Begin your exploration of Addis Ababa with a walking food tour. Visit five eateries and taste a variety of dishes, from raw meat to traditional injera, fish, and fresh juices. Stop at bars for local drinks like tej, tela, areke, and beer, and learn about food preparation and culture from your guide.

Next, visit the National Museum, which contains many valuable local archaeological finds, such as the fossilized remains of early hominids along with the most famous “Lucy.”

Continue to the Shiro Meda Market, which sells Ethiopian textiles in all their forms, from Ethiopian wedding dresses to various types of clothing, linens, and fabrics. Then, head to the Ethiopian Woman Pottery, where low-class women have got priority to work here. They mash and prepare the fine clay (closed on Sunday and public holidays).

Next, visit an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church, either Bata Mariam Church or Holy Trinity Cathedral. Bata Mariam is where several Ethiopian royals persons are buried: Emperor Menelik himself along with his wife and daughter. The real kicker is an original painting by Michelangelo also on display here. Holy Trinity Cathedral was built in 1942 to commemorate the Ethiopian victory over the Italian occupation. Inside are the tombs of Emperor Haile Selassie and Empress Menen Asfaw, as well as other members of the imperial family.

Continue to the Mercato Market, the largest open-air market in Africa. Covering several square miles and employing an estimated 13,000 people in 7,100 business units, you may find anything you want: incense, coffee, spices, jewelry, baskets, pottery, leather goods, and recycling goods.

Take a lunch break at a very local restaurant to taste Ethiopian food with a wide variety of choices (if you have allergies, please let us know).

Next, head to Entoto Mountain/Park, situated at an altitude of 3400 meters. The site was the permanent camp and palace of the former Emperor Minilik II. From the top, enjoy panoramic views of the capital and the surrounding countryside.

Finally, visit a local house in a village. Share a unique moment with a family to discover Ethiopian lifestyle, taste very local homemade brewing beer or moonshine or coffee ceremony.