Photo: Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (CC BY 2.0)
City and shopping · Ethiopia
A day in Addis Ababa
From Lucy at the National Museum to Merkato, the Anwar Mosque and the Entoto hills.
Addis Ababa · Ethiopia
The experience
The morning starts at the National Museum, with a cast of Lucy, the most famous fossil in human history, found in 1974 and about 3.2 million years old, alongside galleries on Ethiopian history and art.
Then on to Merkato, one of the largest open-air markets in Africa, with quarters for coffee, spices, cloth and baskets. We stop to pray at the Anwar Mosque, the largest mosque in the capital, built in 1922 on the edge of the market.
In the afternoon we climb to the Entoto hills, at over 3,000 metres among eucalyptus forest, for a view over the whole city, and end the day with a traditional dinner and coffee ceremony.
We arrange the day with a private car and guide, as Merkato is very crowded, and suggest keeping valuables close in the market.
Where to stay
Stays close by
City
Addis Ababa
Sheraton Addis, a Luxury Collection Hotel
A palace-style hotel in the heart of Addis Ababa, with large gardens, a musical fountain and a range of restaurants.
Price on requestExplore
City
Addis Ababa
Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa
A modern hotel on Meskel Square, near the National Museum and the African Union, with a heated pool and spa.
Price on requestExplore
Ethiopia
More to do
Gastronomy
The Ethiopian coffee ceremony
Green beans roasted, ground and brewed in the jebena before you, in the homeland of arabica.
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Culture and heritage
The rock churches of Lalibela
Eleven churches carved down into the rock, among the world's architectural wonders.
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Culture and heritage
Harar, the city of mosques
A walled historic Islamic city in eastern Ethiopia, a World Heritage Site.
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