Addis Ababa tourist attractions

Addis Ababa tourist attractions

Addis Ababa attractions

With nearly five million inhabitants, Addis Ababa , the capital city of Ethiopia is rich in cultural and historical tourist attractions. It's the city of culture, the city of the heart of history, and the city of welcoming people. This vibrant city is located at the intersection of 8.9806° N, 38.7578° E and on the geographical center of the country. The 1880s was the decade which marks the beginning of the establishment of Addis Ababa. From a modest beginning of ten scattered long mountain tops, Mount Entoto is where all began providing a panoramic view both the old and new city of Addis Ababa. Addis Ababa is a city characterized by remarkable diversity and contrasts. It is a city that has maintained its natural setting. There is a wide range of modern shopping malls and supermarkets and full range of international restaurants, shops specializing in Ethiopian handicrafts and various souvenirs of interest of the visitor, open markets where art designers sell their home made fabrics and other crafts, delightful tiny shops where one can discover and buy traditional modern clothing, different kinds of jewelry, handicrafts and all kinds of things are also important attractions of Addis Ababa.

Tourist attractions in Addis Ababa

With a high level of industrialization and urbanization, Addis Ababa is a cultural crossroads in East Africa. Almost all political institutions and foreign embassies remain in Addis Ababa. Because it is also the country’s largest city and the focus of its economic operations, Addis Ababa has been dubbed the “economic capital.” If you’re looking for a lively city with a unique blend of culture, history and nightlife, Addis Ababa is the place to go. Ethiopia tourist attractions which include Ethiopia historical tourist attractions, Ethiopia cultural tourist attractions, religious festivals and events in Ethiopia and adventure attractions and activities in Ethiopia are amazing and more diverse. They are like nothing you will find anywhere else in the world. And Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is one of Africa's charming cities surrounded by majestic mountains such as Mount Entoto on the north side. And up on this mountain you find historic churches. There is a lot to see in our Addis Ababa city tours like the Museums which have hosted the nation’s historical and cultural heritages, archaeological collections starting with Lucy through Axumite and Gonderine periods to the modern day, ethnographic items from a multitude of different ethnic groups, perfect places to learn about much of Ethiopia and its rich history. Monuments and statues commemorate Ethiopia’s patriotic sons and daughters. You will see the very best of Addis Ababa in one of our practical half-day Addis Ababa city tours or full-day Addis Ababa city tours suggestions on this website filled with some of the city's most beautiful attractions. Addis Ababa and the whole of Ethiopia with its long history of independence represent something unusual in terms of the African experience. Addis Ababa with  a large number of foreign residents from all parts of the world, big open markets where many goods are transported manually, amazing collection of traditional clothes and musical instruments, day and vibrant night life range from modern state-of-the-art discos and clubs to small and traditional music houses, cultural restaurants to taste Ethiopian dish and see live dances from the different people of the country for a glorious evening out, and more.
Addis Ababa is home to countless sightseeing attractions just waiting to be discovered. At the heart of the modern city center, the famous museums are home to the most extensive collection of Ethiopian antiquities. Addis Mercato in Addis Ababa is a colorful place where one can see huge array of herbs and spices which is almost impossible to ignore it. Addis Ababa is also home to a variety of shopping this nation. The choice is quite overwhelming.

The best new tourist attractions in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Entoto Natural Park
For the discerning customer who enjoys peace, quietness, space and breathtaking air in Addis Ababa Entoto Natural Park is for you. This state run park is set in a tranquil on the top of Mt. Entoto. It’s ideal for relaxing, mountain climbing, hillwalking, etc. The area is a painters and photographers paradise. This stunning natural park is the most recent park to Addis Ababa. It offers excellent standards of cleanliness. Entoto Natural Park has all essential facilities to ensure that visitors will enjoy their stay. Some of the onsite facilities include aquarium, horse riding, children’s playground, hotels, restaurants, campsites and many more. Entoto Natural Park is a unique place to discover history, nature and adventure in Addis Ababa.
Unity Park
Unity Park of Ethiopia is one of the most recently established parks in the country, and this park comprises animal enclosures, landscaped open areas, antique and vintage cars, and generational legacy of Ethiopia and Ethiopians.
It was officially opened for public and begun operation on Thursday, October 10, 2019. That was the first time the palace was fully renovated. It incorporates modern restrooms, cafeterias, ticket counter, and information technology infrastructures. The construction of the park took seven months to complete. The park is built making children, elders and people with disabilities into consideration. There is a guiding map that locates several destinations in the compound of the park. Unity Park is estimated to cost roughly 5 billion Ethiopian birr. This is done as part of the ongoing campaign to boost tourism in Ethiopia. The park includes:

