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Full-Day Private City Tour of Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  • 7 to 9 hours (approx.)
  • Pickup offered
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English, French, Spanish.

Overview

This private Addis Ababa tour lets you see the sights you’re most interested in with the benefit of an insightful guide—but without having to go along with a group. Sightsee at your own speed as you make your way via private transportation to top Addis Ababa attractions such as the Ethnological Museum, Holy Trinity Chapel, and Mt. Entoto.

What's Included

  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Professional experienced English speaking tour guide
  • Tour escort/host
  • Hotel/Airport pickup and drop-off with private air conditioned vehicle
  • Bottled water
  • Traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony Attendance
  • Lunch

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup point

  • Anew Hotel Green Point Cape Town181 Main Road, Cape Town Central 8005 South Africa

Pickup details

This is a flexible tour where we pick up and drop off guests from their Hotel/Residence or preferred location according to the time that best suits them. We always recommend starting before 9am or after 3 pm as this tour combines walking and driving. This helps keep you out of the midday sun!

or

Meeting point

  • The Peninsula All-Suite Hotel313 Beach Road Sea Point, Cape Town Central 8005 South Africa

What To Expect

St. George's Cathedral

Saint George Cathedral is one of the oldest religious sites in Addis Ababa. This historical church is famous for its octagonal architecture. Inside Saint George Cathedral, admire mosaics depicting biblical scenes like the visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon. See also hand paintings showing historical/political events related with Emperor Haile Sillassie and Ethio-Italo II War. These wonderful paintings and mosaics are done by the famous Ethiopian Maître Artist Afework Tekle. You will also visit the museum of Saint George Cathedral to see a number of historical and religious artifacts.

45 minutes

National Museum of Ethiopia

Gain a deeper understanding of the human evolutionary history visiting the National Museum of Ethiopia. See the famous Lucy fossil, a 3.2 million-year-old Australopithecus Afarensis, and learn Ethiopia’s crucial role in understanding human evolution. Visit the historical evolution section of the museum to explore the rise and fall of the powerful Aksumite Empire, learn the influence of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and delve into the complexities of modern Ethiopia's history. On the first floor of the National Museum of Ethiopia, you’ll be presented with Ethiopians artistic talents. See ancient paintings and sculptures to contemporary masterpieces. You’ll also gain a wider view to the diverse cultures and traditions of Ethiopia through traditional clothing, tools, and household items from various regions presented on the second floor of the museum.Read less

1 hour

Mount Entoto

Drive through the Eucalyptus forest to Entoto Hill. From an elevation of 3,200 meters above sea level, enjoy the panoramic view of Addis Ababa. For cultural experience, you’ll have a LOCAL FAMILY VISIT and attend TYPICAL ETHIOPIAN COFFEE CEREMONY. As this is a flexible private tour, you can choose to do the following at Mount Entoto, - Take a leisurely hike in Entoto Park - Visit the Entoto Maryam Church and - See the palace of Emperor Menelik II (the oldest in Addis Ababa) Near Mount Entoto, stop at Shiro Meda Market. Browse through a variety of stalls selling an array of goods, from colorful textiles and spices to handmade crafts and souvenirs. At Chiromeda Market, shop for beautiful pottery, woven baskets, intricate jewelry, and other unique Ethiopian souvenirs.

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Mercato Market

Get assisted by your tour guide to walk in the most scenic and cultural parts of Merkato (the biggest in Africa). Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and smells. Experience the vibrant atmosphere, bustling energy, and diverse sensory overload that local markets offer. Discover unique sections of Merkato Market where items like False Banana Tree bread, traditional Ethiopian food ingredients and spices are presented for sale. Bargaining for selling prices is the rule of trading at Merkato. You’re your tour guide; practice your bargaining skills in a friendly and culturally appropriate way. At Addis Mercato, you can shop for hand woven dresses, grass baskets and other Read more

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Ethnological Museum

Enjoy a guided tour of 1 hour to the Ethnological Museum. Found in the compound of the Addis Ababa University, IES Ethnographic Museum is one of the best museums in Africa. On the ground floor of the Ethnographic museum, visit two exhibition rooms. The first is dedicated to Ethiopia’s Victory over Italians at the battle of Adwa (1896). The second one honors famous Ethiopian poets, writers, and translators who were influential in Ethiopia’s literature. The main part of the Ethnological Museum is on the first floor. On this floor, see varieties of exhibits that highlight the different ethnic groups of Ethiopia. Know the background and history of people of Ethiopia seeing disRead more

1 hour

Lion of Judah (Pass By)

Drive on the main streets of Addis Ababa to visit historical monuments such as the Lion of Judah

Meskel Square

Stop at Meskel Square - the main square in Addis Ababa which is named after a colorful religious ceremony of Meskel (finding of the True Cross of Jesus Christ)

