From the main road through Bishoftu, the water of Bishoftu Lake opens up almost without warning, ringed by resorts whose terraces look straight across it. The town sits at around 1,920 metres in the Oromia Region, roughly 48 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa on the route 4 highway, and its identity is built on water: a chain of crater lakes formed in a volcanic field of maars, cinder cones and tuff rings.
This guide suits travellers based in Addis Ababa who want a short escape from the capital, and anyone breaking a journey southeast along the highway. It covers the lakes and viewpoints the sources name, and how to string them together in a single day.
Bishoftu is a resort city, and the lakes are the reason people come. Plan around the dry season, October to May, when skies are clear and days are warm without being extreme; the rainy season runs June to September, when the landscape turns lush and green.
Top things to do in Bishoftu
1. Bishoftu Lake
Bishoftu Lake is the closest of the crater lakes to the main road, which makes it the easiest to reach and the natural first stop. A few resorts sit on its rim, and they offer good views across the water.
Combine it with the rest of the lake circuit, since it is the most accessible starting point. Settle in at one of the lakeside resorts rather than treating it as a quick look.
2. Lake Hora
Lake Hora is a base for watersports and is known for its many water birds. It also hosts an annual festival, which makes it the liveliest of the lakes at the right time of year.
Bring binoculars if birds are your interest, and check locally whether the annual festival falls during your visit before you plan your days around the lake.
3. Lake Bishoftu Guda
Lake Bishoftu Guda is one of the five crater lakes that give the town its reputation as a resort city. It rewards those who want to move beyond the first lake they meet on the highway.
Pair it with Lake Koriftu and the seasonal Lake Cheleklaka to make a full circuit of the crater lakes in a single outing.
4. Lake Koriftu
Lake Koriftu is another of the water-filled maars in the Bishoftu volcanic field. Like the others, it is a quiet place to spend time by the water rather than a site with facilities.
Visit it as part of the same loop as Lake Bishoftu Guda, and keep in mind that the dry season from October to May gives the clearest conditions for a day outdoors.
5. Lake Cheleklaka
Lake Cheleklaka is the seasonal lake among the five, so what you find depends on the time of year. The rainy season from June to September is when it fills and the surrounding landscape is at its greenest.
If you are set on seeing it with water in it, plan around the rains; in the dry season, treat it as one stop on the wider lake circuit rather than a destination on its own.
6. Green Crater Lake
Green Crater Lake is listed among the points of interest near Bishoftu, alongside Mount Yerer. It is a change of scene from the lakes in and around town.
Combine it with Mount Yerer in the same excursion, since both sit outside the town itself and are best approached as a pair.
7. Mount Yerer
Mount Yerer is one of the nearby points of interest beyond the town's lakes. It suits travellers who want to add a hill to a trip that would otherwise be entirely about water.
Group it with Green Crater Lake when you plan the day, and give yourself the flexibility that comes with the dry season's clear skies.
8. The lakeside resorts
The resorts on the rim of Bishoftu Lake are part of how the town works as a resort city: they are where you base yourself for the views and for time by the water.
Use one as your afternoon anchor after working through the other lakes, rather than trying to see every lake and then travel onward the same day.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Bishoftu Lake, the lake closest to the main road, and take in the views from the resort terraces on its rim.
Afternoon: Move on to Lake Hora for the water birds and the watersports, then continue the crater-lake circuit with Lake Bishoftu Guda and Lake Koriftu. If your visit falls in or near the rainy season, add the seasonal Lake Cheleklaka.
Evening: Return to the resorts on Bishoftu Lake for the evening, with the lake in front of you.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Bishoftu?
The dry season runs from October to May, bringing clear skies and warm, sunny days with temperatures that rarely reach extremes. The rainy season from June to September is lush and green, with frequent showers.
How do you get to Bishoftu?
Bishoftu lies about 48 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa along the route 4 highway. The town also has a station on the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway.
How many lakes are there in Bishoftu?
There are at least five small lakes: Bishoftu Lake, Lake Hora, Lake Bishoftu Guda, