Tours in Addis Ababa

Start with the smell. In the morning, Addis Ababa smells of roasting coffee, eucalyptus smoke and diesel, often all on one corner. Somebody is always roasting beans on a small pan outside a doorway, and the neighbours always seem to know exactly when they are ready. Take the cup you are offered. It is the quickest way into the city.

Addis sits high and spreads out, a city of hills with no single centre. Taxis and minibuses crowd the main roads, and the side streets climb off into neighbourhoods where everyone seems to know everyone. Go up to Entoto Hill and you see why: the whole sprawl lies below you, rooftops and eucalyptus groves running to the horizon. The air is cooler up there and you will want a layer, even on a bright day.

This is where a day with a guide earns its keep. The National Museum is home to Lucy, and it is worth slowing down for, because the rooms around her make sense of how deep the country's story runs. Holy Trinity Cathedral is a quiet, serious place, where you will notice how people behave around it before you notice the architecture. Then there is Mercato, a market so big and so loud that going in alone is a lot. With someone local, it becomes a place to wander, haggle a little and watch the trade of spices, cloth and everything else.

Some things you will probably hear about and want to see, like Meskel Square, the Africa Hall area or the Unity Park grounds near the old palace. We do not sell tours to those yet, but a local guide can build a day around them if you ask. Dress modestly for the churches, and women should plan on longer skirts or trousers. Then sit down for injera and a proper coffee ceremony, and let the afternoon go slowly.