Right now, the easy day trip from Addis Ababa is Bishoftu (Debre Zeit) and its crater lakes, roughly 50 km south-east on the expressway, plus full days out inside the city itself. Hawassa and the southern lakes are open too, but they are an overnight trip rather than a day out. Most of the other classic day trips, from Debre Libanos to Tiya's stelae, are in areas where travel isn't advised at the moment.

Many older blog posts list a dozen easy day trips from Addis: monasteries to the north, crater lakes to the west, stelae fields to the south and hot springs to the east. This guide sorts what is still reasonable in September 2026 from what is not. For the trips that work, a private car with a driver is the easiest way to go: one fixed quote for the whole car, and you are back in Addis before dark.

Which day trip is possible right now?

Bishoftu (Debre Zeit) and its crater lakes

Bishoftu is the clear answer. It is named as an exception in the official warnings for Oromia and sits inside the expressway corridor that stays open. The town lies roughly 50 km south-east of the capital and is reached on the Addis–Adama expressway, a toll road.

Bishoftu is a resort town known for its five volcanic crater lakes, including Lake Bishoftu, Lake Hora and Lake Kuriftu. Resorts and lakeside restaurants sit on some of the crater rims, with good views over the water. A typical day is simple: a late breakfast or lunch by a lake, a walk to a viewpoint, and back to Addis well before dark.

One date to watch: Irreecha, the Oromo thanksgiving festival, is held at Lake Hora each year around the start of October and draws enormous crowds. If your trip falls then, check the date first and expect heavy traffic and security checks.

Our drivers make this trip regularly. We pick you up at your hotel, drive the expressway, drop you at the lake or resort you choose and bring you back to Addis in daylight, all for one fixed quote agreed before the day. For more detail, see our guides to what to do in Bishoftu and how long the drive takes.

What can you do on a day out inside Addis Ababa?

If you have a spare day and want to stay in the capital, the city itself has plenty:

• Entoto Park on the forested hills at the city's northern edge, with trails, viewpoints and the historic Entoto Maryam church. Crime, including knifepoint robberies, has increased at Entoto, so go by car, in daylight and not alone.
• The National Museum near Arat Kilo, where you can see a replica of the famous Lucy skeleton, combined with Holy Trinity Cathedral and Unity Park in the old palace grounds.
• The Adwa Victory Memorial in Piassa, opened to the public in 2024, with St George's Cathedral a short walk away.
• Merkato, one of Africa's biggest open-air markets, best visited in the morning with someone who knows it.

Link these together with a driver by the day and you have a full, relaxed day without leaving the city: the car waits at each stop and takes you on to the next.

Which popular day trips are not advisable right now?

A few notes on the trickier rows. Debre Libanos lies in Oromia's North Shewa zone and is reached on the A3 road, where travel isn't advised right now. Tiya's stelae field is in Gurage zone, now part of the Central Ethiopia Region, where the warnings are at their strictest.

What about Hawassa and the south?

Hawassa is not a day trip, but it is very much a trip you can make. Our drivers drive to Hawassa and other southern cities regularly, down the main road from the expressway, and we can tell you current road conditions before you book. The drive is long enough that most people stay at least one night, often with stops at the Rift Valley lakes on the way. Read our guide to the Addis–Hawassa drive for timings.

How should you plan any trip out of Addis now?

1. Follow your own government's advice. Official advice differs between countries in places, and your travel insurance may depend on following yours.
2. Travel in daylight. Driving after dark outside Addis Ababa isn't advised, because vehicles often have no lights and livestock stray onto the roads.
3. Stay on the main route. For Bishoftu, that means the expressway corridor. Avoid detours into the surrounding rural areas.
4. Expect delays. Fuel shortages and queues at petrol stations are common across Ethiopia, and mobile networks can be unreliable or shut down without notice. Download offline maps and keep your phone charged.
5. Ask about malaria. There is malaria risk in areas of Ethiopia below 2,500 m, and Bishoftu sits at about 1,900 m. Ask a travel clinic whether you need tablets for your plans.
6. Check again on the morning you leave. Situations in Ethiopia can change within days, as the Lalibela flight suspension on 24 September showed.

What about Bale Mountains National Park?

Bale is the other exception in the official warnings for Oromia, but it is not a day trip: it is far to the south-east of Addis Ababa and needs several days. The roads there pass through zones of Oromia, such as East and West Arsi, that are under do-not-travel warnings, so check carefully how the advice applies to your route.

The bottom line: for now, a day trip from Addis Ababa means Bishoftu or a well-planned day inside the city, and Hawassa makes a good trip of a night or two. All of them are genuinely enjoyable, and all are easy with a private driver.