Ethiopia Things to Do

  My fav. souvenir: a Coffee Necklace!
by Ferengewa
 
  • My fav. souvenir: a Coffee Necklace!
      My fav. souvenir: a Coffee Necklace!
    by Ferengewa
  • Coffee
      Coffee
    by Ferengewa
  • Ladies making beautiful coffee jewelry!
      Ladies making beautiful coffee jewelry!
    by Ferengewa
  • chatting...
      chatting...
    by elsadran
  • Don't show this pic to my mum!
      Don't show this pic to my mum!
    by Elisabcn
 

Most Viewed Things to Do in Ethiopia

1.

Museum   Addis Ababa

Museum, Addis Ababa

 18 Reviews   St George Church Museum is located inside the St. George’s Church compound. It was established in 1975 to preserve not only ecclesiastical items, but also significant historical treasures from... 

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2.

Mercato   Addis Ababa

Mercato, Addis Ababa

 6 Reviews  The Mercato market is actually a part of a district with many buildings and street scattered around. The location is in the area close to the main bus station. It is said to be the largest outdoor... 

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3.

Bole Road   Addis Ababa

Bole Road, Addis Ababa

 2 Reviews  Bole road, or Africa road which is the official name, is a long road crossing through the south-east part of Addis Ababa from the airport to Meskel Square in the city center. The upper and middle part... 

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4.

The Lion of Judah   Addis Ababa

The Lion of Judah, Addis Ababa

 3 Reviews  The Lion of Judah Statue stands in front of office buildings in central Addis Ababa. The statue was stolen by the Italians during their occupation of the city from 1936-1941. It is now a major... 

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5.

Holy Trinity Church   Addis Ababa

Holy Trinity Church, Addis Ababa

 6 Reviews  If you ask a local guide to take you to Holy Trinity Cathedral they will probably stare at you with a blank look. Mention ‘Haile Selassie Church’ and you will be taken straight there. Originally it... 

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6.

The Piazza Area   Addis Ababa

The Piazza Area, Addis Ababa

 2 Reviews  Piazza is the backpacker area. The hotels are cheaper and the area is pitoresque and very crowded. The name is a legacy of the Italian invasion era, and you will find some Italian cafe's and... 

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7.

St George's Cathedral   Addis Ababa

St George's Cathedral, Addis Ababa

 4 Reviews  The octagonal St. George's Cathedral is a traditional Ethiopian shaped church that was built in 1896. It commemorates the relic of St. George which was carried into the Battle of Adwa where the... 

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8.

Meskel Square   Addis Ababa

Meskel Square, Addis Ababa

 3 Reviews   This is the parade ground of Ethiopia. There are always displays, festivals or at least some kids playing football (soccer) here. It’s worth a look to see what’s going on in Addis. The Addis Ababa... 

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VISIT THE STELAE OF AXUM

by DAO

Of all the cities on the ‘Historical Route’ of Ethiopia, Axum is the most overlooked. It shouldn’t be. What other city is home to the following?• The Arc of the Covenant/original 10 Commandments• The Queen of Sheba• The golden crowns of Ethiopian Emperors• The traditional city for all Coronations • Massive Stelae over 200 years old• Tombs of KingsThe other nice thing is that Axum is flat, easy to explore and has a relaxed atmosphere. It would be a great town to see just to get away for a few days. Axum started as an ancient empire that started as early as 400BC. It was a land and naval power which traded across the Middle East and East Africa. Each king built higher stelae to symbolise their power. These also served as places for sacrifice with the holes to drain away the blood still present. The tallest now standing in 82 feet high. Legend has it that they tried to go too high and the...

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Jijiga.

by elsadran

The city has a typical Ethiopian atmosphere. It reminded me a little of Harar, Djibouti and Dire Dawa with the same busy dusty streets, the old coffee shops and restaurants and the beautiful colors of the houses. It also has a few modern buildings and hotels where you can have a more “western” meal. If you have time to spare this city is not a bad choice.Something that made me feel uncomfortable is that the police don't allow tourists to take photos around the city and they may arrest you if you do. Especially in the market and several other parts of the old city they are very strict... You have to go to the police station first and take a written permission....But the worst is that a lot of uncontrollable and corrupted policemen block the way and stop the buses every few kilometers on the road to Jijiga. It is really irritating. They ask for money for doing nothing and grab whatever...

