Day Trip From Addis Ababa To Mount Zuqualla

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Early in the morning we drive south from Addis Ababa to Debre Zeit and then to the feet of the extinct volcano Mount Zuqualla. To visit the Zuqualla Monastery, founded in the 4th century and situated on the top of the mountain, we have to hike for about 4 hours and gain a height difference of about 900 m. We advise being in good physical condition to do this hike. Situated at the top of the mountain at almost 3,000 m sea level, there is also a lake surrounded by a beautiful forest which is considered to be holy. Here we can enjoy the wildlife, such as the Colobus monkeys and the endemic Menelik’s bushbuck, as well as birds, including the endemic Ethiopian oriole and Abyssinian woodpecker.

   9 h

2. Lake Bishoftu, which lies immediately south of the town centre, is the closest to the rest of the town. The lake is accessible via a steep cattle path, and is often frequented by tourists and locals alike, particularly during the warm summer months, where they have been known to swim within its water. Lying one kilometre to the north of Bishoftu, Hora lake is the largest of the five, and is one of the most travelled with boats often seen upon the lake. For this reason, it is not advisable to swim far into its depths, however there are a number of jetties along its shore with boats and captains for hire.

   30 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 4 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Addis Ababa

• Its from-price is 33% below the median of the 564 experiences we list in Addis Ababa.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 219 of 564.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, stands high on a plateau among eucalyptus-covered hills, with museums, markets, churches and African Union offices.

At around 2,400 metres, Addis Ababa is one of the highest capitals in the world, laid out on the slopes of the Entoto hills. The National Museum of Ethiopia tells the story of human origins through Lucy, a 3.2-million-year-old partial skeleton found in the country in 1974, while the Ethnological Museum is housed in a former imperial palace. Holy Trinity Cathedral and Saint George Cathedral are important churches, and Meskel Square hosts large gatherings.

Top-ranked sights in Addis Ababa: National Museum of Ethiopia, Mt. Entoto, IES Ethnographic Museum (Addis Ababa University).

See all 564 experiences in Addis Ababa