Available airlines1 airline
- Ethiopian Airlines
Addis Ababa travel guide
Highland capital, Lucy's bones and Ethiopia's air hub.
In short
Addis Ababa sits at 2,355 m in the Ethiopian highlands and is the seat of the African Union. Come for Lucy at the National Museum, the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the Merkato and the Meskel bonfire in late September. October to February is dry; allow two to three days. It is good value, and e-Visa holders must enter through Bole airport.
Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia and, at 2,355 m above sea level, one of the highest capitals in the world. Founded in the late nineteenth century below the Entoto hills, it has grown into a city of more than six million people and is home to the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa at Africa Hall.
Visitors come for the National Museum, where the fossil skeleton known as Lucy is displayed, for the Holy Trinity and St George's cathedrals, and for the Merkato, often described as the largest open market in Africa. The city is also the hub of Ethiopian Airlines and the usual starting point for flights to the country's historic north.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Capital: Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia
Others Largest City: Bishoftu, Adama, Debre Libanos; flights to Lalibela, Gondar and Bahir Dar
Currency: Ethiopian birr (ETB)
Time Zone: UTC+3 (East Africa Time), no daylight saving
Major Language: Amharic is the working language; English widely used in hotels and business
Major Religion: Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Protestant Christianity
Best experiences in Addis Ababa
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Addis Ababa at a glance
Seasons, visa, money and time zone for Ethiopia's capital.
Best timeOct to FebDry, sunny days around 23–25°C and cool nights
Daily budgetGood valueGuesthouses to international hotels in Bole
Visae-VisaApply at evisa.gov.et; e-Visa holders enter via Bole only
CurrencyBirr (ETB)Carry cash for markets and taxis
LanguageAmharicEnglish common in hotels and tourist businesses
Time zoneUTC+3No daylight saving
CapitalAddis AbabaAirport: Addis Ababa Bole International (ADD)
Power220 V, 50 HzPlugs C, E, F and L
DrivingRight-hand trafficUse a hotel car or app taxi for the first days
EmergencyAsk your hotelKeep your embassy's number saved
Calling code+251Addis numbers start 011
WeekendSaturday and SundayChurches busiest on Sunday mornings
Places to visit from Addis Ababa
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Top things to do in Addis Ababa
Museums, Orthodox cathedrals, the Merkato and the hills of Entoto above the city.
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Best time to visit Addis Ababa
October to February is dry and sunny; July and August are the wettest months.
Dry season
October – FebruarySunny days of 23–25°C; nights drop to about 8°C from November to January.
Small rains
March – MayWarm afternoons with showers of 66–91 mm a month.
Big rains
June – SeptemberJuly and August each bring about 240 mm; highs fall to around 21°C.
Planning tip
Meskel falls on 27 September (28 September in Ethiopian leap years), at the very end of the rains; book hotels near Meskel Square early.
Flight routes
Flights to Addis Ababa
Direct routes into and out of Addis Ababa with the airlines that fly them. Open a route for its airlines, aircraft and travel tips, or search your dates for flights and fares.
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FromTo ADD DAC Addis AbabaDhaka FromTo DAC ADD DhakaAddis Ababa Available airlines1 airline- Ethiopian Airlines
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A Journey to Remember
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Addis Ababa travel tips
Seven briefings on the e-Visa, the airport, money, safety and church etiquette.
Visas and entry
e-Visa through the official portal
Ethiopia's tourist e-Visa is issued online at evisa.gov.et for stays of up to 30 days, and holders must arrive at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. The longer 90-day tourist e-Visa is no longer issued. Approval is emailed, so print it and carry it with your passport.
- Apply online
- evisa.gov.et (official)
- Port of entry
- Addis Ababa Bole International only
- Length of stay
- Up to 30 days
Fees have changed twice since 2023; confirm the current amount on the official portal before paying anywhere else.
Getting there
Bole International, Ethiopian Airlines' hub
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) lies in the Bole district about 6 km south-east of the centre, so the transfer is short. It is the main hub of Ethiopian Airlines. Terminal 2 handles most international flights and Terminal 1 domestic and regional routes, including the short hops to Lalibela and Gondar.
- Bole International (ADD)
- About 6 km south-east of the centre
- Terminal 2
- Most international flights
- Terminal 1
- Domestic and regional flights
- Check which terminal your onward domestic flight uses before you leave the hotel.
Money and costs
Birr and cash
Ethiopia uses the birr. Larger hotels and some restaurants in Bole take cards, but the Merkato, minibuses, church entrances and small cafés expect cash. Withdraw from bank ATMs inside hotels or shopping centres and keep small notes for tips and taxi fares.
- Carry small birr notes for taxis and church entry.
