Must see places in Ethiopia | Things in Ethiopia you should not miss

updated 7/19/2019

#01 Addis Ababa

Catch live music, shop for traditional crafts, or just hang out eating and drinking in Ethiopia’s modern capital.

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#02 South Omo

This thrillingly remote area by the Kenyan border is home to some of Africa’s most staunchly traditionalist animist tribes.

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#03 Aksum

Mysterious ruined palaces and skyscraping stelae scatter the two-thousand year-old capital of a trade empire that thrived alongside Ancient Greece and Rome.

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#04 Simien Mountains National Park

Protecting the highest range in Ethiopia, this national park offers opportunities for great hiking and spotting endemic wildlife aplenty.

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#05 Harar

This walled city in the eastern highlands is rich in Islamic shrines and home to the famed hyena men of Harar.

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#06 Lalibela

Still in active use, the medieval complex of churches carved into the rocks of Lalibela is as architecturally impressive as it is spiritually affecting.

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#07 Rift Valley lakes

The seven natural lakes that stud Ethiopia’s southern Rift Valley form prime birdwatching and chill-out territory.

© Alberto Loyo/Shutterstock

#08 Gondar

The beautifully painted church of Debre Birhan Selassie and commanding stone castle built by Emperor Fasil are highlights of Ethiopia’s seventeenth-century capital.