand, Eritrea is a big beer-drinking country, and the Eritrean beer is definitely a good one. There is only one brewery in the country (Asmara Beer) producing only one type of beer (Pilsner), that's why they don't even need to put a label on the bottle. Asmara Beer is great, quenches your thirsty throat and has a good taste. It has around 5% alcohol per volume and a nice hop flavour in the well known bottle. Nightlife in Asmara is often considered quieter than most other country capitals, but there are a good range of local bars.
Asmara is an extremely safe city, safe enough for a stroll in the middle of the night. Most people are genuinely friendly, without wanting anything in exchange, beggary and "hustling" is not as common as in most other third world countries and neither is tourism. However, homosexuality is illegal and "homosexual activity" can lead to imprisonment; the Eritrean penal system is opaque and the penalties are unclear.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Sep, Asmara typically sees ~23°C daytime highs and 5 rainy days.
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