Addis Ababa: Mercato Market and Sightseeing Tour

Explore the largest open-air market in Africa, Mercato, on a guided tour. Visit the St. George Cathedral, the Entoto Natural Park, and the Addis Ababa restaurant.

Start your tour at Mercato, the largest open-air market in Africa. Covering several square miles, the market employs an estimated 13,000 people in 7,100 business entities. Most of the sessions are for wholesale, including scrap metal recycling, furniture, home electronics, spices, and food items.

Continue to the St. George Cathedral, built on the ruins of an older church from the 15th century. Learn about the church's history and the Tabot (Ark) of the church, which was carried to the Battle of Adwa against the Italians, during which the Ethiopians secured victory.

Visit the Entoto Natural Park, located on the northeastern rim of Addis Abeba, on the southeastern slopes of Mt. Entoto. Covering an area of 1,300 hectares, it is situated at an altitude of between 2,600 and 3,100 meters.

Learn about the Ethiopian Space Science Society, which has an observatory on the 3,200-meter summit. Visit the Addis Ababa restaurant, a house that was built over 100 years ago by Emperor Menelik II. The house was a gift to his daughter, Queen Zewditu, when she married Dejach Wube.