The best things to buy in Addis Ababa are those made in Ethiopia: handwoven cotton scarves and dresses, coffee, spices, baskets, leather goods, new crosses and religious paintings. Shiro Meda market is the place for traditional textiles, and fixed-price shops such as Sabahar suit people who would rather not bargain.

The catch is that Ethiopia protects its cultural heritage strictly, and some purchases that look like harmless souvenirs can be confiscated at the airport. Here is what to buy, where, and how to get it home. The markets are spread across the city, so the easiest way to cover several in one day is a car and driver: we drop you at the door, the car waits, and your shopping stays safely in the boot.

What are the best things to buy in Addis Ababa?

• Handwoven textiles. Cotton scarves and shawls (the netela), and traditional dresses (habesha kemis), often with embroidered borders. Quality varies a lot: tightly woven cloth and more complex embroidery cost more.
• Coffee. Ethiopian coffee makes a light, useful gift. See the 2 kg limit below.
• Spices. Spice blends such as berbere travel well in sealed packs. Check your home country's food import rules.
• Crosses and religious art. Newly made crosses in wood, silver or other metals, and religious paintings, are classic Ethiopian purchases. Buy new pieces from shops that give receipts.
• Baskets, leather and more. Leather goods, baskets and drums are also widely sold.

Where should you shop in Addis Ababa?

Shiro Meda for traditional clothing

Shiro Meda is the city's best-known market for traditional clothing, with hundreds of vendors along the busy Entoto road in the north of the city. You will find scarves, dresses and shawls in many colours, plus T-shirts, crafts and souvenirs. Bargaining is expected, so compare a few stalls before buying and check the weave and stitching closely.

Entoto is one of the parts of Addis where crime against visitors has increased, and it is better not to go alone. Go with company, keep valuables out of sight, and use road transport rather than walking between areas. A driver who waits nearby makes this simple.

Sabahar for fair-trade cotton and silk

Sabahar is a woman-owned fair-trade textile business that has made handwoven cotton and silk scarves, throws and homewares in Addis for over 20 years. Its showroom is a short walk from its workshop, where about 100 people work, and it accepts local and international cards as well as cash. As of September 2026 the shop is listed as open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm, with workshop tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10am if you book through its website form. Prices are fixed.

Merkato for spices, coffee and everyday goods

Merkato is often described as the largest open-air market in Africa. Most of it is wholesale trade in everything from furniture to scrap metal, but the coffee, spice and snack sections interest visitors. It is very crowded, and pickpockets and bag-snatchers work crowded places, so read our Merkato safety guide before you go. Arriving by private car helps: you can leave bags and earlier purchases in the car rather than carrying them through the crowds.

In markets, expect to pay cash in birr, so carry small notes. Ethiopia is a cash-based society where card payments are limited and unreliable; some fixed-price shops and hotel boutiques take cards, but ask first. Our customers pay us in US dollars for their hotel, flights and driver, and we pay those costs locally in birr, so the cash you need is mostly for shopping and meals.

What can't you take out of Ethiopia?

This is where travellers get caught out. Customs officials regularly search luggage at Bole airport, so know the rules before you buy:

How do you get an export permit for an antique?

Export permits for antiques, religious artefacts, Ethiopian crosses and animal skins are processed by the Export Section of the airport customs office, and the Ethiopian Ministry of Revenue handles questions about exports. Beyond that, the procedure is not well documented online. Our honest advice:

1. Ask before you pay. Ask the shop whether the piece is new or old, and whether it can help with export paperwork.
2. Get a receipt for everything religious. Even for new crosses and icons, ask for a proper receipt with the shop's name and a description of the item.
3. Leave time. If you do need a permit, do not leave it until your departure day.
4. When in doubt, skip it. Ethiopia's Heritage Authority is actively working to recover artefacts taken out of the country. Buying genuine old church objects risks feeding that trade, as well as losing the item at the airport.

What else should you check before you pack?

Check your home country's import rules too. Spices, coffee and other food, leather and plant-based crafts may need declaring when you get home.

Cash has its own rules. You can carry up to 3,000 birr when entering or leaving Ethiopia (10,000 birr if you are travelling to Djibouti). Declare foreign currency above USD 10,000 (or the equivalent) when you arrive and keep the declaration form. Keep your currency exchange receipts too, because without them you are unlikely to be able to change leftover birr back.

Shop for new, well-made things, keep your receipts, and leave the antiques to the museums. That way everything you buy makes it home with you.