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Debre Birhan Selassie Church

by Elisabcn

This church is a real wonder and if you visit Ethiopia you cannot miss it. Built at the end of the XVIIIth century on the top of a hill, it is famous for its stunning pictures that decorate the inside walls. Like all the buildings that I visited in Gonder, this church is surrounded by an enclosure with several towers covered with egg-shaped domes (picture 2). In this case the number of towers is 12 symbolising the 12 apostles. The 13th tower, the biggest one, represents Christ and it is used as entrance gate. Take your time and walk around the walls before going inside: hidden among exuberant vegetation there are some surprises (picture 3). The church corresponds to a basilica type –which is very common in the north of the country- with a quadrangular plan lined up direction west-east (picture 4). It is surrounded by a beautiful veranda and has doors on three sides: west, north and south...

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Meet the baboons!

by Elisabcn

Baboons are Old World monkeys. There are 5 species in Africa. The Ethiopian species is called “gelada baboon” and they are very funny with a big red mark on their chest. I thought that it would be difficult to see them, that it was a rare species to meet but there are hundreds of baboons and they are not afraid of people, I would even say that they like to pose for photographers :-))) You will find baboons in big groups, called troops, where it is easy to distinguish the big boss looking like a sultan with his harem. They spend most of their time sitting, like to clean their skin between them and speak a lot (vocal exchanges). I guess that they also enjoy doing the top models for a while. We met many troops of baboons during our second day hike.

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Simien Mountains - Day 1

by Elisabcn

We decided to do the Simien Mountains trek as late as possible. That was because we were in the rainy season (August – September) so we thought that if we started the trek later we would have more chances of good weather. That turned to be a wise decision because one week before, in Bahir Dar, we met a couple of Scots that could not do the trek because of heavy rain. However everyday we had our little shower by 3.00 -4.00 pm. This was not a problem because by that time we had already finished the daily walk and we were safe in our den. We left Debark in the morning direction to Buyit Ras. This is a 10km walk which takes four – five hours. The landscape is beautiful with green valleys and some rivers to cross (boots off –boots on). During our way we also found some small villages of Ahmaric people. They live from agriculture and farming in very hard conditions. In the morning you cross...

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Simien Mountains

by Elisabcn

The National Park of Simien Mountains is a great break during the Historical Route. Gorgeous valleys, canyons, rivers and mountains . . . at an average height of 3.300m are a delight for photographers and trekkers. In Simien Mountains you will also find three endemic animal species of Ethiopia: Walias, Simien Jakals and the so funny Baboons. You need to arrange your trek (and pay the entrance fee) in the Park Headquarters situated at Debark. An armed scout with you is compulsory. A mule + mule man for your stuff and food is optional but very useful. Your route will depend on the number of days that you want to stay in the mountains. We decided to do a three days trek so we spent the third day walking back what we have done in the two previous days. I have put some prices at my Packing List tips. These prices are fixed and there is no possible negotiation.

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Harar things to do

by Elisabcn

One full day in Harar was enough to us to catch the spirit of the city and visit its main spots. Harar by day is a busy, brilliant and noisy city. The colorful souq (picture 1) is an immersion to the Harar’s everyday life with interesting smells and colors. Take your time also to explore the city's narrow streets and the walls (pictures 2 and 3) around it: even if the architecture is very poor, with almost no details, there is always a surprise around the corner. Crooked minarets are always a reference dot on the skyline and also put some color to the flat ensemble. I found very interesting the Sewing Machines Street where all the tailors work on the streets in front of their workshops (picture 4). Rimbaud’s House was for me only an opportunity so see some Rimbaud’s stuff in a beautiful architecture (picture 5). Harar by night is dark and lonely. Outside the walls there is still some...

