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Best Attractions in Addis Ababa (2026)

Addis Ababa's sights fall into three groups: the museums of the university area, the palace and park projects of the government quarter, and the historic churches and memorials of Piazza and Meskel Square. Start with the National Museum of Ethiopia, home to Lucy, and pair it with the Ethnological Museum in Haile Selassie's former palace on the Addis Ababa University campus. Unity Park, in the National Palace grounds, needs a special ticket if you want the guided tour of Emperor Menelik's palace complex, and it is closed on Mondays, as the National Museum is reported to be.

For history, Holy Trinity Cathedral holds the tombs of Haile Selassie and Empress Menen, while St George's Cathedral in Piazza has a museum of the Adwa era and sits a short walk from the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum, opened in 2024. On Meskel Square, the Addis Ababa Museum covers the city's growth, and the Red Terror Martyrs' Memorial Museum documents the Derg years with difficult but important displays. Friendship Park and the Science Museum are close to Unity Park, so a single day can combine them. Distances are best covered by taxi or ride-hailing car, and modest dress is expected in churches.

10 places · Updated November 12, 2026

Our top 3 attractions in Addis Ababa

  1. National Museum of Ethiopia National museum of archaeology, history and art, University areaEthiopia's national collection, home to the Lucy and Selam hominid fossils plus royal regalia, Ethiopian art from traditional to modern, and ethnographic displays.
  2. Unity Park Palace grounds, museum and zoo, National PalacePark inside the National Palace compound, opened in 2019, combining Emperor Menelik's palace complex, historic artefacts, a zoo, gardens, cafes and shops.
  3. Holy Trinity Cathedral Ethiopian Orthodox cathedralAddis Ababa's highest-ranking Orthodox cathedral, finished in 1942, where Emperor Haile Selassie, Empress Menen and Sylvia Pankhurst are buried.

Attraction

2. Unity Park

Palace grounds, museum and zooNational Palace

Park inside the National Palace compound, opened in 2019, combining Emperor Menelik's palace complex, historic artefacts, a zoo, gardens, cafes and shops.

View details — Unity Park