Day 01
Addis Ababa Highlights and Mount Entoto
- Visit the National Museum, which houses many archaeological and historical findings, including the famous complete hominid fossil remains of 'Lucy,' locally known as 'Dinknesh,' meaning wonderful. Visiting this museum offers a good summary of your journey through historic Ethiopia.
- See Holy Trinity Cathedral, a beautiful church with a Baroque style of European architecture that is unique in Ethiopia and Africa and dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Here, you will find the tombs of the imperial family, statues created by a Greek sculptor, stained-glass window paintings from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, and the coffins of Emperor Haile Selassie I, the church's founder, and his wife.
- After lunch and a coffee break, proceed to the following sites:
- Merkato, the largest open-air market in Africa. Here, you will be presented with a confusing but fascinating glimpse of the vast range of goods and artefacts available from all parts of the country, and you will enjoy the Ethiopian tradition of open-air trade. You can purchase anything you desire here.
- Mount Entoto, the highest peak in Addis at an altitude of 3,200 metres, was the site of the first palace of Emperor Menelik II, the founder of Addis Ababa. Here, there is St. Mary Church, where Emperor Menelik was crowned, and you will admire spectacular views of the city, its surrounding plains, volcanic cones, and breathtaking air.