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Traveler Photos

Reviews

Reviews by tripon.africa travelers.
Fun and informative tour of Addis Ababa
Romeo_K, Sep 2024
Henok was a very informative and knowledgeable tour guide. We enjoyed the entire experience, but the highlight was the stop on Entoto mountain, seeing the monkies and sharing a delicious meal with coffee ceremony. Great overall experience!
Great day tour!
Brian_B, Sep 2024
Abenezer was a great guide and was able to hit all the spots we were interested in Addis Ababa plus a few other wonderful locations that weren't even on our radar. The van and driver provided were a great addition that made things vRead more
Jam packed full day amazing private tour of Addis Ababa.
Kelly_H, Jul 2024
We had 24 hours in Addis and specifically chose this tour to experience the best parts of the city. Biruk was an amazing guide who shared his deep knowledge about the history and culture of the city and the country with such joy and passioRead more
A visit at Addis Ababa
Michael_M, Jun 2024
I loved visiting Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. it was a great experiance. I recommend it to anyone. the tour guid was excellent
Such a great experience, we came back for second day. We will use them again in the future
Woobie_R, May 2024
Wow, what can I say, Biruk (guide) and Sirak (driver) are the best guide team around…I don’t know where to start! And we’ve used several other Viator guides for comparison. They both combine the most important qualities you can have froRead more
Best way to see Addis. Ababa
Mark_A, Oct 2023
Outstanding tour, both the guide (Biruk) and the driver(forgotten his name) were friendly, knowledgeable and flexible. They allowed us to prioritise what we wanted to see and gave us the time and space to investigate things for ourselves. It Read more
One great day in Addis Ababa
Daniel_C, Aug 2023
Had a one day layover in Addis Ababa and wanted to spend it wisely with checking out the most important sights. Thanks to my guide Wondiye I managed to reach my goal and I had an amazing time. During the trip he diligently explaineRead more
Surprising Addis Ababa
Akhter_C, Jun 2023
Visiting the National Museum to see the remains of Lucy and other ancient attractions, Visiting the Ethnographic Museum (formerly the Palace of Haile Selassie), visiting an everyday Ethiopian home for a local breakfast/lunch. Although not in the Read more
Visit Addis with Biruk
Olivia_D, May 2023
Our tour guide, Biruk, was wonderful! (Our driver also was amazing - particularly as he navigated through the busy market.) Biruk’s knowledge of Addis and Ethiopia is impressive. His command of the English language is excellent as was Read more
Great layover tour!
Lindsey_W, Feb 2023
This tour was for a layover and was wonderful! Our tour guide Belete was FANTASTIC and so knowledgeable. He answered all our questions, took us to a coffee ceremony which was fantastic, to a market which was a one of a kind experience, and to several great viewpoints of Addis Ababa. Ask for Belete!
Great overview of Addis
Brian_S, Nov 2022
Very nice overview of Addis. 4 hours- saw museum, had very special coffee ceremony in a home in Entoto neighborhood, drove through crazy busy colorful outdoor market and saw main parts of city. Guide Getahun was very nice and interested in making sure we had a good experience.
UNREAL day in ADD!
Dr_A, Oct 2022
Awesome Day in Addis Ababa with Muluken. He was on time & took us to all the sites of Addis. We LOVED going into the mountain village & having the food/coffee ceremony - it was like NO other. We are super impressed by his level of knowledge & friendliness. He made us feel safe & well taken care of. I'd highly recommend this day trip of Addis Ababa.
Great Tour
Keith_P, Aug 2022
A great day tour of Addis Ababa. Muluken and the driver picked us up on time. We were taken to many places of interest. Muluken was very knowledgeable and friendly. I highly recommend this tour.
Great experience, highly recommended!
Sergey_B, Jan 2022
We had a great day tour organized by Merit Ethiopian Experience Tours. Our guide - Brook (I may misspell the name) - was very friendly and highly knowledgeable and showed us the main points of interest of Addis Ababa providing with a lot of teresting info about them. He even brought us to his home for a lunch with his family, which turned to be the true highlight of the day! Great experience, highly recommended!
Excellent Day Tour of a Beatuiful Place with such Friendly and Gracious People!!!
Christopher_G, Feb 2020
Wow! As someone who travels often (over 40 countries), this was one of the best tours ever. I had some reservations / doubts (since I had never been to Addis Ababa), but I was completely wrong. The tour guide, Gatahun, is a young man who is passionate about Ethiopia and its history. His English was very good as well. We visited so many fascinating places, including the Holy Trinity Cathedral, National Museum of Ethiopia (my favorite), Addis Mercato, Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum, and much more. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Addis Ababa for vacation or even just a long layover (which was my case). The driver, Nebiyu, did an excellent job, too. See you next time, Addis Ababa!
Addis Ababa on a layover done right!
DerekJames_W, Feb 2020
I had a 15 hour layover in Addis Ababa so I signed up for this private tour so I could check out the city. A guide and the driver met me at Bole International Airport at the time they said they would. My guide’s name is Muluken and he is very knowledgeable. Our driver was a very good navigator and brought us everywhere safely. As a solo traveler I felt it was a very safe tour as well. By far my favorite part of this experience was the coffee ceremony with at the family’s home. If you find yourself on a lengthy layover in Addis Ababa and don’t want to remain at the airport or hotel the entire time, consider this tour!
Fascinating tour
Jozitraveler, Oct 2019
I had a fantastic guide who was very knowledgeable about the history, culture, politics and natural environment of Ethiopia. I left the tour with a desire to return to the country and find out even more. Everything was managed professionally and I would fully recommend the full day tour to anyone with a day to spend in Addis Ababa. Much better than trying to do it on your own.
Full-Day Private City Tour of Addis Ababa
Edward_T, Oct 2019
The driver and the guide were good. It's a private tour and very flexible. But we had the tour on Sunday, the venue for Traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony was closed and the road to the Entoto Hill and Kiddus Raguel Church was blocked for maintenance.
Well planned and executed tour...
Albert_d, Jan 2018
Well planned and executed tour. Much, much better than trying to see and do Addis on your own!
What a great way to see the city- I...
Jean D, Nov 2017
What a great way to see the city- I had my own private guide and he paced the tour based on what my interests were. I didn't feel rushed and we had a great local lunch together mid day. Absolutely wonderful! I highly recommend this tour to anyone in town who want to see the main sights in a day.

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