Attraction
National Museum of Ethiopia
Ethiopia's national collection, home to the Lucy and Selam hominid fossils plus royal regalia, Ethiopian art from traditional to modern, and ethnographic displays.
There are more things to do in Addis Ababa than its reputation as a transit hub suggests. Ethiopia's capital sits high on the central plateau, and its museums hold Lucy and the Selam fossil, the treasures of the imperial era and the story of the 1896 victory at Adwa. Newer projects such as Unity Park, in the old palace grounds, and Entoto Park, on the forested mountain above the city, have added green space and viewpoints.
Most visitors divide their time between Bole, near the airport and the main hotels, central areas around Meskel Square and Kazanchis, and Piazza, the old commercial quarter beside St George's Cathedral and the vast Merkato market. Food is a highlight: injera platters, kitfo, fasting dishes for vegans, honey wine and some of the best coffee anywhere, from the standing bar at Tomoca to full coffee ceremonies. Two or three days covers the main sights, with an extra day for a trip out to the highlands.
Attraction
Ethiopia's national collection, home to the Lucy and Selam hominid fossils plus royal regalia, Ethiopian art from traditional to modern, and ethnographic displays.
Attraction
Park inside the National Palace compound, opened in 2019, combining Emperor Menelik's palace complex, historic artefacts, a zoo, gardens, cafes and shops.
Attraction
Addis Ababa's highest-ranking Orthodox cathedral, finished in 1942, where Emperor Haile Selassie, Empress Menen and Sylvia Pankhurst are buried.
Attraction
Octagonal cathedral at the top of Churchill Road, built in 1911, where Empress Zewditu and Haile Selassie were crowned, with a museum of imperial relics.
Attraction
Memorial museum opened in 2010 that documents the victims of the Derg's Red Terror through photographs, personal belongings, remains and guided tours.
Attraction
University museum inside Haile Selassie's former palace, showing Ethiopian ethnography, music, religious art and the emperor's private rooms.
Café
Addis Ababa's best-known coffee house, roasting its own beans, with the original standing bar on Wavel Street in Piazza and several newer branches.
Café
Spacious speciality coffee house in Jackross with an upstairs art gallery and craft shop, all-day breakfast and cascara tea, plus four other branches.
Café
Cosy roaster-cafe opened in 1998 by Aster Mengesha, serving macchiato and spris and selling Ethiopian single-origin beans roasted on site.
Café
Woman-owned speciality cafe in Kera with an all-women barista team, known for careful design, vegan pastries and Ethiopian beans sold abroad.
Café
Ethiopian-born coffee company with four Addis Ababa cafes, best known for its Bole Medhanialem branch and its tsom macchiato made without milk.
Hotel
Five-star Luxury Collection hotel on Taitu Street, open since 1998, with 295 rooms and suites, outdoor pools, a spa and eleven restaurants and lounges.
Hotel
Hyatt's first hotel in Ethiopia, opened in 2019 on Meskel Square, with 188 rooms, an outdoor pool, spa, Cascara coffee bar and live music in the…
Hotel
Ethiopian Airlines' five-star hotel beside Bole International Airport, with 1,024 rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, a spa and many restaurants and bars.
Hotel
Business hotel in the Kazanchis district with 212 rooms, a French-inspired restaurant, a rooftop terrace bar, a Tomoca cafe and a day spa.
Hotel
Imperial-era hotel in large gardens beside the Jubilee Palace, with a big pool fed by a mineral spring, villa apartments, bars and a jazz club.
Hotel
Ethiopia's first hotel, founded in 1905 by Empress Taitu in Piazza, now a budget hotel with a restaurant, a jazz lounge and simple rooms.
Bar
The city's best-known azmari house and cultural centre, led by dancer Melaku Belay, with nightly traditional music and dance and regular Ethio-jazz nights.
Bar
Mulatu Astatke's jazz club in the basement of the historic Ghion Hotel, where a resident band plays Ethio-jazz on Thursday nights.
Bar
Long-running tej house behind the Axum Hotel, named after its owner Tobia Mamuye, with garden seating, murals of tej drinkers, honey wine and kitfo.
Restaurant
Large Ethiopian cultural restaurant near Bole airport serving over 40 traditional dishes, with a coffee ceremony and live music and dance from across the country.
Restaurant
Popular Ethiopian restaurant group, founded in 2008, known for coffee roasted on site, fasting platters, shiro and breakfast dishes such as chechebsa.
Restaurant
Bole cultural restaurant where diners share Ethiopian platters around woven mesob tables while dancers in traditional dress perform from 20:00.
Restaurant
Gerji restaurant with a Gurage name, best known for kitfo, serving Ethiopian and European dishes with tej, a coffee ceremony and live band and dancers.
Restaurant
Seafood-focused modern Ethiopian restaurant from James Beard Award-winning chef Yohanis Gebreyesus, built around the fish of Ethiopia's lakes.
Restaurant
Gourmet Italian restaurant inside the Sheraton Addis, known for its antipasto bar, regional Italian dishes and city views.
Thing to do
Huge open-air market west of Piazza, often called Africa's largest, with sections for coffee, spices, grain, clothing, household goods and recycled metal.
Thing to do
Large recreation park on the forested Entoto mountain above the city, opened in 2020, with viewpoints, trails, horse riding, cafes and restaurants.
Thing to do
Artist-founded museum and garden in Mekanisa built from mud and straw, combining contemporary Ethiopian art, an organic garden, a cafe and a restaurant.
Tour operator
Addis Ababa tour operator founded in 2007 that runs full-day city tours, day trips and short overnight trips from the capital, alongside longer itineraries.
Tour operator
Addis Ababa-based community tourism operator, set up in 2010, running village treks and homestays in the highlands and tailor-made tours across Ethiopia.
Tour operator
Long-established Addis Ababa operator offering a full-day trip to the Blue Nile Gorge and Debre Libanos Monastery plus longer tours across Ethiopia.
Two or three days covers the National Museum, Unity Park, the main cathedrals, Merkato, Entoto Park and a cultural dinner with music. Add a day for a trip out of the city, such as Debre Libanos.
Bole is convenient for the airport and has many restaurants and cafes; Meskel Square and Kazanchis are central for museums and business; Piazza suits budget travellers who want to be near the historic sights.
Bole International Airport is close to the city, and taxis or ride-hailing cars reach Bole hotels in minutes and central areas in around 20 minutes, depending on traffic. Many hotels also arrange transfers.
Local restaurants, cafes and transport are inexpensive, while international hotels and their restaurants charge much higher prices. A mix of local food and mid-range hotels keeps costs moderate.
Check your government's travel advice before you go and follow it during your stay.
The city lies at well over 2,000 metres above sea level, so days are mild and evenings can be chilly; bring a warm layer.