- Use ATMs inside banks, hotels or malls.
Staying safe
Altitude, crowds and pickpockets
At 2,355 m, Addis is high enough to leave new arrivals short of breath, so take the first day slowly and drink plenty of water. Pickpockets work the Merkato and busy bus stations; keep your phone in a front pocket. The sun is strong at this altitude even when the air feels cool.
- Altitude
- 2,355 m above sea level
- Crowded areas
- Merkato, bus stations, Meskel Square on festival days
- Leave valuables at the hotel before visiting the Merkato.
- Use sunscreen and a hat in the dry season.
Where to stay
Bole, Kazanchis and Piassa
Bole, between the airport and the centre, holds most international hotels, restaurants and nightlife. Kazanchis sits close to Africa Hall and the UN Economic Commission for Africa, which suits business trips. Piassa, the older quarter in the north, puts you near St George's Cathedral and within reach of the Merkato.
- Bole
- Hotels, restaurants, short airport ride
- Kazanchis
- Near Africa Hall and the UNECA
- Piassa
- Old quarter near St George's Cathedral
Getting around
Light rail, taxis and minibuses
The Addis Ababa Light Rail opened on 20 September 2015 as the first light rail in sub-Saharan Africa, with two lines and about 34 km of route. It runs north–south and east–west through the centre. For museums and churches, a metered or app-booked taxi from your hotel is simpler than the crowded blue-and-white minibuses.
- Light rail
- Two lines, about 34 km, opened 2015
- Taxis
- Agree the fare or book through an app
- Minibuses
- Cheap, crowded, signs in Amharic
- Most visitors use taxis, booked by the hotel or through an app, because sights are spread out and traffic is heavy.
- Bole International lies about 6 km south-east of the centre.
- Ethiopian Airlines, which is based there, flies to the main historic towns, so short internal flights replace long road journeys for most travellers.
- Allow extra time at Terminal 1 for domestic security checks.
- Inside the city, distances look short on a map but the hills and traffic make walking slow.
- Group the Museum, the Ethnological Museum and Holy Trinity, which lie close together in the north, and treat Bole as a separate evening outing.
Culture and etiquette
Churches, coffee and festivals
Ethiopian Orthodox churches expect visitors to remove shoes and dress modestly, and women often cover their hair. Many Orthodox Christians fast from meat and dairy on Wednesdays and Fridays, so menus switch to vegetarian 'fasting food'. Accept the coffee ceremony when invited; it takes time and is a sign of welcome.
Do
- Remove shoes before entering church sanctuaries
- Ask before photographing priests or worshippers
- Eat with your right hand, tearing injera to scoop food
Avoid
- Shorts and bare shoulders in churches
- Rushing a coffee ceremony
- Photographing government buildings
Things to know before visiting Addis Ababa
What Addis Ababa does well, and the altitude, cash and festival-date quirks that catch first-time visitors.
Why travelers love it
- Lucy (Dinkinesh) at the National Museum of Ethiopia.
- Holy Trinity Cathedral, burial place of Emperor Haile Selassie.
- The Merkato, often called Africa's largest open market.
- Meskel bonfire in Meskel Square each September.
- Entoto, the hills above the northern suburbs.
Good to know
- The altitude (2,355 m) leaves many visitors breathless for a day or two.
- Cash rules outside Bole hotels and restaurants.
- July and August are very wet, with about 240 mm of rain each.
Trip fit
Culture and heritage
Food
Shopping
Value for money
Ease of getting around
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Addis Ababa weather by month
Ethiopia's capital sits so high that it rarely tops 26°C. The table shows 1991–2020 averages: dry, sunny winters and heavy rains in July and August.
Best timeGood timeMonsoon
Bar: average low to high temperatureRainfall
Oct to FebNational Museum, Holy Trinity, Entoto, MerkatoDry, sunny and mild.
Jun to SepMuseums and cathedralsHeavy afternoon rain, especially July and August.
Climate figures are approximate 1991–2020 averages for Addis Ababa (Météo Climat temperatures and Ethiopian Meteorological Institute rainfall, via Wikipedia).
Lucy at the National Museum and the cathedrals over two days
Two days covers central Addis Ababa. Spend the first morning at the National Museum of Ethiopia with Lucy, then visit the Ethnological Museum in Haile Selassie's former Guenete Leul Palace. Give the second day to the Holy Trinity Cathedral, St George's Cathedral in Piassa and a guided walk through the Merkato.
Lucy, known in Ethiopia as Dinkinesh, is the fossil skeleton of an early hominid. The museum displays her bones alongside a plaster replica, so look for both. The Ethnological Museum sits on the Addis Ababa University campus inside the old palace, a short taxi ride away.
