Explore the Ethiopian Rift Valley Lakes and the UNESCO Site of Steles of Tiya
Description
Enjoy discovering few of Ethiopian Rift Valley Lakes and visiting the Steles of Tiya (14th Century AD and a UNESCO World Heritage). This is about 11 hours day trip from Addis to visit bird watching and spotting hippos, local family of the Oromo people, have great scenery of the Ethiopian part of the Great East African Rift Valley, and visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Steles of Tiya which date back to the 14th Century, located south of Addis Ababa. It is a great outing from Addis Ababa: - - Enjoy spotting various lowland water birds by walking around Lake Ziway (if lucky few hippos). - Appreciate the superb scenery of the Rift Valley - Experience the way of life of the countryside people of Oromo. - Attend a typical Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony. - Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tiya Cemetery. Tour price includes private comfortable Toyota Minivan, fuel (gasoline), family visiting fee, bottled water, coffee, and professional experienced English speaking tour guide.
Tour Options
Itinerary
At Tiya Steles, visit about 42 huge stone Steles erected between the 12th and 14th Century AD in honor of local warriors.
Walk by Lake Ziway for 30 minutes to an hour on Lake Ziway to spot a number of water birds species like Marabou Storks, Malachite Kingfisher, Sacred Ibis, African Fish Eagle, Hammerkobs, etc
Have lunch at Butajira and stop at a couple of viewpoints to enjoy the great scenery of the Ethiopian part of the Great East African Rift Valley
Enjoy the picturesque view of one of the five crater lakes of Bishoftu (Debre Ziet). You will also have a short visit of a village of the Oromo people around Bishoftu.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
If your pick-up location is Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, here are the easy-to-follow instructions to find your guide at the Addis Ababa Airport on arrival: Exit the terminal building, start walking straight towards the car parking lot. Keep an eye out to your LEFT side, you'll notice a large road constructed on a bridge with pillars. The road bends to the left. That's where you'll find your guide waiting right under the bend in the high road. Look out for a sign with your name!
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- As June, July and August are the rainy season, dress accordingly and get umbrellas.
Reviews(3)
The tour was very interesting- we drove all across the rural Ethiopia so it was very interesting to see how people live. We stop to unesco heritage places ..interesting to see 1million years ago the site of a family and many others - rift valley was very interesting landscape. Bruk along with the driver were great! Bruk ensured that I witnessed an authentic experience and make the trip safe
Hello Panagiota, My name is Muluken. Thank you very much for booking our 1-day trip to the Rift Valley from Addis Ababa and sharing your experience with Merit Ethiopian Experience Tours! It was truly a pleasure to show you the beautiful Rift Valley south of Addis Ababa. We are delighted to know that you enjoyed the drive through countryside of Ethiopia and the opportunity to see local life and the country’s unique scenery along the way. It is also wonderful to hear that guide Biruk and our driver, Bekele, helped make the trip both insightful and safe for you. We’re especially happy that you found the UNESCO heritage site of Tiya Steles and the ancient history of the region so fascinating. Thank you for remembering to share your feedback on TripAdvisor! It means a lot to us and reinforces our commitment to providing professional, personalized, and secure experiences for every guest. Safe travels, and we hope to welcome you back to Ethiopia again in the future. Warm regards, Muluken Girma Merit Ethiopian Experience Tours (MEET)
Our tour was excellent! Our day started off by being picked up from our hotel and grabbing some snacks for the road. The route to Tiya was beautiful and we stopped to take some pictures! The UNESCO site was educational and interesting. We then learned how fake banana bread is made and got to eat it as well. Seeing the hippos and different types of bird at Lake Ziway was an experience. One of the best parts of the tour was interacting with the locals and being able to observe some of their culture. Everyone we met during this tour was friendly and welcoming. Our tour guide, Biruk and driver, Ashu provided us a fantastic tour! I highly recommend this tour for those that wants to get out of the city without straying too far. Ask for Biruk and Ashu, they were great!
Dear Moira, Hello! Thank you so much for remembering to write review of your tour to the Rift Valley with Merit Ethiopian Experience Tours! It is great to know you enjoyed your tour with Biruk and Ashu! I will share your detailed feedback of the trip to them. We are always at your service to make your tours in Ethiopia a special one. With best wishes, Muluken
What an excellent day tour! Headed off early then stopped for breakfast. Visited UNESCO steles site with informative guide. Had home brewed drinks with locals. Visited a traditional African residence then headed for lake Ziway, which was spectacular! Had lunch of fish from the lake, then went out on the lake with another local guide for a bout an hour. Saw hippos and lots of different birds. Headed back after that but stopped on the way for a beer in the sun. The tour guide Kede and driver Belay were great. Couldn't have asked for better! Highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a day trip from Addis. Great job guys!
Dear David, Thank you very much for booking the Day Tour from Addis Ababa to Rift Valley and UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE OF TIYA with MERIT ETHIOPIAN EXPERIENCE TOURS!! It is an honour to know Kede and Belay added such a value on your private guided day tour! Thank you also for taking time to rate and review your experience with us in detail! We are always pleased to make your tour in Ethiopia a success. Contact us anytime when a need for our service arises. Thanks again David and best regards, Muluken Girma
