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Explore the Natural and Cultural Attractions of Addis Ababa!

Duration: 5h
Languages: English
Guru: Belayneh
Registered on November 22, 2019

Hello travelers of planet earth, my name is Belayneh and I am a guru from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. You can call me "Belay" shortly. My nickname is Professor, because this has a long history while I was in college. I am a humble, sociable, loyal, punctual and respectful person, and I like to talk about different types of topics. I am interested in sports, especially running. I am organizing a running event in my city once a week, along with walks. I am also interested in music, volunteering, performing, and teaching. My country Ethiopia is so big and has different kinds of cultures with more than 83 cities and languages. Most of them are in southern Ethiopia, which is the most diversified state. I have traveled all over Ethiopia in the east, west, north and south and it is very interesting. Ethiopia generally has a domesticated culture. The people are very beautiful and friendly. All I want is for travelers to take away from Addis Ababa and Ethiopia, the feeling of having been in a beautiful and unique culture, and a natural attraction full of life.

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  • Free booking and cancellation
    Free payment tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free

Tour description

Being a reliable Guru of Addis is my the best feature. I will explain the whole history of Addis Ababa through these emblematic and famous places, how it was founded, curiosities, the history, and many other things. Moreover, we will go to hidden places only known by a local :). If you want to know everything about this fantastic city, you can’t miss my guruwalk in Addis Ababa! What are we going to visit: -Mesqel Square - UNECA and Africa Union -Merkato Market -Piassa (Old town) -University ( Ethnological Museum) - Shiromeda Cultural Cloth Market -Entoto Mountain -Local and Indigenous drinks and foods -Religious Heritage -National Museum -Arat Kilo and Kasanchis -Shola Market -This tour also takes to Debire Zeyit ( Bishoftu) Lakes Depending on the traveler time probably in next day of the tour. Most Unique things of Ethiopia 1. Calendar and Time The Ethiopian calendar is closely related to the Coptic and Julian calendars, but it is not quite the same. Ethiopia has 13 months. The 12 months have 30 days each and the 13 month has 5 days and 6 days once in four year that making Ethiopia 7 and half years behind the Gregorian calendar. Ethiopia celebrates its new year in every September first of Ethiopian calendar. Ethiopia is in the GMT + 3 hours’ time zone. The sun dictates the Ethiopian Time. When you get up early in the morning you start by counting one and you end up at twelve when the day ends, and start counting again from one when the night begins and end at twelve o’clock just before the sunrises in the morning. The Ethiopian midday and midnight is six o’clock. So be aware that the counting system of Ethiopian time and date is not the same as you some local people can understand your counting system too. 2. Amharic Alphabet Ethiopia has its own Alphabet and numeric. Amharic is the main language of Ethiopia. Amharic Alphabet has 35 main letters with having 6 each relatives. 3. Food Ethiopian Food is Diverse, Spicy and exotic. Injera is the stable or dominant food of Ethiopians which takes 3 days to bake. Injera is made from cereal grain known as Teff. Injera can be served with a rainbow of different foods such as meat, Vegetable, pulses and soon. Ingera can be eaten by hand rather not by folks and spoon. 4. Coffee The most coffee grown place in Ethiopia are Keffa in south, Jimma in south west, Welega in North West and Harar in the East. The preferable coffee to drink is from the boiled coffee pot than the machine coffee. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is an important part of Ethiopian culture. It involves roasting coffee beans and preparing boiled coffee in a vessel akin to the ibriks. The coffee ceremony involves processing the raw, unwashed coffee beans into finished cups of coffee. 5. The Cradle of Human kind ( Hominid) and Never colonized 6. Music and Dancing ( Eskista) The music of Ethiopia is extremely diverse. It uses distinct modal system that is pentatonic, with characteristically long intervals between some notes. Even if you can’t understand the words, Ethiopian music is so expressive and soulful that you will enjoy it anyway! Traditional Ethiopian dance is unique. Mainly comprised of fast, rhythmic upper body movements, the dancing is not only beautiful, but tells a story of life, culture, and tradition in Ethiopia. There is some cultural restaurant that have the Ethiopian cultural live dance music along with the food in every evening.

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  • Meeting point:
    Meskel Square, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
    Meskel Square, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
    View on map

    Meeting Point at Hilton hotel main gate. Although if the map is not working properly or difficult to come there, I can pick you from your hotel or staying place.

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours do not have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end of the tour the amount that he or she considers appropriate (these usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).

Tour opinions

10 ratings
4.6
By category
Professionalism
4.2
Fun
4.2
Expression
4.2
Quality
4.2
Route
4.4
Generic
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Marco 03 Aug 2022
Dubai

Verified booking
Travelled alone - Aug 2022
A great way to experience Addis. Belayneh was friendly and knowledgeable, and adapted the itinerary to my wishes and preferences. I definitely suggest him.
Lauretta 28 Jul 2022
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin

Verified booking
Travelled in group - Jul 2022
Very nice guy. I highly recommend him to all the tourists that come in Addis Ababa
David 25 Feb 2021
Washington

Verified booking
Travelled in group - Feb 2021
Belaynah is a very nice guy. He showed me around the main sites of downtown and, as others have mentioned, showed us three separate means of public transportation-- minibus, bus, and light rail. He did not have a very specific itinerary in mind, so I would recommend that any others who want to take the walk should do a bit of research in advance to think of things that they would like to see.
Mercedes 26 Oct 2020

Great tour! We spent an entire day visiting different parts of Addis Ababa. Lots of walking (although there's an option of using more public transport) around. At the end of the day you feel that you know Addis well. Belay knows very well the history. You also get the opportunity to use the local minibuses and the light train. I strongly recommend this trip.
Luz 10 Mar 2020
Buenos Aires

Verified booking
Travelled in group - Mar 2020
Belayneh fue muy amable y estuvo muy atento en todo momento a lo que yo quería conocer. Viajamos en todos los transportes disponibles en la ciudad, cosa que sola no hubiera hecho. Me acompaño a comprar chip y me ayudo en todo momento. Súper recomendable!
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Who is this tour for?

Accessibility
Suitable for people with reduced mobility.
Groups
Does not accept large group reservations.
Pets
Not suitable for pets.

What should you know?

Minimum of attendees
A minimum of 5 people is required for the tour.
Additional costs:
The tour requires the payment of entrance fees or additional expenses.
Free cancellation
If you will not be able to attend the tour, please cancel your booking, otherwise the guide will be waiting for you.
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