Half Day Addis Ababa City Tour

WELCOME TO ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA!

If you've come this far, you must be wondering what you can do to visit Addis Ababa and how. Here is our Half-Day City Tour for your best experience while visiting Addis Ababa. Email us to customize the brief city visit in Addis to suit your expectations or interests.

🤔 So, you have a few hours to explore Addis Ababa City?

🤔 You are thinking of what to do in Addis Ababa in half a day?

🤔 Not quite sure of how to experience Addis Ababa best?

We are excited you found us! NOW is your turn to enjoy our personalized private tour in Addis Ababa with professional guides.

OK! Let’s get going!

Get flexible ways with us to spend enjoyable time visiting Addis Ababa. See reviews of fellow visitors on TripAdvisor how they enjoyed our HALF DAY ADDIS ABABA CITY TOUR. In this short excursion, we combine visits to popular attractions and experiences in Addis Ababa.

If you have any questions on planning your ½ day private Addis Ababa Tour, don’t hesitate toText us via WhatsApp

Google's top rated sights in Addis Ababa are part of this ½ day stopover tour. Keep reading for details on how we can make your short trip in Addis special.

Addis Ababa Short Layover Tour is a private sightseeing city visit of about five hours. This tour is best for transit passengers on layover at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD).

Local tour guide leads the private sightseeing tour of Addis Ababa. The tour is by driving with a comfortable, insured and air-conditioned private vehicle. Get our free hotel pickup and drop-offs to all hotels in Addis Ababa. Ask for changes to this tour offer to visit other attractions in the Ethiopian capital.

Tour Description

Title – Half Day Addis Ababa City Tour

Duration – ½ day or 4 to 6 hours (flexible)

Tour Price – From $40 to $110 per person

Means of Travel – Private Corolla (1 or two people) OR Toyota Minivan of 2016/2017 Model (3 to six visitors)

Tour Guide – Professional English or French Speaking Guide

Kids Friendly – Yes

Activity Level – Light

Pick up/drop off locations and time – As per visitors’ inquiry (It is a private tour.)

Cancellation Policy – Addis Tours booked 12 hours in advance of the tour start time are eligible for a free cancellation.

Places to visit in half day Addis Ababa sightseeing tour are: -

⭐ National Museum of Ethiopia – Addis Ababa’s principal museum

⭐ A Must-see religious site in Addis Ababa - Holy Trinity Cathedral

⭐ Addis Mercato or Merkato market – Africa’s largest local market

⭐ The highest elevation near Addis Ababa (3,200 meters above sea level) - Mount Entoto

To keep you, our staff, and everyone on the tour safe from Coronavirus, we follow strict safety procedures. For Addis Ababa ½ day layover tour, we use clean sanitized vehicles. Get free facemasks, hand sanitizers, gloves, and wipes. This brief day tour in Addis Ababa includes free airport/hotel pick-up and drop-off. This Addis Ababa stopover tour can be booked at your convenience with flexible start and end times.

Below is a guide map of Addis Ababa that shows the driving routes (directions) and destinations for a half-day city tour.

Please read the details below for more information about our short Addis Ababa layover tour. The itinerary details what to do and what to see during the Addis Ababa city tour. And, email us for any of your questions related to booking the Addis Ababa layover tour.

“አዲስ አበባ” in Amharic language means ‘New flower‘, hence the name of Ethiopia's capital city - "Addis Ababa". "Finfine" is the local Oromo name of the city of Addis. Founded by Emperor Menelik II, Addis Ababa has several attractions for foreign tourists. Book this brief tour with a local guide to get Addis Ababa's highlights in a few hours.

Addis Ababa Layover Tour allows first time visitors to learn Ethiopian's diverse traditions. Learning history and recent trends in Addis Ababa are part of the half day trip. Scout Top attractions in Addis Ababa ranked according to TripAdvisor. Cultural activities and best local markets make your time in Addis Ababa memorable. Please let us know if you have a special interest in touring Ethiopia's largest city.

We offer free hotel pickups and drop-offs. If arriving at Addis Ababa early morning or late afternoon, your tour guide waits for you at the airport.

The Half Day Addis Ababa City Tour is the shorter version of our Full-Day Addis Ababa City Sightseeing. Fluent English-speaking Ethiopian guide leads the city tour. This is private sightseeing half day long city visit in Addis Ababa. You'll discover new places, gain knowledge, and explore unique sites of Ethiopia's largest city.

Duration: 4 to six hours (Half-day)

We plan the short guided tour of Addis Ababa to help you get a great feel of Addis Ababa and Ethiopia in a short time. Must-Do activities when in Addis are covered in this visiting.

Best part of Addis Ababa half-day tour is that it is customizable. Your informative tour guide adjusts your visit to fit your travel style. Going on for few hours city sightseeing tours of Addis Abeba is easy to book with short notice.