  • Kids’ playground. This place is reserved for children who come with their parents. When parents take a visit, children wait them here enjoying themselves with facilities in the playground.
  • Green area. This green ground has entrances and exits suitable for people with disabilities and elders. In this park there are a number of beautiful handicrafts. The statues of well known Ethiopian athletes are also erected in this park. The statues of Abebe Bikila and Derartu Tullu are carved and placed here.
  • Gebeta playing station. Gebeta whose generic name is Mancala is played in Ethiopia and Eritrea.
  • Historical archives.
  • Menelik II’s Palace Complex.
  • The Throne House. It’s 140 years old home. This is the grand home where thrones of emperors were placed. The emperors used to receive their special guests here in this throne house. They also used to hold discussions with their noblemen here. Leaders of several countries met Emperor Haile Selassie I here in this throne house. There is a wine cellar in the palace basement. Since the basement was constructed with stones it also served as a cooling room.This building has invaluable historical significance because it has hosted several national circumstances. As a result this makes it the major destination of the Unity Park.
  • Banquet Hall. This hall had been using to serve as a place where people who were invited to the state banquet during the monarchial regimes spent their lunch and dinner times. The construction of this banquet hall took the builders a year and half from 1899 to 1900. Although the design was made by foreigners, the internal roofing works were done by local craftsmen using animal skin and hide and wood and other materials. In this hall, there are also ancient household utensils such as drinking vessels which were used to drink a local drink called Tej, honey wine.
  • Ethiopian Regional States Pavilion. This place is dedicated to special parlors for regional states. All the parlors manifest historical and cultural heritages and traditional housing styles of their respective regions. They are not cultural centers of the regions. Rather they tell visitors something about the area they represent. The parlors are decorated with bright colors. This has its own reasons. It represents the bright future of Ethiopia.
  • Museums.
  • Diverse religious displays.
  • Black Lion Zoo. The zoo we have in this park hosts one of the country’s treasures, black-maned lions once kept as palace pets by Emperor Haile Selassie I. The lions have a cave. The cave has 175 meters length. People can see the lions from outside through transparent glass fences.
  • Traditional Garden. The most important herbs and spices one can find in this traditional garden include Ruta chalepensis which is locally known as Tena Adam, Afrocarpus gracilior locally known as Zigba, Lepidium sativum locally known as Feto, Lippia abyssinica locally know as Koseret and many more. There are 45 kinds of indigenous trees here used for the preparation of spices and medicines.
  • Historical sites.

It took 6,000 trucks of soil to fix the landscape. The palace was first constructed in 1887. It was partially renovated for public during the 10th year anniversary of the Derg regime; but not opened. However, the palace lost its glory by the heavy military presence after the 1979 attempted coup. The park can comfortably accommodate from 1,000 – 1,500 visitors per day.
Sheger Park: This iconic space in Addis Ababa is far more than just a means to an end. It's excellent for outdoor fun. Over the months since its inauguration as a public space Sheger Park has been seen by many as the beating heart of Addis Ababa; a place of public gatherings celebratory.
Piazza, Addis Ababa is filled with interesting shops, restaurants and ancient buildings. You can easily find a map of Addis Ababa perhaps at your hotel or certainly online. We have also excellent day trips from Addis Ababa which are our important escapes from the city.
One can travel to Addis Ababa all year through. One can visit these attractions while he is on his Addis Ababa airport layover tours or Addis Ababa Aiport stopover tours as well. You can also get information on Addis Ababa tourist attractions from our experienced drivers who provide you Addis Ababa airport transfers.
You can contact us and we will personally help you book your Ethiopia tours like Ethiopia historical tours, Ethiopia cultural tours, Ethiopia wildlife tours or Addis Ababa sightseeing tours. You can also book your Addis Ababa airport stopover hotels with us.

Ababa Cheap Flights to Addis

  • Ethiopian Airlines
  • Air India
  • Lufthansa
  • ASKY Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • Singapore Airlines