Day 01
Addis Ababa Museums, Mount Entoto and Merkato
- Begin your city tour of Addis Ababa with a visit to the National Museum of Addis Ababa, home to the fossil remains of Lucy, estimated to be 3.25 million years old and regarded as the oldest hominid, as well as ancient stone hand tools used by early human ancestors.
- Head to the peak of Mount Entoto, 3,200 metres above sea level, for a bird's-eye view of Addis Ababa.
- Visit one of the oldest churches in Addis Ababa - St. Raguel or Elias - famous for its beautiful 140-year-old hand-painted wall paintings.
- Make a short stop at Shiro Meda local market, noted for its excellent collection of traditional hand-woven cotton clothes.
- See the Holy Trinity Cathedral, known for its stained-glass windows and rich museum displaying crowns, icons, manuscripts, and more. It is also the site of Emperor Haile Selassie I's grave.
- Have lunch at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant, where you can taste different varieties of Ethiopian dishes.
- Head to Merkato, the largest open-air market in Africa, and visit its most interesting cultural sections, including the spice market, the hand-woven baskets market, the chat market, where locals chew this mild stimulant, and the second-hand items market.
- Attend a typical Ethiopian coffee ceremony.
- Visit the city's historical monuments and major landmarks, such as the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the headquarters of the African Union, and Meskel Square, the main square in the city.