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Gonder

by Elisabcn

During the XVth and XVIth centuries Ethiopia had its first cultural contacts with Europe. But it was also a busy period due to never ending wars against Muslims, who invaded the north west and the south of Ethiopia. In 1535 Emperor Lebna Dengel, desperate, had to ask for the Portuguese help –who were already in the area- to fight against the Muslims. Thanks to them the Christian Kingdom of Ethiopia was saved. Portuguese and Jesuit missions coming from Goa in India meant an interesting cultural exchange for Ethiopia. They also did their best to convert the Ethiopian Emperors (King Za- Denguel and King Susenyos) into Catholicism which provoked the population’s rebellion. Susenyos’ son and successor, King Fasiladas, managed to re-establish the traditional faith and Europeans were expelled off the country. Emperor Fasiladas’s predecessors did not have a fix capital. The Emperor and his court...

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Tis Isat Falls - Part two

by Elisabcn

Once you are face to face with the falls go down again to have another side view from below. It is a muddy path but there is a pleasant corner at the end where you can sit on the rocks, admire the falls and take more pictures without getting another shower (picture 1).It was during this excursion to Tis Isat when I understood the meaning of the Ethiopian proverb on my homepage “The foot that is restless will tread on a turd”: all the path from the village to the falls is full of mud, mud and sometimes slippery stones to avoid mud . . . or to fall on it (picture 2). That’s why I decided to take long stick and a young + handsome valet to help me along the way, crossing the small streams and jumping on the stones. He was expensive (I had to pay also for the rent of the stick!) but turned to be also a good company and told me nice stories. However, some younger tourists were luckier than me...

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Tis Isat Falls

by Elisabcn

Once Lake Tana is left behind, the Blue Nile travels between papyrus and cultivated fields for 32 km to fall 45 m down on the Tis Isat falls. Tis Isat (smoke of water in Amharic) was described on my guidebook as a “melange of mists and rainbows” and it is really how I saw it. It seems that falls are more impressive during this period (rainy season, between June and September) even if the colour of water is more brown than blue because of the mud. Once you arrive to Tis Isat village there is an admission ticket to pay at the Tourist Office. There you can also arrange a guide but it is not really necessary as you will always be surrounded by children showing you the way and eventually selling some souvenirs. From the Tourist Office there are two possible paths: the so called eastern path, the shortest path, which crosses a beautiful XVIIth century Portuguese Bridge. If you take this path...

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Fun things to do in Ethiopia

Top 3 Hotels in Ethiopia

Sheraton Addis  Addis Ababa

 10 Reviews and 164 Opinions  While I didn't stay here, I called in to view the grounds and hotel. Impressive place, with bars,... 

 Hotels in Addis Ababa

Mountain View Hotel  Lalibela

 74 Opinions

 Hotels in Lalibela

Kuriftu Resort and Spa  Bahir Dar

 42 Opinions

 Hotels in Bahir Dar

46 Hotels in Ethiopia
 
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Reviews and photos of Ethiopia attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Ethiopia sightseeing.

Experience Ethiopia
Things to Do: Cities in Ethiopia
  1. Addis Ababa Things to Do
  2. Bahir Dar Things to Do
  3. Lalibela Things to Do
  4. Axum Things to Do
  5. Gonder Things to Do
  6. Arba Minch' Things to Do
  7. Harer Things to Do
  8. Jinka Things to Do
  9. Gonder Things to Do
  10. Konso Things to Do
  11. Turmi Things to Do
  12. Debark' Things to Do
  13. Awasa Things to Do
  14. Langano Things to Do
  15. Debre Libanos Things to Do
  16. Debre Zeyit Things to Do

More Cities in Ethiopia

 

Popular Regions in Ethiopia

Dire Dawa Astedader Things to Do 

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Questions and Answers

clarkekarina profile photo

Q:  Hello, I am going to Ethiopia February 8th till 27th. I am going for a friend's wedding at the start of the trip, then free to... 

angiebabe profile photo

A: Hi, im unfortunately not going for a while yet but when I had thought I was going to travel around I found that Ethiopian airlines internal prices were pretty good - have... 

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