Bahir Dar: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Bahir Dar is a city of 350,000 people in Ethiopia (Amhara), 1,799 m (5,902 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Bahir Dar Airport (BJR), 8 km (5 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Bahir Dar runs from about 11 h 29 min a day in late December to 12 h 51 min in late June (computed for 11.59° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Bahir Dar is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Bahir Dar Airport (BJR), 8 km (5 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 9,842 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to Bahir Dar: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Bahir Dar · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Addis Ababa, 322 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Gonder, 112 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Mek'ele, 310 km — buses · car rental
- Nazrēt, 396 km — buses · car rental
- Al Qadarif, 348 km (Sudan)
- Dessie, 250 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Bishoftu, 361 km — buses · car rental
- Ad-Damazin, 331 km (Sudan)
- Nek’emtē, 294 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Debre Birhan, 316 km — buses · car rental
Twin towns and sister cities: Cleveland, Ashdod, Madison, Oakland.
Common questions
Which airport serves Bahir Dar?
Bahir Dar Airport (BJR), 8 km (5 mi) from the centre.
How big is Bahir Dar?
About 350,000 people live in Bahir Dar, across 213 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Bahir Dar in?
Africa/Addis_Ababa, currently UTC+3.
What currency is used in Bahir Dar?
The Birr (ETB). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Bahir Dar?
Addis Ababa (322 km), Gonder (112 km), Mek'ele (310 km), Nazrēt (396 km), Al Qadarif (348 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.