Bishoftu is a lake town about 47 km south-east of Addis Ababa, and the main things to do there are relaxed ones: lunch on a crater rim, birdwatching, short lakeside walks and a night at a resort. In early October it also hosts Irreecha, the Oromo thanksgiving festival, at Lake Hora. Older maps and guidebooks call it Debre Zeit. It works as a day trip or a quiet weekend away from the capital.

At about 1,920 m, Bishoftu sits a few hundred metres lower than Addis and feels a little warmer. It is also one of the few places outside the capital that official travel advice currently leaves open, and one of the trips our drivers make most often: one fixed quote for the whole car, from your hotel or Bole airport to the lakeside and back.

Which crater lakes can you visit in Bishoftu?

The lakes fill old volcanic craters in and around town, several with steep rims and lodges or resorts on the edge. Counts and depths vary between descriptions, so treat the list below as a guide to the best-known ones.

• Lake Hora (Hora Harsadi). About 2 km from the centre and the most culturally important, as the site of Irreecha. Its birds include cormorants, herons, kingfishers, storks, ducks and geese.
• Lake Bishoftu. The town's namesake and the lake closest to the main road, in a deep crater with steep, rocky sides. A couple of hotels and resorts on the rim look straight down to the water.
• Lake Babogaya. North-east of Hora and similar in size, with green slopes, lodges and cafés along its shore. It is a good spot for a long lunch or a paddle boat on the water.
• Lake Kuriftu. Next to Babogaya and best known for the Kuriftu Resort & Spa on its shore.
• Lake Bishoftu Guda. Another crater lake listed in most descriptions of the area and generally quieter.
• Cheleklaka. A shallow seasonal lake that fills with the rains and draws large numbers of waterbirds, then shrinks in the dry months.

What else is there to do in Bishoftu?

• A lakeside lunch and a slow afternoon. This is what most visitors from Addis come for. Resorts and lodges on the crater rims serve food with a view.
• Birdwatching. Hora, Cheleklaka and the other lakes attract a wide range of waterbirds. Early morning is usually quietest.
• Short walks on the crater rims. Stay on obvious paths; the crater sides are steep and there are rarely barriers.
• A resort night. Bishoftu has spa resorts and simpler lodges, handy as a calmer base than Addis for a first or last night.

One to skip for now: Mount Zuqualla, an extinct volcano with a crater lake and a monastery about 30 km south of Bishoftu. It is outside the town, so the Bishoftu exception in the official warnings does not cover it.

When is Irreecha in Bishoftu in 2026?

Irreecha is the Oromo thanksgiving festival held as the rainy season ends. Crowds in white and traditional dress carry fresh grass and flowers to the water and give thanks to Waaqa (God). The Abbaa Gadaa leaders set the date each year, and for 2026 it falls on Meskerem 23 and 24 in the Ethiopian calendar: Irreecha Hora Finfinne in Addis Ababa on Saturday 3 October, and Irreecha Hora Harsadi at Lake Hora in Bishoftu on Sunday 4 October.

Irreecha draws very large crowds, and festivals are among possible targets for terrorist attacks, so large gatherings are best avoided. If you go, watch from the edges, carry little and agree a meeting point with your driver in advance. Expect heavy traffic between Addis and Bishoftu that weekend; if you only want the lakes, pick another day.

How do you get to Bishoftu from Addis Ababa?

Bishoftu is about 47 km from Addis. The quickest route is the Addis Ababa to Adama Expressway, and the town also has a station on the Addis Ababa to Djibouti railway. Journey times depend mostly on traffic getting out of Addis; our guide to the Addis to Bishoftu drive covers that in detail.

With your own car and driver you can link two or three lakes in a day without waiting for minibuses, and you control when you head back. That matters because driving after dark outside Addis Ababa isn't advised, so plan to be back in the city before sunset. We drive this road regularly, and our drivers know which resorts and lakeside restaurants to point you to.

What does a simple Bishoftu lakes day look like?

1. Early start from Addis. Leave before the morning rush and take the expressway south-east.
2. Morning at Lake Hora. Good light and birds, and a chance to see the Irreecha site on a quiet day.
3. Lunch on a crater rim. Babogaya and Lake Bishoftu both have lodges and resorts where you can eat with a view.
4. A second lake, then back before dark. Add another lake or, after the rains, Cheleklaka for waterbirds, and drive back in daylight.

What practical tips help on a Bishoftu day trip?

• Leave Addis early to beat traffic and get the calmest light on the lakes.
• Bring sun protection: it is lower and warmer than Addis, and the sun is strong.
• Carry some cash. Card payments and ATMs are limited and unreliable, especially outside cities. If we book your resort for you, you pay us in dollars in advance and need far less cash on the day.
• Allow extra time: fuel shortages and long queues at petrol stations are common across Ethiopia.
• Bishoftu is the main base of the Ethiopian Air Force. Do not photograph military sites or personnel.

We are a family-run driver service based in Addis Ababa. Bishoftu is one of the trips we drive regularly within the current official advice, and we will update this page if that advice changes.