Booking fee
The booking fee includes the costs of booking your tickets such as charges for payment processing. It also covers the provision of our customer care center for processing your order, and all charges imposed by our suppliers.
* This tour requires at least one of the following per booking: Adult, Senior
Enjoy the freedom of stopping at different viewpoints to enjoy the dramatic view of the Ethiopian part of the Great East African Rift Valley by drive with a comfortable air conditioned Toyota Minivan, and learn from your professional experienced English speaking tour guide of the Ethiopian birdlife at the Rift Valley Lake of Ziway.
Meet local families and partake a typical Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony, and see the bird life of the lakes and wildlife of the Abiyatta Shalla Lakes National Park.
The tour also includes visiting the unique and still operational rock carved church of Adadi Mariam, Tiya Steles (a cemetery dating back to 12th – 14th Century AD and UNESCO World Heritage Site), and walking by Lake Ziway to spot a number of lowland water birds. The tour includes a total of 580 km drive in two days.
On Thursdays or Sundays, experience local culture at the colorful weekly held cultural market at Adadi town.
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Professional and experienced English speaking tour guide
Bottled water in the vehicle
Local family visits, Cultural Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony, onsite tour guides, and park scouts
Fuel surcharge
Comfortable insured private Toyota Corolla (1 or 2 people) or Minivan with AC and seat belts
Entrance (admission) fees to places of visits
Accommodations
Meals
And, any expense which are not mentioned in the "Included" list above
Departure Point
Traveler pickup is offered
Any hotel/lodge in Addis Ababa OR ADDIS ABABA BOLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Traveler pickup
Bole Airport, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
June to Mid September is the rainy season where the tour runs. Please be prepared accordingly.
When visiting the rock church of Adadi Mariam, women are expected to be fully dressed and cover hairs.
We can help visitors book accommodations, if needed. Please contact us!
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
Paradise798016
18 Apr 2025
Teddy was great guy- took me around the city and was very hospitable. Picked me up from airport and ensured a very smooth journey
MarionBurkimsher
21 Mar 2025
We found the tour company by looking on Viator but then booking directly with them, which is a cost effective way of doing it (Viator charge 25%). Muluken has been developing his tour guide business for 17 years now, having left his job in accountancy and trained for 2 years in the travel and tourism school in Addis. Although he employs other guides, we had Muluken as our guide, with Hawaryat as our driver. They served us very well, took our wishes into account, shared lots of local knowledge and took us to pretty places. The basic tour plan that we followed was a one-night stay at the Rift Valley lakes but we added a second night away by Lake Langano as we wanted a relaxing break. We did many things and it encapsulated an ‘African’ experience: a little walking safari where we saw gazelles and ostrich, a visit to a centuries old cemetery marked by standing stones; a visit to see the traditional preparation of an Oromo ‘pizza’; a boat trip on Lake Ziway to see islands full of birds; and several lovely viewpoints. We stayed at Rosetta Marina Beach resort, which overlooks Lake Langano and is in a beautiful location. We were almost the only guests there, but I guess it was low season. A big shout out to Hawaryat, our driver, for being so calm and steady, even when faced with potholes, goats, cows, sheep, camels, tuktuks, trucks, tankers, pedestrians, busses and more on the road. It was a rough road in places heading south, but our return to Addis on the new toll motorway was wonderfully smooth and quiet.
Passport65279541020
26 Feb 2024
We went on a two-day trip with the family to Lakes Lagano and Ziway. Our guide Biruk together with the driver were perfect and very helpful. We saw an archaeological site, visited a local family, sailed on a lake and admired hippos. They always helped when we needed to buy fruit or stop at a termite anthill. Big thanks. I highly recommend this agency.
This tour in
Addis Ababa
is organized by
Merit Ethiopian Experience Tours
We always double-check the availability with our local partners for each booking. Even though this is usually a swift process, it can take up to 24 hours. Once this process is completed you will receive your voucher or ticket by email. If our local partner is not able to confirm your booking we will offer you the best possible alternative. If the new date and/or time doesn’t fit your itinerary, we will reimburse the full amount paid.
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