Typical half day city tour of Addis Ababa includes visiting:-

• National Museum of Ethiopia (የኢትዮጵያ‎ ‎‎ብሔራዊ ሙዚየም) – mainly to see the skeletons of Lucy or Dinknesh (the oldest human ancestor and 3.2 million-years old)
• Holy Trinity Cathedral (መንበረ‎‎ ጸባዖት‎ ቅድስት‎‎ ሥላሴ ካቴድራል) – ‎‎to learn about Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity and to see the graves of Emperor Haile Selassie I
• Merkato (Addis Mercato) market (መርካቶ‎‎ ገበያ)‎‎ - the biggest outdoor cultural market in Africa and
• Mount Entoto (እንጦጦ‎‎ ተራራ)‎‎ - to experience Addis Ababa's panorama and Ethiopian cultural activities with locals

Depending on visitors’ interest and time, drive to Entoto Hill for view of Addis Ababa. At Intoto Mountain, take part in cultural experience. Learn how to prepare Enjera (Injera) – the Ethiopian bread. Attend Ethiopian traditional Coffee Ceremony.

Activity Summary

Make the best use of your short time in Addis Ababa with a professional local tour guide who knows the city inside out.

The half day Addis Ababa City Tour itinerary takes 4 to 6 hours. Visit the Holy Trinity Cathedral and experience how life goes for locals at the giant open-air local market of Merkato. Enjoy the panoramic view of Addis Ababa from top of Entoto Mountain. See the fossil remains of Lucy–the oldest hominid (3.2 million years old).

At Merkato market, walk with your tour guide to discover its unique cultural sections. Know of Ethiopian spices, colorful hand-woven grass baskets, secondhand items, and recycling section.

At Entoto Mountain, visit a local family to experience Ethiopian culture. Learn how to cook Ethiopian meals, and see how to brew Tella (Ethiopian homemade beer). A unique activity to get in touch with Ethiopian culture is to try the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony.

Drive around to view historic structures and well-known statues of the city. See famous monuments and significant buildings as you go along Addis Ababa's main streets.

Addis Ababa Stopover City Tour Itinerary

Your tour guide will meet you at your hotel in Addis Ababa. Are just arriving at Addis Ababa? You can start your half-day city excursion of Addis from the Airport. Meet your guide at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.‎

If you’re hoping to book a short trip in Addis Ababa with us, here’s what you can expect.

Drive on Bole Road and via Meskel Square (the main square of Addis Ababa) to the Holy Trinity Cathedral. This cathedral is the most important religious site of the Ethiopian Orthodox Christians in Addis Ababa.

Take 45 minutes to 1 hour guided tour of the Holy Trinity Cathedral. See the artfully crafted stained glass windows, and the stunning architecture of the building. Take time to visit ancient historical and religious artifacts at the Trinity Museum.

The next stop on Addis Ababa Half Day City Tour is the‎ National Museum of Ethiopia. Start visiting the national museum with archaeological discoveries on the basement floor. Meet Lucy or Dinknesh (the oldest hominid who lived in north east Ethiopia (Afar Area) about 3.3 million years ago.

NOTE - NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ETHIOPIA IS CLOSED ON MONDAYS.

Learn about Human Evolution and why Ethiopia claims to be the “Cradle of Mankind”.

Then, drive for half an hour to the busy local market of Merkato–the biggest outdoor market in Africa. With about an hour walking tour of Merkato learn about the Ethiopian local spices. See the colorful hand-woven grass baskets and shop at Merkato.

Stop at the 'Chat' (green leaves locals chew for stimulation) market. Experience how life goes at the second hand items market of Mercato market. Merkato in Addis Ababa is ideal for sightseers who enjoy snapping photo shots.

Next, drive through the beautiful eucalyptus forest to Mount Entoto. The highest peak around Addis Ababa is at Entoto Mountain with 3,200 meters above sea level. Entoto is a great spot to overlook Addis Ababa city. Here meet a local family and learn how to prepare Enjera (the Ethiopian national bread).

See how Tella (the local homemade beer) is brewed, and to take part in a typical Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony. See the entire process of the Coffee Ceremony starting from roasting the beans, pounding by hand using mortar and pestle, and brewing it.

Stop at the new Entoto Park. Go for a little walk in nature smelling the pleasant scents of eucalyptus trees. Check out the breathtaking view overlooking Addis Ababa city. Note that all visitors must have passports or Identity cards to visits Entoto Park. For historical sites visiting, you can stop at Menelik II Palace (the first palace in Addis Ababa) at Entoto Mountain.

On the way back from Entoto to Addis Ababa, stop at Shiro Meda local market. Shop for small local gift items and hand-woven cotton clothes.

Before your hotel/airport transfer, have lunch at one of the best traditional Ethiopian restaurants in Addis Ababa. Taste varieties of delicious Ethiopian meals. Conclude your tour with drop-off at your Addis Ababa hotel or Airport.

You can combine this short tour of Addis Ababa with a bit of visiting the countryside. Check our one-day trips from Addis Ababa to customize it with us.

If you are interested to visit sites out of the city, check our interesting Addis Ababa Day Tour packages. Please, have a look at the list of interesting day tours from Addis Ababa offered by Merit Ethiopian Experience Tours. 

Drive on scenic routes that allow you to discover all the most important aspects of Addis Ababa.  Explore best of Addis with our highly rated Ethiopian tour guides. Vacationers can visit trendy sites in Addis Ababa. We organize the city tour of Addis Ababa by including Sheger Park, Entoto Park, or the new Andinet or Unity Park.

Andinet Park entrance fee varies for locals (Ethiopians) and foreign visitors. Entrance fee to visit Andinet Park in Addis Ababa is 300 Ethiopian Birr per person for locals and 20 US Dollars for foreign visitors per person. Get details about Andinet Park in Addis Ababa and organize your visit to the park with us.