Unity Park

Unity Park opened on 10 October 2019 inside the grounds of the National Palace. It was created as part of a wider programme to remodel central Addis Ababa, and its focus is Ethiopian history and culture. For visitors it is the easiest way to see buildings associated with Emperor Menelik II, who founded the city, and to understand how the imperial court lived.

The park is laid out as a series of destinations. A regular ticket covers nine of them without a guide. The special ticket adds priority entry, a multilingual guide and access to the Emperor Menelik Palace Complex and the historic buildings that hold its artefacts, so it is the one to choose if the history is the reason you are going. The park also has a zoo with mammals such as giraffes, zebras, cheetahs and African wild dogs, aquatic species and an aviary of indigenous birds, plus a collection of religious books in Amharic, English and Ge'ez.

There is plenty to keep a family occupied for half a day. Cafes, restaurants, bookshops, jewellery and gift shops and ATMs are spread around the grounds. Kategna, one of the city's well-known Ethiopian restaurant groups, highlights its Unity Park branch for coffee ceremonies, and guests can even try making injera there. Photography for personal use is fine, but commercial filming and fashion or advertising shoots need explicit permission from the park.

Opening hours are clearly set out by the park. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, including public holidays, and closed on Mondays. Entrance tickets are sold from 09:00 to 16:00, special tickets are not sold after 15:00, and the park closes at 17:00. Tickets have historically been bought in advance through SMS, Ethio telecom or the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, so sort payment out before you arrive. Arrive in the morning if you want the guided palace visit without rushing. Car parking runs around the clock.

The park sits in the political heart of the city, close to the Prime Minister's office and parliament. Friendship Park lies directly across the road and is pleasant for an evening walk once its fountains are lit. The Science Museum, built under the same riverside programme, is a short distance away, so a full day can easily combine several of the newer civic projects.