Free Walking Tours in Addis Abeba

Jerard made himself despite the last minute booking. He took me all around Mercado in places I wouldn’t have been to otherwise!

An Unforgettable Deep Dive into Addis Ababa – A Masterclass in Local Culture I recently had the pleasure of spending a full day exploring Addis Ababa with Getachew Ageze, and I cannot recommend him highly enough. It was supposed to be a free tour but it became a paid full tour since I wanted to discover more. If you are looking for a guide who goes far beyond the standard tourist trail to provide an authentic, immersive experience, Getachew is the perfect choice. We covered a vast amount of ground in a single day, but the pace felt natural and incredibly well-structured. We began with the historical significance of the Holy Trinity Cathedral before diving into the vibrant, chaotic energy of Merkato. Getachew’s navigation of the market was seamless—we explored the fascinating recycling area of Minalesh Terra and even managed to climb to a rooftop for a spectacular panoramic view of the market that I would never have found on my own. One of the standout moments was lunch. Getachew took me to a truly "off-the-beaten-path" spot for a fasting Beyanetu platter. It was hands-down one of the most delicious, authentic meals I’ve had; it’s the kind of hidden gem you only find with a local expert. The absolute highlight of the day, however, was the coffee ceremony at Tesfa Coffee. Instead of just watching, Getachew ensured I was fully involved in the process—from grilling the beans to the brewing. It was an intimate, tactile, and deeply memorable experience that grounded the entire day. We rounded off the afternoon with a visit to the Entoto Historical Museum before finishing up at Sheromeda Market. Getachew is knowledgeable, attentive, and passionate about his city. He made me feel safe and engaged throughout the entire day. Whether you are a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler, Getachew Ageze is an exceptional guide who will help you see the heart and soul of Addis Ababa.

Nous avons passé un excellent moment lors de cette excursion à travers les principaux points d'intérêt d'Addis-Abeba. Notre guide était vraiment exceptionnel : très sympathique, souriant, disponible et passionné. Il n'a pas hésité à consacrer bien plus de temps que prévu pour que nous puissions profiter pleinement de la visite, sans jamais nous presser. Il nous a également ramenés en voiture, ce qui a été très apprécié. Grâce à lui, nous avons découvert de nombreux endroits fascinants de la ville dans une ambiance détendue et conviviale. Une expérience inoubliable que je recommande sans hésitation à tous ceux qui souhaitent découvrir Addis-Abeba dans les meilleures conditions. Merci encore pour cette magnifique journée !

Good tour in Addis ababa

Reta is friendly and he took me to a honey shop, learned about tea ceremony and took me to Shola market.

I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Addis Ababa. Getachew was very knowledgeable about the city's history and culture and was always happy to answer questions. He was also flexible with the meeting time and made the experience enjoyable and informative. One suggestion would be to make the tour description a bit clearer. It would be helpful to mention that taxis are used for most of the stops, as we were expecting a fully walking tour and could have prepared better for a mix of walking and transportation. I would also suggest changing the meeting point. We met near a plaza and then took a taxi to the National Museum of Ethiopia. Starting the tour at the museum instead would have been more efficient and would have saved some us time.

El tour es muy intimo, ya que el grupo es sumamente pequeño. La verdad es que nuestro guía fue muy bueno y nos dio muchos datos interesantes de Etiopía. Sin embargo, originalmente el tour fue reservado en español pero el tour se dio en inglés. Afortunadamente sabíamos el idioma y no fue dificil comunicarnos.

I highly recommend tour guide Reta if you are visiting Addis Ababa. I took the walking tour focusing on the Merkato, the largest open air market in Africa. Reta will take you to places that feels like a local and that’s what I want. He is knowledgeable and very courteous.

He is very nice guide. He took all of us to different places in Addis Ababa.

I had an excellent experience on this free walking tour in Addis Ababa and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the city for the first time. Getachew was incredibly friendly, relaxed, and genuinely passionate about sharing his deep knowledge. What I appreciated most was that the tour was not only about sightseeing, but also about understanding Ethiopian culture, history, daily life, food, coffee traditions, and the atmosphere of Addis itself. He explained everything in a very engaging and authentic way and was always happy to answer questions. He was also extremely flexible and adapted the tour to the interests and pace of the group, whether it was spending more time at certain places, changing the route slightly, giving restaurant recommendations, or sharing local insider tips. You could really tell that he knows the city very well and enjoys introducing people to it. As a solo traveler, I especially appreciated how comfortable and welcoming the whole experience felt. I learned a lot, discovered places I would never have found on my own, and got many useful recommendations for the rest of my stay in Addis. Definitely one of the highlights of my trip, highly recommended! See you soon :-)

He was a very good guide, we saw several intersting things. Most tecomended!!

I had a great tour with Reta, he’s knowledgeable about his subject and he took me to some exciting places.

È stato un tour molto interessante. Reta ci ha mostrato la cerimonia del bunna, ci ha mostrato i negozi locali con le loro specialità e poi ci ha fatto fare un tour del mercato facendoci fermare nei negozi per vedere e comprare qualcosa. Consigliato!

The experience with Getachew was good I and my friends we had such a great time, for me it was my second time to layover of the Addis Ababa we had a nice coffee tasting with him. My friend are had a wonderful experience with him they learned a lot about the culture and history of the country. Thank you for your assistance and sharing your knowledge. Highly recommend.

Best Tour guide

We had a wonderful experience with our guide, Reta. His knowledge of Ethiopian culture and history was excellent and really enriched our tour. He explained everything clearly and made the experience both informative and enjoyable.

The experience was incredile!Reta is a very attenive in Addus Abeba frequent. We had coffee, ate typical food fir Lunch, and visited several tourist Spots. It was great Tour! i really recommend!!!

Friendly person

It was great tour!

Bellissima esperienza, abbiamo visto la cerimonia del caffè e il mercato, incredibile spaccato di vita etiope poco visitabile in autonomia. Abbiamo poi visto Piazza, dove si è concluso il tour. Parla un ottimo inglese ed è una bellissima persona

Incredible city tour

Very good tour, recommended

I highly recommend a tour with Getachew. He is extremely knowledgeable and you really feel his enjoyment of sharing this knowledge with you. It was such an enjoyable time exploring the city with him, and he showed me places that I would not have been able to find myself.

Reta was an excellent guide, punctual and very attentive. One of the highlights was the traditional coffee and the visit to Mercato.

Just finished an amazing city walking tour of Merkato and surrounds with Reta. Reta was very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Would definitely recommend the tour to those passing by or even living in Addis to get a different perspective. Highlight was the rooftop views of Merkato.