Addis Ababa Activities: Parks, Coffee, Music

October 19, 2026

Travel advisory, October 2026: Ethiopia is in an active conflict. Fighting in the north resumed on 23 September 2026, and the UK Foreign Office (FCDO) advises against all travel to Tigray, Amhara and Gambela, plus parts of Oromia, Afar and other regions. It does not advise against travel to Addis Ababa itself, but it warns of a high terrorism threat, reports of attacks on military sites in the capital, and crime hotspots at Meskel Square, Bole and Entoto. The US State Department rates Ethiopia Level 3, Reconsider Travel, in an advisory dated before the September fighting. Read the current UK FCDO advice and the US State Department advisory before you book and again before you fly. This page covers Addis Ababa and the Bishoftu corridor only.

Addis Ababa sits at about 2,355 metres, so give yourself a quiet first day. Money matters too: the birr trades at about 160 to 165 to the US dollar in October 2026, and foreigner tickets at the main park are priced in dollars. What follows are the things that are open to visitors in the capital, with the practical catches.

Unity Park

Unity Park is the former palace compound of Menelik II at Arat Kilo, open to the public since October 2019. Foreigners pay USD 20 for the regular ticket, which is self-guided and covers most of the attractions. A USD 50 special ticket adds a guide, priority queues and Menelik II and Empress Taytu’s rooms. Tickets are sold from age 2 and can be paid in dollars or birr at the gate. The park is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Monday. Tickets go on sale from 9:00 to 16:00, and the park closes at about 17:00. Inside are a zoo with Ethiopian black-maned lions seen through glass, an aviary, an aquarium, botanical displays, the throne hall and the archives. These prices are as reported by recent visitor guides, so confirm them at the gate.

Coffee ceremony and cafes

A coffee ceremony runs through three rounds of the same grounds, called abol, tona and baraka. Hotels and many cafes serve it, and you should expect to sit for a good while. For a cafe stop, Galani Coffee lists its hours on its official site : the Jackross branch opens Tuesday to Sunday from 8:00 to 19:00, Lebu daily from 8:00 to 20:00 and Churchill daily from 7:30 to 19:00, and there is also a branch at Entoto. Tomoca was founded in 1953 and has a branch in Piassa.

Music in the evening

Fendika, known for its azmari singers and Ethio-jazz, performs as Fendika@Hyatt at the Hyatt Regency on Meskel Square. No schedule is published, so look at Fendika’s website or its social media before you go. African Jazz Village at the Ghion Hotel hosts Ethio-jazz concerts, reported on Thursday nights with a late start, so check the night before. Whichever you choose, travel door to door by car, keep your phone out of sight and leave your passport in the hotel safe. Meskel Square is one of the places the FCDO names for robberies.

Entoto Natural Park

Entoto is a forest park at 2,600 to 3,100 metres, and Kuriftu Entoto Adventure Park there offers a zipline, rope courses, archery and horse riding, each charged separately. Foreigners pay a separate park entrance fee, so ask at the gate. The FCDO names Entoto as a crime hotspot. Go by car, in daytime and in company, and do not walk quiet stretches alone. Take it easy on the first day because of the altitude.

Textiles

Shiro Meda, on Entoto Road, sells handwoven cotton garments and shawls, and sellers often quote visitors much higher prices than locals, so bargain. Sabahar sells hand-woven silk, cotton and linen, with weekday hours of 9:00 to 18:00 and Saturday hours of 10:00 to 18:00. Call before you visit if you hope to see the weaving.

Getting around

Use yellow or app-based taxis rather than blue-and-white ones, as the FCDO advises. Ride and Yango are two ride-hailing apps in use. Carry small birr notes, because cards work only at larger hotels and some restaurants. GPS can be unreliable, so download an offline map before you set out.

To compare guided options, browse Addis Ababa activities on Viator .