Day trip to Tiya, Gurage Village, Melka Kunture from Addis Ababa

Three sites in one day: ancient monuments, living culture, and early human history

This eight to nine hour day trip from Addis Ababa visits Tiya (a UNESCO World Heritage site with 36 carved monuments), a Gurage village where you participate in a traditional coffee ceremony and learn how locals make bread from the enset plant, and Melka Kunture, an open-air archaeological museum in the Upper Awash Valley with Stone Age tools and evidence of human activity dating back over two million years. A guide leads the route and explains each site. Small groups keep the experience personal.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Tiya, Gurage Village, and Melka Kunture

• Depart from Addis Ababa
• Visit Tiya UNESCO World Heritage site
• Explore Gurage village and culture
• Taste Gurage cuisine and coffee
• Visit Melka Kunture Archaeological site
• Return to Addis Ababa

The experience

The day starts with a drive south from Addis Ababa to Tiya, where 36 monuments (32 of them carved stelae covered in enigmatic symbols) stand as markers of an ancient culture. The site is UNESCO-listed, and your guide unpacks the history and meaning of what you're standing in front of. From there you head to a Gurage village, where the focus shifts from archaeology to living tradition. You'll watch the process of making enset bread, the staple food made from the false banana plant that the Gurage people harvest, ferment, and transform into a nutritious part of their daily diet. A traditional coffee ceremony happens here too, and you taste local cuisine like kitfo and kocho while talking with villagers about how they live.

On the return to Addis Ababa, you stop at Melka Kunture, an open-air museum in the Upper Awash Valley. The excavations here have uncovered hand axes and other Stone Age tools, along with fossil remains that push human activity back over two million years. The landscape itself (the river valley, the geological formations) frames the archaeological finds and makes the scale of deep time tangible. Your guide connects what you see to the broader story of early hominin life in the region.

The tour runs eight to nine hours total. You travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with a live guide who speaks English or French. All admission fees, parking, and fuel are included. The route is wheelchair accessible, and the vehicle can accommodate specialized infant seats if you're traveling with small children. The tour suits all fitness levels.

What’s included

• Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• admission to Tiya, Gurage village, and Melka Kunture.
• entrance fees for the traditional coffee ceremony and local bread experience.
• parking and fuel.
• live guide in English or French.
• pickup from your Addis Ababa location.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (9 and older) · Child (3 to 8 years) · Under 3: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 7 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by GishAbay Ethiopia Tours

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want to see three distinct periods of Ethiopian history (Stone Age tools, UNESCO monuments, and living village culture) in one day with a guide who can answer questions at each stop.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 8 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.

What exactly is Tiya and why does it matter?

Tiya is a UNESCO World Heritage site containing 36 monuments, 32 of them carved stelae marked with symbols whose meaning remains enigmatic. The site represents an ancient culture and is significant enough to be protected as world heritage.

What do you actually do at the Gurage village?

You participate in a traditional coffee ceremony, taste local dishes like kitfo and kocho, and watch villagers make enset bread: the process of harvesting, fermenting, and transforming the false banana plant into a staple food. You interact directly with locals and learn about their daily life and customs.

What is Melka Kunture and what will I see there?

Melka Kunture is an open-air archaeological museum in the Upper Awash Valley where excavations have uncovered Stone Age hand axes, tools, and fossil remains dating back over two million years. The site offers a glimpse into early human activity and the landscape includes scenic views of the river valley and geological formations.

How much walking or physical effort is involved?

The tour suits all fitness levels. You move between three sites by vehicle, and at each location you walk to view the monuments, village, and museum displays at a pace your guide sets. No strenuous hiking or climbing is required.