Tiya UNESCO stones & Melka Kunture tool-making site day trip

Walk among 46 megaliths and trace ancient stone tools shaped millions of years ago

This day trip visits three archaeological sites in central Ethiopia: the Tiya megaliths, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of 46 decorated stones dating to the 10th–15th centuries; Melka Kunture, a prehistoric tool-making site where you see the implements used millions of years ago; and Adadi Mariam, a 9th-century rock-hewn church built by King Lalibela before he constructed the churches of Lalibela. The tour runs 10 hours with a live English-speaking guide, air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water, and hotel pickup included. Minimum age is 12.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit UNESCO sites and rock-hewn church

• Explore Tiya megalithic stones
• Visit Melka Kunture tool-making site
• Tour Adadi Maryam rock-hewn church

The experience

The Tiya stones sit in the Gurage Zone of central Ethiopia, a cluster of 46 large decorated megaliths that UNESCO recognized as a World Heritage Site. Though megalith-building is an ancient Ethiopian tradition, these particular stones are relatively recent (constructed sometime between the 10th and 15th centuries), which makes them a rare window into a specific moment in the region's past. You walk among them with a guide who explains the carvings and what archaeologists believe they marked.

From Tiya, the tour moves to Melka Kunture, a pre-historic tool-making site nearby where the ground holds stone implements shaped millions of years ago by early humans. This is not a museum display. You stand where the work happened and see the actual tools that ancestors used. The contrast between the two sites (one marking a ceremonial or burial tradition from a few centuries back, the other showing the everyday technology of deep prehistory) anchors the day's arc.

The final stop is Adadi Mariam, a rock-hewn church carved into stone in the 9th century. King Lalibela built this monastery before he went on to construct the eleven rock-hewn churches of Lalibela itself, making it a precursor to the more famous site. The church sits as a third layer of Ethiopian history on a single day: prehistoric tools, medieval megaliths, and early Christian architecture. An English-speaking guide leads all three stops. The vehicle is air-conditioned and includes water. Pickup from your hotel is part of the booking.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle throughout the day.
• bottled water.
• live English-speaking guide at all three archaeological sites.
• hotel pickup and return.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Under 12: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by WALK IN ETHIOPIA TOUR AND TRAVEL

Is this one for you?Book this if you're visiting Ethiopia for just a few days and want to see three major sites (prehistoric tools, megalithic stones, rock-hewn church) in one 10-hour loop from Addis Ababa without splitting your time across multiple days.

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Top questions

What are the Tiya stones and why do they matter?

The Tiya megaliths are 46 large decorated stones in central Ethiopia's Gurage Zone, carved between the 10th and 15th centuries and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They represent a specific archaeological tradition in Ethiopia and offer insight into ceremonial or burial practices of that era.

What will I see at Melka Kunture?

Melka Kunture is a prehistoric tool-making site where stone implements shaped millions of years ago remain in place. You see the actual tools early humans used, not replicas, giving a direct view of how ancestors worked stone in deep prehistory.

How long is this tour and what's included?

The tour runs 10 hours total and includes an air-conditioned vehicle, a live English-speaking guide at all three sites, bottled water, and hotel pickup. The three stops are Tiya, Melka Kunture, and Adadi Mariam church.

Is Adadi Mariam connected to the churches of Lalibela?

Adadi Mariam is a 9th-century rock-hewn church and monastery built by King Lalibela before he constructed the eleven rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. It is a precursor to the more famous Lalibela site and shows an earlier phase of the same architectural tradition.

Do I need my own transport to reach the starting point?

Hotel pickup is included in the tour, so you don't need to arrange transport to the meeting point. If you're staying near central Ethiopia, the driver will collect you and return you after the 10-hour day.