Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Best places to shop in Addis Ababa
4 markets, malls and shopping districts in Addis Ababa — what to buy, when to go, and the tourist traps to avoid at each one.
Last updated 2026-08-11
1. Merkato
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
The largest open-air market in Africa — spices, coffee, textiles, recycled metalwork and everything else, across a district rather than a square.
- Where: Market
- Map: Open in Maps
- Best time: Monday to Saturday 08:00–18:00
- Cost: Budget
Watch outEnormous, disorienting and heavily pickpocketed. Go with a local guide, carry almost nothing, and stay out of the narrowest lanes.
2. Ethiopian coffee
Photo: Niels Van Iperen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
The birthplace of coffee — Yirgacheffe, Sidamo and Harar beans sold green or roasted, alongside the jebena pots and the ceremony equipment.
- Where: Street Shopping
- Map: Open in Maps
- Best time: Daily 08:00–19:00
- Cost: Budget
- Tip: Buy whole roasted beans marked with the region and the washing station. Green beans are cheaper but need roasting at home.
3. Shiro Meda Market
Photo: Lucy Shaw · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
The traditional textile market — hand-woven cotton habesha kemis dresses, netela shawls and the tibeb embroidered borders.
- Where: Market
- Map: Open in Maps
- Best time: Monday to Saturday 08:00–18:00
- Cost: Budget–Mid
- Tip: The tibeb border is where the work and the price sit. Hand-woven pieces have irregular edges and cost several times the machine versions.
4. Salem's Ethiopia and craft cooperatives
Photo: Lan Yao · Pexels License · source
The fair-trade craft shops — basketry, leather, horn, weaving and jewellery, with artisans paid directly and prices fixed.
- Where: Luxury
- Map: Open in Maps
- Best time: Monday to Saturday 09:00–18:00
- Cost: Mid-range
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