The largest city in Ethiopia and its capital is Addis Ababa, which means "new flower" in Amharic. It is located in the center of the country, 2,400 meters above sea level. It is one of the highest capital cities in the world. According to many sources, Addis Ababa is third in this ranking, after La Paz in Bolivia and Quito in Ecuador. However, La Paz is not an official capital city of its country, so we can move the Ethiopian city to second place. We present a one-day tour itinerary. If possible, we can include other attractions in Ethiopia's capital city.
Morning span
A visit to Addis Ababa will begin with a tour of the Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral. It is the most important church in Ethiopia. Within its walls lies the mausoleum of the last emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, and his wife is also buried there. Next, we will visit the National Museum, considered one of the most important museums in all of sub-Saharan Africa. The 3.2-million-year-old bones of our great ancestor, Lucy, are among the most famous exhibits in their collection. Visitors are also drawn to a rich collection of imperial and church regalia, costumes, and weapons. The oldest pieces are rock carvings and inscriptions from the time of the Queen of Sheba, found near Axum and in what is now Eritrea. The Ethnographic Museum, the next stop on our Addis Ababa tour, is located at the University. It was discovered and managed by Polish scientists, Professor Stanisław Chojnacki. Probably the most interesting part of the exhibition is a collection of crosses and icons. The museum should be visited by enthusiasts of folk instruments, since the collection of them gathered in the museum is impressive.
Lunch will be served at the Lucy Gazebo restaurant, which features a garden and serves Ethiopian dishes and local beer.
Afternoon
After lunch, we will climb Entoto Hill, located 3200 meters above sea level. This was the capital of Ethiopia before Menelik II moved it to Addis Ababa. The king's palace still stands today. The local museum houses crowns belonging to the kings, as well as church costumes and insignia.
The last attraction of the day in Addis Ababa will be a trip through Merkato, considered the largest market in Africa. After the visit, we will take you to your chosen hotel or the airport.
