Addis Ababa Sightseeing: Cathedrals and Museums
Before you plan: an armed conflict is under way in Ethiopia. Federal forces and Tigray-aligned groups began fighting again on 23 September 2026, Ethiopian Airlines stopped flying to Tigray, and drones were reported over military sites in Addis Ababa on 1 October. The British FCDO tells travellers not to go to Tigray, Amhara or Gambela, or to parts of Oromia, Afar and other regions. It gives no warning against Addis Ababa itself, but it flags a high terrorism threat, security checkpoints, and crime around Meskel Square, Bole and Entoto. The US rating is Level 3, Reconsider Travel, at the time of writing. Check gov.uk travel advice for Ethiopia and travel.state.gov before booking and again before departure. The FCDO lists places of worship and tourist sites among possible terrorist targets.
Addis Ababa’s sights gather around Arat Kilo and Piassa: a national museum, two cathedrals, a new museum of the Adwa victory and the palace compound that is now Unity Park. Beyond those, Entoto holds an old church above the city. A foreigner fee applies almost everywhere, paid in cash, and amounts change, so ask at the ticket office. Several of these places are sites of mourning or worship, and quiet manners are expected.
National Museum of Ethiopia
The museum at Arat Kilo is arranged by floor. Hominid fossils and a Selam display fill the basement, and the first floor holds ancient and medieval objects and Haile Selassie’s regalia. Art, including Afewerk Tekle’s African Heritage, fills the second floor and ethnography the third. The Lucy shown is a cast. Reported hours run from about 9:00 to 17:00, Tuesday to Sunday, with Mondays and major holidays closed.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
Work on Holy Trinity at Arat Kilo began in 1931 and finished in 1942, to mark the defeat of the Italian occupation. Haile Selassie and Empress Menen lie in the north transept, while Sylvia Pankhurst and Meles Zenawi are buried in the grounds. The building also holds the remains of people massacred by the Italians in 1937 and a monument and tomb for officials executed under the Derg. Approach it as a place of remembrance as well as worship. A foreigner entrance fee applies, so confirm it at the ticket office, and be cautious if someone at the booth offers to guide you for money.
St George’s Cathedral
In Piassa at Arada Giyorgis, this octagonal cathedral was built after the 1896 victory at Adwa on the orders of Menelik II. Zewditu was crowned inside in 1917, and Haile Selassie in 1930. Afewerk Tekle’s work decorates the interior, and there is a small museum. Ask for the fee at the entrance.
Adwa Victory Memorial Museum
Standing in Piassa between the Menelik II monument and St George’s, this museum was inaugurated on 11 February 2024 and opened to visitors on 16 March 2024. It spreads over about 1.5 hectares in eleven blocks and five floors, with displays on the 1896 battle, Menelik II and Empress Taytu. A single 2024 blog reported a foreigner ticket of about USD 20 payable in dollars, and photography is reportedly prohibited inside. The museum honours a battle, so keep a respectful tone.
Entoto Maryam Church
Menelik II was crowned in 1889 at this octagonal church on the Entoto heights, and a nearby museum shows belongings of Menelik II and Empress Taytu. The FCDO names Entoto as a crime hotspot, so go by car, in daylight and not alone. Separate fees and photography limits may apply.
Unity Park
Menelik II’s former palace compound at Arat Kilo, Unity Park, charges foreigners USD 20 for a self-guided ticket that leaves out the palace rooms, and USD 50 for the special ticket that adds a guide, the rooms of Menelik II and Empress Taytu, and the Egg House. It is shut on Mondays. For organised sightseeing departures, search Addis Ababa sightseeing on GetYourGuide .
Moving between sights
The Arat Kilo sights are 1 to 3 kilometres apart, but traffic is thick and crossings are hazardous, so take a taxi. The law forbids photographing military zones, soldiers or the Presidential Palace. In October 2026 the exchange rate is roughly 160 to 165 birr for each US dollar.
Read more: the guided visits page , or the walking routes page .