Where to Stay in Addis Ababa: Bole, Kazanchis and Piazza Compared

Addis Ababa slopes downward from the cool 3,200-metre eucalyptus forests of Mount Entoto in the north to the flatter 2,330-metre plains around Bole International Airport in the south. Choosing between the southern modern hub of Bole and the central diplomatic axis of Kazanchis and Meskel Square comes down to whether you prioritise walkable cafes and quick airport transfers or immediate proximity to palaces and museums.

Bole and Atlas (best for cafes, restaurants, jazz clubs and airport proximity)

Stretching north from Bole International Airport along Africa Avenue (Bole Road), Cameroon Street (around Bole Medhane Alem Cathedral) and the Atlas intersection, Bole is the liveliest, most cosmopolitan neighbourhood in modern Addis Ababa. Staying here puts you five to ten minutes from the airport terminals, surrounded by reliable mid-range and luxury hotels (including Ethiopian Airlines' flagship Skylight complex), speciality coffee roasters, cultural dinner halls, contemporary bakeries and late-night Ethio-jazz venues.

Kazanchis and Meskel Square (best central base for Unity Park and museums)

Located four kilometres north-west of the airport right in the geographic middle of the city, Kazanchis (home to the UN Economic Commission for Africa) and the avenues flanking Meskel Square and St Estifanos form the diplomatic and civic heart of the capital. You can walk to Friendship Park, the Addis Ababa Museum and the Red Terror Martyrs' Memorial Museum, reach Unity Park and the National Museum (Lucy) in ten minutes by taxi, and hop onto the East-West Light Rail line at St Estifanos station. Classic garden resort hotels (including the thermal-spring-heated outdoor pool at the historic Hilton and the hilltop Sheraton Addis) sit right in this belt.

Arat Kilo, Sidist Kilo and Piazza (historic character and university hills)

On the higher northern slopes between the Grand Palace, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Addis Ababa University and the Italian-built arcades of Piazza (Arada), you are in the oldest part of the city. Here stands Ethiopia's first hotel, the historic Taitu Hotel founded by Empress Taytu Betul in 1905, alongside budget and heritage guesthouses popular with overland travellers and researchers who want to walk straight to Tomoca Coffee, Shiro Meda and the museums.

Sarbet and Old Airport / Lideta (quiet residential embassies)

South-west of Meskel Square past the African Union headquarters, leafy Sarbet (Pushkin Square) and the Old Airport quarter offer quiet tree-lined residential compounds, international bistros and boutique guesthouses. Fit your base into our three-day Addis Ababa itinerary.