Ethiopia 6 Day Itinerary

Travel advisory: Ethiopia is in an active conflict, with fighting in the north resumed in late September 2026. The UK FCDO advises against all travel to Tigray, Amhara and Gambela and to parts of Oromia, Afar and other regions, and the US State Department rates Ethiopia Level 3 (Reconsider Travel). Check the current UK FCDO and US State Department advice before you book and again before you fly. Addis Ababa itself is not in the FCDO’s advise-against list, but it warns of a high terrorism threat, crime hotspots including Meskel Square, Bole and Entoto, and security checkpoints. This guide covers Addis Ababa and the Bishoftu corridor only; the northern historic sites are not currently visitable.

Title: Six-Day Itinerary for Exploring Ethiopia

This itinerary stays in Addis Ababa and the Bishoftu corridor. Bahir Dar, the Blue Nile Falls, Gondar and Lalibela are in Amhara, where the UK FCDO advises against all travel, so they are not part of the plan.

Day 1 - Arrival in Addis Ababa (Capital City)

  • Activities: Familiarize yourself with the city, visit the National Museum of Ethiopia, home to a cast of Lucy and other cultural artifacts.

Things to Know:

  • Language: Amharic is the official language, but English is widely spoken in urban areas.
  • Currency: Ethiopian Birr (ETB), at about 160 to 165 birr to the US dollar in October 2026.
  • Calendar: Ethiopia follows the Ethiopian calendar, which is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar.

Visa Requirements: A tourist visa is required for most nationalities. Apply through the official portal at www.evisa.gov.et before you travel.

Transportation: Use a hotel transfer or a yellow or app-based taxi rather than a blue-and-white one, and agree the fare before you get in.

Day 2 - Arat Kilo and Unity Park

  • Activities: Visit Unity Park, open Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Monday; foreigner tickets are reported at about USD 20 for regular entry and USD 50 for the guided ticket, so confirm at the gate. Visit the Ethnological Museum at Sidist Kilo in the former palace of Haile Selassie.

Day 3 - Holy Trinity and Piassa

  • Activities: Visit the Holy Trinity Cathedral, where Haile Selassie and Empress Menen are buried; it is a solemn place, so dress modestly. Then visit St George’s Cathedral and the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum in Piassa, and have a coffee at Tomoca’s Piassa branch. Keep to daytime and stay in company.

Day 4 - Entoto and Merkato

  • Activities: Drive up to Entoto Maryam Church and its museum for views over the city; the FCDO names Entoto as a crime hotspot, so go by car in daytime and in company. If you want to see Merkato, the largest open-air market in Africa, go in daytime with a guide and minimal valuables, as pickpocketing is common, and avoid it after dark.

Day 5 - Bishoftu Crater Lakes

  • Transportation: Hire a car and driver for the drive of about 48 to 62 km southeast on the Addis-Adama Expressway, about 1 to 1.5 hours each way.
  • Activities: Take a boat on Lake Hora and have lunch at the Kuriftu Resort & Spa. Return to Addis Ababa before dark. Stay on the expressway corridor and do not go on to Adama or Awash.

Day 6 - Departure from Addis Ababa

  • Transportation: Transfer to Bole International Airport for your departure. Do some last-minute souvenir shopping in Piassa or at Shiro Meda beforehand if time allows.