Things to Do in Dire Dawa

A series of large public murals and tile mosaics depicting Oromo and Harari cultural scenes, painted by local artists in 2018.

🕐 24/7, best viewed in daylight

💡 Take the alley off the main road near the Clock Tower—the best piece is hidden behind the old cinema. Free guided walk if you ask the tea seller.

A sprawling open-air market with separate sections for spices, textiles, and livestock. It's chaotic and authentic—locals call it 'the lungs of the city.'

🕐 Daily 6:00-18:00, busiest Sat mornings

💡 Go early (before 9am) to avoid the midday heat and crowds. Don't buy the first price offered on khat leaves; haggle for half.

A grand colonial-era station built in the early 1900s, still in use for the Djibouti-Addis Ababa line. You can walk the platform and see vintage locomotives.

🕐 Daily 6:00-18:00, but closed during arrivals/departures

💡 Check the timetable at the ticket office before you go; the train only runs three times a week, but the station is worth seeing any day.

A small botanical garden on campus with labelled native Ethiopian trees and a quiet walking path. Good for a break from the dust.

🕐 Mon-Sat 8:00-17:00, Sun closed

💡 Gate security might ask for ID—carry a photocopy of your passport. Best in the late afternoon when the shade is cool.

A modest municipal zoo housing lion, hyena, ostrich, and antelope. Entry fee is 20 birr (about 40 US cents). Stalls sell roasted maize outside.

🕐 Daily 8:00-17:00

💡 The lions are fed around 11am—they get loud. Bring small notes for the ticket booth; they rarely have change for 100 birr.