Yes, for most visitors Unity Park is worth a half day. It is the only place in Addis Ababa where you can walk into the old imperial palace compound, and it adds a zoo with Ethiopian black-maned lions, gardens and pavilions on each of the country's regions. It is closed on Mondays, security is strict, and foreigners pay a dollar price, so a little planning helps.

Here is what you actually see, what each ticket covers, the rules that catch people out, and who will enjoy it most. The short version on logistics: arrive by car, because you will want somewhere to leave the things security won't let in.

What is Unity Park?

Unity Park (Andinet Park in Amharic) was inaugurated on 10 October 2019, with the leaders of Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia and Sudan at the ceremony. It sits inside the Grand Palace, often called Menelik's Palace, a hilltop compound in central Addis Ababa that Emperor Menelik II founded in the late 19th century. The palace grounds cover about 40 hectares, and the compound still contains the Prime Minister's offices, which explains the tight security.

The buildings carry a lot of history. Emperors lived and worked here for generations. Haile Selassie used the great banquet hall for state dinners, including the 1963 banquet for the African leaders who founded the Organisation of African Unity. After the 1974 revolution, the Derg used the throne hall as a meeting hall and the grounds as a prison for officials of the old government. Restoration began in 2018, and the park opened to the public the following year.

What is there to see inside?

There are ten attractions. The ones most visitors remember are:

• Menelik II's palace rooms. The emperor's and Empress Taytu's chambers and the two-storey 'Egg House' (Enqulal Bet), named for the shape of its roof. These are only open on the special ticket.
• The throne hall. Now the park's main museum, with exhibition rooms on the throne, faith, the imperial governments, and the revolution and Red Terror, including the basement where prisoners were held.
• The banquet hall. Built in Menelik's time for his great public feasts, and still holding his throne and a wax figure of the emperor.
• The black-maned lion zoo. You walk through a 175-metre artificial cave, modelled on the Sof Omar caves, and watch the lions through large glass windows.
• Unity Zoo. Around 37 species of mammals and birds, with a 'safari' area of giraffes, zebras, antelopes and other grazers, plus cheetahs, geladas, a walk-through aviary and the country's first public aquarium.
• Regional pavilions, gardens and a botanical centre. Short displays on each region's culture, a garden of indigenous plants and traditional houses, and a greenhouse representing Ethiopia's climate zones.
• The Unity Archive. Palace documents going back over a century, opened as an exhibition in 2023.

When is Unity Park open?

Unity Park sells tickets Tuesday to Sunday, including public holidays, and is closed on Mondays. Times are given in Ethiopian clock time: tickets from 3 to 10 o'clock and visits ending at 11. In international time that is roughly 9am to 4pm for tickets, with the park closing about 5pm. The special ticket is not sold after 9 o'clock Ethiopian time (about 3pm), so arrive in the morning if you want the palace rooms.

How much are tickets, and which one should you buy?

As of September 2026, foreigners pay USD 20 for the regular ticket and USD 50 for the special ticket; Ethiopians pay a lower price in birr. The two main options compare like this:

The regular ticket covers everything except Menelik II's palace rooms, and you walk it on your own. The special ticket adds a guide (guides are available in several languages), priority in the ticket and security queues, and the palace rooms. Prices apply to everyone aged two and over. Holders of an Ethiopian-origin ID (the diaspora 'yellow card') pay the Ethiopian price if they show a valid card; foreign residents pay the foreigner price.

You can pay at the gate in cash (birr or foreign currency) or by local or international card on a card machine. The park also accepts Commercial Bank of Ethiopia mobile banking and telebirr. Prices can change, so check the official ticket page before you go.

Our view: if you are going at all, the palace rooms are the part you cannot see anywhere else, so history-minded travellers usually get more from the special ticket.

What can't you bring into Unity Park?

Security is airport-style, and the list of banned items surprises people. It includes:

• Food and drink, except food for babies. There are cafés, restaurants and ATMs inside.
• Power banks, laptops, speakers, flash drives and hard drives. Charge your phone fully before you arrive.
• Personal cameras and drones. Photography with a phone is not banned, but the rules say photos must not disturb other visitors. Wedding and event shoots need a separate photography ticket.
• Liquids, gels and cosmetics, cigarettes and e-cigarettes, alcohol, khat, sharp objects and pets.
• Medicines are also on the list. If you need to carry essential medication, contact the park before your visit and ask how security handles it.

You also need a valid ID, such as your passport. Inside, don't walk on the grass or the decorative white stones, don't touch or lean on exhibits, and keep your visitor wristband on until you leave. This is where arriving with a driver helps: leave your power bank, laptop, camera and water in the car, and the driver waits outside the gate while you visit.

So, is Unity Park worth visiting?

Go if…

• You are interested in Ethiopian history, especially the Menelik and Haile Selassie eras. The palace rooms and throne hall museum are the draw.
• You are travelling with children who will enjoy the lions, giraffes, aquarium and aviary.
• You want a clean, calm, walkable few hours in the middle of the city.

Maybe skip it if…

• You dislike zoos. Some visitors feel the lions and larger animals need more space, and that is a fair criticism.
• You are on a tight budget. The foreigner price is high compared with the Ethiopian price.
• Your only free day in Addis is a Monday.

On balance, reviews are mostly positive, with praise for the gardens, restored buildings and museum displays. It works well as part of a day in central Addis with the National Museum or Holy Trinity Cathedral.

How long should you plan, and how do you get there?

Plan on about two hours for the grounds and zoos on a regular ticket, and three to four hours if you take the guided palace tour and stop for coffee. Unity Park is inside the Grand Palace in the Arat Kilo area of central Addis Ababa, and most visitors arrive by car. Traffic in Addis can be slow at peak times, so leave room in your day, and don't plan to park yourself: getting dropped at the gate is far easier.

If you are staying a few days, see our guide to the best things to do in Addis Ababa for how to fit Unity Park around other sights.