Holy Trinity Cathedral is the largest cathedral in Ethiopia and was founded to commemorate victory over the Italian occupation. Emperor Haile Selassie and Empress Menen Asfaw are buried here. St George's, founded in 1896, has an octagonal plan and a small museum; it was rebuilt after the 1941 liberation.
Africa Hall, headquarters of the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the place where the Organisation of African Unity was founded, stands across Menelik II Avenue from the National Palace. The African Union is also headquartered in the city. If you have a third day, head up to the Entoto hills, which rise from the northern suburbs, or take a domestic flight north to the rock churches of Ethiopia's historic route.
Meskel, Timkat and the dry months between the rains
The best festival dates fall in the dry months from late September to February: Meskel in late September and Timkat in January, both listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
Meskel marks the finding of the True Cross. On the eve, called Demera, crowds gather in Meskel Square around a great bonfire, and the celebration draws thousands every year. UNESCO inscribed it in 2013. Timkat, the Orthodox Epiphany celebrating the baptism of Jesus, was inscribed in 2019 and is held in January, with processions carrying the tabot, the covered tablets, to water.
In the June to September rains, roads in the outer districts turn muddy, and flights north can be delayed by cloud.
Injera, fasting food and the coffee ceremony
Eat Ethiopian food the local way: from a shared platter of injera, the spongy sourdough flatbread, topped with stews and torn with the right hand. On Wednesdays and Fridays, and through Lent, many Orthodox restaurants serve fasting food without meat or dairy, so vegetarians do well here.
The coffee ceremony is the city's social ritual. Beans are roasted in a pan, ground by hand and brewed in a clay pot, usually over three rounds. It can take an hour, and leaving after the first cup can seem rude. Hotel lobbies and many cafés stage a ceremony in the afternoon.
Bole has the widest choice of restaurants, from traditional houses with music and dancing to international menus. For street life and spice stalls, go to the Merkato, where the Grand Anwar Mosque stands among the lanes.
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About this guide
How we research this guide
Visa rules for this Addis Ababa guide come from Ethiopia's evisa.gov.et portal, festival listings from UNESCO's intangible heritage records and the light-rail details from the Ethiopian Railways Corporation; the weather table uses Ethiopian Meteorological Institute rainfall normals.
Last updated . Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Fact-checked by the bookingMentor Travel Desk
Reviewed · Updated when rules or prices change
Checked against trusted sources:
Ethiopia e-Visa official portalEthiopian Railways CorporationUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Short answers on visas, altitude, festivals and getting around Addis Ababa.
Visa & documents
Most visitors need Ethiopia's tourist e-Visa, issued online at evisa.gov.et for stays of up to 30 days. E-Visa holders must enter through Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
Getting there
About 6 km. Addis Ababa Bole International Airport lies in the Bole district south-east of the centre, so a taxi ride is short outside rush hour.
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) lies in the Bole district about 6 km south-east of the centre, so the transfer is short. It is the main hub of Ethiopian Airlines. Terminal 2 handles most international flights and Terminal 1 domestic and regional routes, including the short hops to Lalibela and Gondar.
Timing & weather
October to February, when days are dry and sunny at 23–25°C. July and August are the wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain each.
On 27 September, or 28 September in Ethiopian leap years. The bonfire on the eve, Demera, draws thousands of people to Meskel Square.
Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Epiphany, is held in January. UNESCO inscribed it as intangible cultural heritage in 2019.
General
At the National Museum of Ethiopia. The fossil skeleton, called Dinkinesh locally, is shown with a plaster replica.
It has a light rail system. Two lines, about 34 km long, opened on 20 September 2015, the first light rail in sub-Saharan Africa.
It can be for the first day or two. The city sits at 2,355 m, so walk slowly, drink plenty of water and expect to tire quickly on hills.
In Holy Trinity Cathedral, the largest cathedral in Ethiopia, together with Empress Menen Asfaw.
Stay & facilities
Bole suits most visitors, with international hotels and restaurants close to the airport. Kazanchis is near Africa Hall and Piassa is the old quarter around St George's Cathedral.
Vegan dishes served on Orthodox fasting days, usually Wednesdays and Fridays and through Lent. Lentil, chickpea and vegetable stews come on injera.
Booking
October to February is dry; allow two to three days.
Prices & payment
Daily travel costs in Addis Ababa are good value. Guesthouses to international hotels in Bole.
Health & safety
At 2,355 m, Addis is high enough to leave new arrivals short of breath, so take the first day slowly and drink plenty of water. Pickpockets work the Merkato and busy bus stations; keep your phone in a front pocket. The sun is strong at this altitude even when the air feels cool.
