Mount Entoto, Museums, Mercato and Ethiopian Culture
Meet your tour guide at 8:30 AM at your hotel and drive north up to Mount Entoto.
Admire a panoramic view of the capital and surrounding countryside from Mount Entoto. Your guide will point out the city's important landmarks and take you to the churches of Mariam and the Archangel Raguel before descending to Addis Ababa.
Visit the National Archaeological Museum and explore exhibits ranging from the 3.5-million-year-old bones of Lucy through the Axumite and Gondarene periods to artefacts of the Ethiopian monarchs Tewodros and Menelik.
Take a break for lunch at one of the following restaurants:
Lucy Restaurant, on the grounds of the National Museum
Blue Tops, across from the National Museum
Addis Ababa Restaurant, once the home of Empress Zauditu
After lunch, make your way to the Institute of Ethiopian Studies, where you will see clothing from different regions of Ethiopia along with artefacts, household utensils, and paintings reflecting the history and culture of the country. This building was once the palace of Emperor Haile Selassie, and visitors can see his bedroom and bathroom.
Admire the Giorghis Church and Menelik's Mausoleum, where Etege Taitu and Queen Zauditu are also buried.
Indulge in shopping at Mercato, the largest market area in Africa, where virtually every possible commodity is on sale, from livestock to computers. You will find a wide collection of Ethiopian arts and crafts for souvenir shopping.
Enjoy authentic Ethiopian food at a local restaurant while admiring traditional Ethiopian dances, then return to your hotel.
