Addis Ababa rewards visitors who slow down. Give it three days and you'll have coffee where it began, a market that seems to never end, and the whole city spread out below you from the hills.
Friday: the old city
Start in Piassa, the old centre, with a macchiato at Tomoca, which has roasted coffee here since 1953. Walk on to the Holy Trinity Cathedral, where Emperor Haile Selassie is buried, then spend the afternoon at a museum: the National Museum is home to Lucy, the 3.2-million-year-old skeleton.
Saturday: markets and food
Brave Merkato in the morning, before it gets busy. Have lunch of injera with shiro or kitfo, and in the evening find a traditional restaurant with azmari music and a coffee ceremony. If you need a slower afternoon, Unity Park, in the grounds of the National Palace, is the calmest place in the city.
Sunday: up into the hills
Drive up Mount Entoto for views over the whole city and its eucalyptus forests, and stop at the old churches on the ridge. Bring a layer: at over 3,000 metres it's cooler than town.
If you come in September or January
Time your visit for Meskel, when crowds gather at Meskel Square to light the Demera bonfire. In January, Timket fills the streets with processions. Getting around is easy with ride apps; ask our front desk, or ask Addis, for the rest.