2-Day Great Rift Valley Tour from Addis Ababa with Lake Ziway Boat Ride

• Drive south from Addis Ababa to the Rift Valley Lake of Awassa.

• Visit the ancient church of Adadi Mariam on the way, chiselled out of a single piece of rock in the 13th century AD.

• Proceed to the Steles of Tiya, located 45 km from the Adadi Mariam rock church.

• Visit the beautifully carved stone grave markers, erected between the 12th and 14th century AD to honour important local heroes.

• Have lunch at Butajira and make another stop to see the Rift Valley of Ethiopia from another angle.

• Enjoy a boat trip of about an hour on the Rift Valley Lake of Ziway to see families of hippos and several birds such as Great white pelicans, Marabou Storks, African Fish Eagle, Sacred Ibis, and Hammer Kops.

• Drive south to the Rift Valley Lake of Awassa. If the weather is good, enjoy the beautiful sunset over the lake.

Overnight stay at the Haile Resort Hotel.

• Head to Amora Gedel by the shores of Lake Awassa, where locals come to have breakfast of freshly caught tilapia fish.

• Spot some birds gathered there looking for leftover fish.

• See the rare Colobus Monkey (Black and White Monkey).

• Head north to the Rift Valley Lake of Langano, with stops at Abiyatta Shalla Lakes National Park.

• Stop at Shashemene to visit the Jamaican Rastafarian community and their church.

• At Abiyatta Shalla Lakes National Park, walk for half an hour to see ostriches, gazelles, warthogs, and different lowland bird species.

• Drive for 5 km to see the great view of the twin lakes of Abiyatta and Shalla. Lake Shalla is the deepest lake in Ethiopia, and it is a breeding ground for seasonal flamingoes.

• Continue driving farther to visit the natural hot spring waters, where locals use the waters to heal skin diseases.

• Have lunch at the Rift Valley Lake of Langano.

• Drive back to Addis Ababa via the crater lakes of Bishoftu.