Gondar (also spelled Gonder) is a historic royal city of Ethiopia, in the northern Amhara region. It was the home of many emperors and princesses who ruled the country from the 12th century to the last decade of the 20th century, including Suseneos, Fasiledes, Empress Mentwab, Iyasu I, Tewodros II and Empress Taitu. Leading the list of its attractions is Fasil Ghebbi (the Royal Enclosure), containing several castles and palaces from the 17th and 18th centuries. The city was a battleground in World War II.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
The blue and white minibuses run through the city efficiently. There are also some horse drawn taxis called garis. Both are inexpensive. You can contract a small blue coloured taxi for a day or several days during your visit. Tuktuks/bajajs (three-wheeled motor vehicles) are ubiquitous and inexpensive: rides around the city shouldn't cost more than 10 birr -and often should be substantially less- during the day time, and no more than ~25 birr at night (Jan 2015).
1 Fasil Ghebbi (Royal Enclosure). The remains of a royal fortified city that was founded by Fasilides (Fasil), emperor of Ethiopia from 1632 to 1667, and was the home of the emperors in the 17th and 18th centuries. Dubbed the African Camelot, the 70,000sqm ghebbi (enclosure) contains six castles, three churches, a library, steam baths, and lion cages (now vacant). It is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. You MUST pay for a guided tour and the entrance fee. You can usually stop for a traditional coffee at the entrance. Ticket also includes Fasilides' Bath. 200 birr for foreigners.
Timkat festival, Epiphany, 19 January. Christian celebration with re-enactments of baptism and dancing. Dhama. Popular board-game and an extremely good way of mixing with the locals. (updated May 2015)
Alliance Restaurant, opposite Ras Gimb. Good Ethiopian and Italian food. Locals like this place. (updated Feb 2020) 1 Four Sisters, behind the public library, 200 m from the exit of Fasil's Castle. 07:00-23:00. By far the best restaurant in Gondar, beautiful restaurant with great service and amazing tej. If you want atmosphere along with great food (faranji and Ethiopian) this is the place to go. Sometimes has Ethiopian music and dancing at night. This is where all the faranjis (foreigners) go. Tour groups book tables here every night. À-la-carte around 150 birr, and in the evenings there is a buffet at 230 birr.
The pure tej (without sugar - only from honey), tela (korefe, tiru) are the local famous drinks. They are also common throughout Ethiopia, particularly in the Amhara region, although there is some sugar. Factory beers of all kinds are found. It is very common to get Dashen Beer, as Dashen Brewery is in Gondar. There are bars and clubs with music and dancing on the street running down the slope from Walia Ibex roundabout (with a statue of an ibex in the centre) towards Atse Tewodros Square. The Walya club is on the corner of the ibex roundabout; down the slope there are the Balageru, the Atse Bakafa and others. Café Olympia. Great local coffee place opposite from the bus station.
There is the occasional scam where a tourist prepays a guide for a Simien Mountain trip and the guide is never seen again. Do not pay cash to guides unless they have a shopfront or you have contacted them after receiving a recommendation from a reliable source!
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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