Entoto Natural Park

The basics

Entoto Natural Park features on plenty of Addis Ababa day tours, many of which also visit the Entoto Maryam Church, just north of the park. Some tours to Debre Libanos, a historic monastery north of Addis, also include the park as a stop. Tours typically give you enough time to check out the scenery, but it’s worth booking a private, customizable tour if you want to spend a lot of time at the park.

Things to know before you go

• Entoto Natural Park is a must for nature lovers and photographers.
• Wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothes, solid shoes, and sun protection when visiting the park.
• There’s a fee to visit the park, with different price structures for Ethiopian and foreign visitors. There is an additional charge for parking, which is typically included in tour fees.

How to get there

Many people visit Entoto Natural Park as part of a half-day or full-day city tour of Addis Ababa, most of which include transportation. If you're visiting on your own, your best bet is to hire a taxi to take you up to the park and back again. The journey takes about 20-30 minutes from most parts of the city, depending on traffic.

When to get there

Entoto Natural Park is open daily throughout the year from morning until evening. A sunrise or sunset visit can make for particularly pretty views, but it's a great place to visit any time of day, especially if conditions are clear. You'll have the best chance of sunny skies if you come in the dry season—October and May—but avoid July and August, when rain is most common.

Visiting the Entoto Maryam Church

Just north of Entoto Natural Park, the Entoto Maryam Church is among the most important active churches in Ethiopia. It was commissioned in the 1870s by Menelik II, who was Emperor of Ethiopia at the time, and his remains are now interred in the church. Next to the church is a small museum displaying royal ephemera that's worth checking out.