DAY ONE
Arrival at Bole International Airport and Transfer to Hotel for Check-in.
ACTIVITIES : Refreshments and get rest in your room. In the evening we have dinner together at Ethiopian Traditional Restaurants or International Restaurants.
OVERNIGHT : HOTEL

DAY TWO
Take your breakfast and proceed to Exploring the vibrant neighborhoods and historic landmarks of Addis Ababa on a full-day tour of the city’s must-see destinations including the following.

1. Entoto Mountain
Sip your early morning coffee as you leave on your early morning drive to Entoto hill. Enjoy spectacular views on the way up to the hill; you will pass homes & small villages, highland growth & observe the drop in temperature &the fresh air is filled with the aroma of the eucalyptus trees which line the road. With an altitude of 3200 meters, mount Entoto is the highest peak in the Addis Ababa region. Here you will have panoramic views of the city with fresh air from the eucalyptus forests. It was the site of the first palace of Menelik the second, the founder of Addis Ababa & he built his palace on the Entoto hill &used it as his headquarters during the founding of Addis Ababa.
There is an old imperial palace of emperor Menelik the second at Entoto and also two important churches; St. Mary’s church& the archangel Raguel & small museum in the compound of St. Marry church. After your visit you will have a few stops at the best location where you are going to ready for photographing on the way back from Entoto hill.
2. Shiro Meda market
After the visit (Entoto Mountain), proceed down to Addis Ababa via Shiro Meda, the city’s largest market for traditional clothes. It’s friendly market where you can buy all sorts of Ethiopian clothes &local crafts.
3. National Museum of Ethiopia
Continue with a visit to the national museum, one of the museums in Addis Ababa. This museum exhibits the long history &cultures of the country form prehistoric times. The 3.5 million year old skeleton of Dinkinesh (Lucy) meaning “wonderful”, the oldest human in the world is also, exhibited in this museum.
Other attractions are archaeological findings from the Axumite period starting from 1st B.C. dating back over 2000 years. Ceremonial costumes, battle dresses and artifacts from different parts of the country are also exhibited and you are enjoyed the variety of different art and displays.
4. Holy Trinity Cathedral and Museum
Proceed to the Holy Trinity Cathedral, one of the most important churches of Addis Ababa. Trinity cathedral was built in 1941 and it is the largest and most magnificent of all modern churches in the country; ornamented with carvings and mosaics and other artistic works. A beautiful church with a baroque style of European architecture that is unique to both Ethiopia & Africa, and is dedicated to the holy trinity.
The Holy Trinity Cathedral has a real medieval feel to it, the grounds surrounded by weeping pine trees &the cathedral decorated with statues &carvings. The paintings of the saints &the apostles on stained glass can be seen. At the back of the cathedral there is another museum, where you can see more Ethiopian historical memorabilia, crowns of former Ethiopian emperors, and a selection incredibly well preserved Amharic bibles & religious writings. The church is the burial site of the emperor Haile Selassie & his wife. And is the most sacred site of worship in Ethiopia after the churches of lalibela.
‘Have a sit inside the compound of the church and appreciate the art, and refresh your mind with spiritual’
5. Ethnological Museum
Just a short distance from the National Museum, proceed to the campus of Addis Ababa University to the Ethnographic Museum. Locate in the main campus of the Addis Ababa University and founded by the institute of Ethiopian studies with the aim to preserve the country’s historical &cultural heritages. The museum first introduces some of the major tribes of Ethiopia, collections that describes almost all the tribal groups and goes through the history & importance of coffee in Ethiopian culture. Here you will have an overview about the history, culture and traditions of the people of Ethiopia. There is also an impressive collection of Ethiopian orthodox paintings, triptychs, and crosses. But the best part about the museum is being able to go into the former bedroom and bathroom facilities of the highly regarded Emperor Haile Selassie{Ras Tafari}.
6. St. George’s cathedral & museum
After visiting the Ethnological Museum, proceed to St.George’s cathedral, located in the heart of the city and one of the most well recognized places of worship &icons of Addis Ababa. Inside the church you can walk in a circle around the cathedral, observing an incredible set of paintings portraying both scenes from the bible & from Ethiopian history. Emperor Haile Selassie was coroneted as the emperor of Ethiopia in this church. To the side of the cathedral is a museum which is worth a quick stroll. It is filled with memorabilia from the ancient church and a collection of religious writings, Ethiopian crosses, clothes and belongings of the former Ethiopian kings, and numerous manuscripts and paints.
7. Monuments, lion of Judah, Derg monument
After lunch you are going to visit some monuments and sculptures in remembrance of the city. With its wealth of history and pride as a nation, Addis Ababa is filled with monuments at nearly every public square, place of importance, or within the large road roundabouts throughout the city. Visit the Derg monuments, located on Churchill Avenue, which represents the North Korean presence in the country. And on the way to red terror museum, observe the statue of the lion of Judah, in front of the old railway station in Addis Ababa, representing the Ethiopian pride and the emperor. And also there is another statue of the lion of Judah made from black stone that sits outside the national theater.
8. Meskel square and red terror museum
Meskel square is a place where the biggest celebrations of the finding of the true cross holiday takes place annually and is sort of the central gathering place in the city ,especially important during festivals and political demonstrations. Close to meskel square you will visit red terror martyrs memorial museum and receive a tour in English from a survivor of the red terror. The museum is a small and modern museum showing and explaining the period of ‘red terror’ in Ethiopia when countless innocent people suffered. The museum is free entrance. It was a very informative and heart breaking account of the recent history of Ethiopia.
9. Shopping
After visiting red terror museum enjoy the afternoon leisure which will give you a wonderful opportunity for shopping in some of Addis Ababa finest shopping and souvenir centers, and also visiting landmarks and monuments.
10. Farewell
Enjoy a farewell dinner at traditional Ethiopian restaurants featuring dances and a musician representing some of the country’s many ethnic groups.
11. End of the trip and departure depending on flight times.

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