Things to do in Addis Ababa
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Addis Ababa
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months. Dry, clear, green after the rains, with the richest festival calendar.
Good shoulder. Warmer and quieter, with Fasika in this window in most years.
Worst for most visitors. Peak rain, muddy trails, cloud on Entoto and slow flooded streets.
What's on
- Enkutatash 11 September
Ethiopian New Year, with yellow flowers, songs and family gatherings as the rains end.
- Meskel 27 September
Demera bonfire in Meskel Square, one of Africa's largest public religious celebrations.
- Irreecha early October
Oromo thanksgiving at Lake Hora in Bishoftu, with very large crowds.
- Great Ethiopian Run late November
Africa's largest mass 10 km road race through closed central streets.
- Genna 7 January
Ethiopian Christmas, with church services, processions and holiday dishes.
- Timket 19-20 January
Epiphany processions of tabots to Jan Meda, in white dress with chanting and drums.
- Fasika April or May, varies
Ethiopian Easter, ending the Lenten fast with night services and feasting.
Best things to do in Addis Ababa
National Museum of Ethiopia
Home of Lucy and the best first orientation to Ethiopian history, from human origins to empire.
Unity Park
Imperial palace halls, regional pavilions and palace lions in one large park in the palace compound.
Ethnological Museum
Daily life of Ethiopia's many peoples, displayed inside Haile Selassie's former palace.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
Ethiopia's most important capital cathedral, with imperial tombs and liberation memorials.
Addis Merkato
Huge open air market for spices, coffee and textiles, best explored with a local guide.
Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum
Small museum documenting the Red Terror, made powerful by guides who lived through it.
Adwa Victory Memorial Museum
New museum to the 1896 Battle of Adwa victory, with monumental sculpture in central Piassa.
St. George Cathedral
Historic coronation cathedral with a small museum of crowns, robes, crosses and manuscripts.
Where to stay in Addis Ababa
Bole
first trip, food, airport convenience
Widest hotel choice, densest restaurants and cafes, and the airport close by.
Kazanchis and Meskel Square
business plus sightseeing, central base
Closest to Unity Park and the northern museums, with large international hotels.
Piassa and Arat Kilo
history and budget
Oldest part of the city near the museums, noisier and less polished at night.
Think twice about
- Merkato and immediate environs
Congested, noisy, few verifiable hotels, and the city's main pickpocketing hotspot. Visit with a guide, do not sleep there.
- Far eastern and southern sprawl including Bole Bulbula and Legetafo
Long traffic bound drives to every sight, with few visitor restaurants nearby. A false economy for a short stay.
- Main bus station and Legehar transport knots
Crowded, tout heavy and uncomfortable after dark, with distraction theft reported in crowded transport areas.
Best restaurants in Addis Ababa
Yod Abyssinia Traditional Restaurant
Best first traditional dinner, with a full menu, tej and nightly music and dance show.
2000 Habesha Cultural Restaurant
Large cultural restaurant with traditional food and live music and dances from across Ethiopia.
Kategna Restaurant
Busy local favourite for tibs, shiro and fasting platters at honest prices, without a show.
Marcus Addis Restaurant & Sky Bar
Fine dining rework of Ethiopian flavours on the 47th floor, with the city's best restaurant view.
Sishu
Warehouse restaurant famous for the city's best burgers, cheesesteaks and chocolate cake.
La Mandoline French Restaurant
Small French courtyard restaurant with strong steaks and a proper wine list.
Castelli's Restaurant
Piassa Italian institution since the 1950s, with pasta, classic mains and old Addis atmosphere.
Addis Ababa Restaurant
Historic traditional restaurant in an old house, strong at lunch and fasting buffets.
Outdoor things to do in Addis Ababa
Entoto Park
Forest adventure park above the city with zipline, ropes course, riding, cycling and views.
Entoto Maryam Church
Start for a forest walk on Entoto past the church and old palace site, with the best city views.
Addis Ababa Golf Club
Friendly long established golf course where altitude makes the ball fly further.
Menagesha Suba Forest Park
Old protected mountain forest with trails, colobus monkeys and birdlife west of the capital.
Debre Libanos Monastery
Historic monastery above a gorge, paired with the Portuguese Bridge and gelada baboons.
Wenchi Crater Lake
Crater lake with island monastery, boat rides, horses and valley walks in a long day trip.
Lake Bishoftu
Crater lake town for resort lunches, paddling, swimming where advised and crater rim walks.
Mount Yerer
Local hikers' peak east of the city, a guided ascent with views over Addis and the highlands.
Best hotels in Addis Ababa
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Huge airport five star with pools, spa and shuttle, ideal for stopovers and early flights.
Haile Grand Addis Ababa
Modern hotel linked to Haile Gebrselassie, with pool and gym in a quieter Bole side area.
Dreamliner Hotel
Efficient mid range Bole hotel near the airport, with shuttle, spa and a loyal repeat following.
Sheraton Addis, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Addis Ababa
The city's grand luxury hotel, with terraced gardens, fountains and a large pool on a hill.
Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa
Contemporary five star on Meskel Square, well placed for Unity Park and the road to Bole.
Radisson Blu Hotel, Addis Ababa
Reliable Kazanchis business hotel with spa and terrace, popular with UN and AU travellers.
Jupiter International Hotel
Ethiopian owned hotel with large rooms and fair prices, with branches in Kazanchis and Bole.
Taitu Hotel
Ethiopia's first hotel, full of character, known for its garden and fasting buffet lunch.
Is Addis Ababa expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ETB 4,500 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ETB 12,000 a person |
| Splurge | ETB 30,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Addis Merkato: a few days ahead
- Zoma Museum: a few days ahead
- Fendika Cultural Centre: a few days ahead
- Entoto Park: a few days ahead
- Addis Ababa Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Menagesha Suba Forest Park: a few days ahead
- Debre Libanos Monastery: a few days ahead
- Wenchi Crater Lake: a few days ahead
- Marcus Addis sunset tables and central hotels in summit weeks book weeks ahead.
- Yod Abyssinia and 2000 Habesha show dinners book days ahead at weekends.
Is Addis Ababa safe?
- Pickpocketing and snatch theft in Merkato, Piassa, crowds and traffic are the main risks.
- Take a Ride car door to door after dark and keep phones away in crowds.
- Check current government advisories for regions beyond Addis before wider travel. Emergency number 911.
Addis Ababa travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Half day city tours that rush three stops at international prices.
- Merkato souvenir opening prices several times the local rate, and guides working on shop commission.
- Airport coffee bags sold at a premium without a roast date.
Getting around Addis Ababa: public transport and more
- Use Ride or Feres apps for priced, traceable trips across the city.
- Light rail beats traffic on the Meskel to Piassa spine, but is crowded at peak hours.
- Allow at least 45 minutes extra for airport trips because traffic, not distance, sets times.
Who Addis Ababa suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Addis Ababa your trip
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