ADD layover
A layover in Addis Ababa (ADD)
The city is 15–30 min from Bole each way, so budget around 1 hours of travel for the round trip before immigration and security. Bole is about 8 km from the centre. Ethiopian Airlines passengers with an 8–24 hour connection on one ticket can get a free hotel stay, transfers and help with a transit visa: check eligibility and book through the airline. Be back 3 hours before departure; security at Bole is thorough.
- 0–8hStay airside
- 8–14hEthiopian's stopover hotel and a short tour
- 14–24hThe National Museum and a coffee ceremony
Checked against sources:· How we verify
Can you leave the airport?
That depends on your passport and ticket. Check the official rules before you plan anything outside the terminal:
We link the official sources rather than summarise entry rules, because they change and differ by nationality.
Conditions at Bole now
Raw METAR
0–8 hours
Stay airside
Under eight hours, stay in the terminal: Ethiopian's free stopover hotel starts at 8 hours, and leaving means a visa and two security checks. The new terminal has cafés serving Ethiopian coffee.
8–14 hours
Ethiopian's stopover hotel and a short tour
If you qualify, use Ethiopian Airlines' free stopover: a hotel room, meals and transfers. Ethiopian Holidays sells short city tours timed to the connection, which is the simplest way to see Addis.
14–24 hours
The National Museum and a coffee ceremony
With a day, see the National Museum (home of the Lucy skeleton cast), Holy Trinity Cathedral and a traditional coffee ceremony. Use the airline's transfers or a pre-booked car rather than flagging taxis.
Sources
- ethiopianairlines.com — free hotel, meals and transfers for 8–24 hour connections; transit visa help; Ethiopian Holidays tours
- evisa.gov.et — Ethiopian eVisa
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