Planning – Djibouti

Where: Djibouti City, Lake Abhe, Lake Assal, Dimbya Canyon
Transport: Airlines, Car
Who: One traveler
Currency: Djibouti Franc (DJF), U.S. Dollar (USD)
 

Djibouti, a small but strategically significant country in the Horn of Africa, is situated along the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. This prime location has made Djibouti an essential hub for international shipping and military operations, attracting bases from several global powers. The country, characterized by arid landscapes, rugged mountains, and salt flats, boasts unique geological formations.

Djibouti’s population is a mix of Somali and Afar ethnic groups, with French and Arabic as official languages, reflecting its colonial past and position in the Arab world. Despite its small size and limited natural resources, Djibouti is developing its infrastructure and economy, largely through foreign investments in ports and railways, positioning itself as a regional logistics and commercial hub.

Djibouti story highlights on Instagram This trip report can also be seen on our story highlights on Instagram account @travelonthedollar. Click the image on left to go directly to Djibouti Highlights, or visit our Instagram profile and under ‘Highlights’, scroll to the right and click on ‘Djibouti’.

Planning

Visa

At the time of writing this trip report, most nationalities can get an eVisa to Djibouti.

It costs $12 for a ‘short-term stay’ (up to 15 days) for single entry and it takes about 3-7 days for approval.

You do not get a sticker visa in your passport, but just entry and exit stamps.

Tour

It is possible to travel around Djibouti without a tour or a guide, but getting around the country is challenging with less frequent and unknown public transport, so we traveled with a tour guide – Moussa Ballaq from Massigo Travel. He can be contacted at +253-77278015 on WhatsApp.

Moussa is well-known in the travel community and has experience with tours across Djibouti. We would highly recommend him!

SIM Card

You can get a Evatis SIM card for $3 at a store in airport upon arrival or in Djibouti City.

It costs $3 for the SIM card itself and another DJF 1000 ($5.71) for 5GB of data valid for 7 days.

There is no eSIM option for Evatis.

Cash or card?

Djibouti uses Djibouti Franc (DJF) as its official currency, and the exchange rate at the time of writing was USD 1 = DJF 175. Exchanging USD is easy in Djibouti, in addition to EUR. You can withdraw cash from ATMs or official sources at airport or in cities.

Your credit cards (Visa or MasterCard) may work in big hotels, but almost every business do not accept cards (including most places to stay). Djibouti is mainly a cash economy and everyone prefers DJF cash, but some hotels may accept Euros or USD.

Tips

Here are some tips for a trip to Djibouti:

• Temperatures – Djibouti can have extreme heat all year round and keeping yourself hydrated is crucial! Carry lots of water especially in the Lake Abhe area where night temperatures can be up to 38C.
• Mosquito repellent – the most important thing to have! Mosquitoes are everywhere and can be nasty!
• Toiletries in hotels – expect a soap and towel in all hotels, but do not expect shampoo, so carry your own!
• Cash – carrying USD to convert to DJF is the best way to go! Most businesses or people do not prefer EUR or GBP.
• Photos – People are very friendly and would be okay to take their pictures, but please take their permission before making that click! Djibouti City is notorious for taking pictures and maintain extreme caution to even take out your camera! Corrupt cops will immediately approach you to delete pictures, and there are reports of people being arrested as well.
• Water – bottled water is available everywhere and is cheap! It costs about DJF 130-180 for a large 1 liter bottle.

Accommodation

We booked accommodation as a part of the tour in Djibouti. These are the costs based on booking.com rates, and can be different if you are a part of a tour.

City	Accommodation	Cost/night	Notes
Djiouti City	Red Sea Hotel Apartments	$160	USD 80 per night, for two nights. Private room with ensuite bathroom. Breakfast included.
Lake Abhe	Tent Hut	$–.–	Price incuded in tour. One night with shared bathrooms. Breakfast included.

Note: All values in USD, unless otherwise mentioned, are approximate and based on the exchange rate of USD 1 = DJF 175 at the time of publishing. Each cost is for one adult. Note that the expenses do not include international flights to and from Djibouti.
 

 
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