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Travel and Tourism in Djibouti
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Djibouti.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
- Time Difference
- UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Currency
- 177.7
- Climate
- Djibouti has two seasons. During the May-to-September hot season, daytime temperatures average over 100°F and often exceed 120°F. The high temperatures are sometimes accompanied by hot, sandy winds called the "Kahm Sin." The beginning and ending months of the hot season are also marked by high humidity. The cooler season, from October through April, has clear skies, refreshingly cool breezes, somewhat lower humidity, and temperatures in the 80s. Because of its geographic location between the Ethiopian and Yemeni escarpments, Djibouti gets little precipitation. Occasional rains occur mostly in the hills in the interior, but the average annual rainfall is only 5 to 10 inches. Rains most often come to Djibouti City in the fall and spring; some years are rainless. Because of a high water table and lack of drainage, the rare heavy rain can cause flooding in and around the capital.
- Ethnic Groups
- Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%
- National Holiday
- Independence Day, 27 June (1977)
- Geographic Coordinates
- 11 30 N, 43 00 E
- Location
- Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia
- Airports
- 13
Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
Adequate medical facilities in the capital of Djibouti are limited and trauma services are only for stabilization and air ambulance transfer. Medical services in many outlying areas are nonexistent. Even in the capital, hospitals are unable to treat many ailments and frequently recommend medical evacuation. Visitors to Djibouti should purchase medical evacuation insurance. Hospitals in Djibouti require up-front cash payment for services and do not have service agreements with U.S. insurance companies.