Addis Ababa Cooking Class & City Tour with Ethiopian Lunch

Cook Ethiopian dishes alongside a chef, then eat what you made.

This six-hour private tour of Addis Ababa combines city landmarks with an immersive cooking class where you prepare and eat authentic Ethiopian cuisine. You start at Mount Entoto for panoramic views, visit Shiro Meda Market to see traditional weaving, tour the National Museum of Ethiopia, then move to the cooking experience where you shop for ingredients with a guide and cook hearty Ethiopian dishes with an experienced chef. The tour ends at an exclusive viewpoint overlooking the city.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Mount Entoto40m · entry included
2. National Museum of Ethiopia1h · entry included

Addis Ababa city tour and cooking class

• Drive up Mount Entoto for views
• Explore Shiro Meda Market
• Visit National Museum of Ethiopia
• Participate in immersive cooking class
• Enjoy exclusive city viewpoint

The experience

Mount Entoto rises 3,200 meters above the city and is covered in eucalyptus trees planted during Emperor Haile Selassie's reign: locals call it the "lung of Addis Ababa." You drive up with your private guide and can stop whenever something catches your eye. The mountain gives you a panoramic view of the capital before you move into the busier parts of the city.

At Shiro Meda Market, you walk through stalls selling handwoven scarves and traditional Ethiopian dresses decorated with colorful embroidery. The market shows local artistry in action, and if anything interests you, bartering for a better price is part of the experience. From there, the National Museum of Ethiopia holds archaeological finds from across the country, including Lucy, the 3.2-million-year-old human skeleton that is the museum's centerpiece. A free guided tour is available if you want the full history. If the museum is closed on a Monday, the operator swaps in the Ethnological Museum, the former palace of Emperor Haile Selassie.

The cooking class is the heart of the tour. You start with a shopping trip to gather ingredients, learning what goes into authentic Ethiopian cuisine and why each component matters. Then you settle into a kitchen with an experienced chef who walks you through making injera, a gluten-free fermented teff pancake, and protein-rich sides like shero. You cook alongside the chef, eat the meal you made, and can take leftovers home. After lunch, your guide takes you to an exclusive viewpoint with a 360-degree view of Addis Ababa that only insiders know about.

What’s included

• Private transportation and a licensed English-speaking guide.
• cultural coffee, tea or juice at a spontaneous stop.
• bottled water.
• lunch prepared during the cooking class.
• dietary restrictions accommodated.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 to 49 years) · Senior (50 to 75 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (5 to 12 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 15 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Simen Land Tours

Is this one for you?The tour runs six hours and includes walking at Mount Entoto and through the market, plus standing time in the kitchen during the cooking class. Book this if you want to move through the city's main sights and end with a hands-on meal rather than just eating at a restaurant.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (5 to 12 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What is Mount Entoto and why is it called the lung of Addis Ababa?

Mount Entoto is the highest peak in the Entoto Mountains at 3,200 meters, densely covered in eucalyptus trees imported from Australia during Menelik II's reign and planted widely under Emperor Haile Selassie. The forest is a major source of firewood for the city and was historically used for building material, earning it the nickname "lung of Addis Ababa."

Do I actually cook the food in the cooking class, or just watch?

You cook alongside an experienced chef in a hands-on class. You start by shopping for ingredients and learning their significance, then prepare and cook authentic Ethiopian dishes like injera and shero yourself. You eat the meal you made and can take leftovers home.

What happens if the National Museum is closed when I visit?

The National Museum closes on Mondays. If your tour falls on a Monday, the operator substitutes the Ethnological Museum, which is the former palace of Emperor Haile Selassie and covers Ethiopian history and culture just as thoroughly.

What is included in the tour besides the cooking class?

The tour includes private transportation with a licensed guide, bottled water, a cultural coffee, tea or juice stop (a spontaneous break to experience Ethiopian coffee), and lunch from the cooking class. The guide speaks English and can accommodate dietary restrictions.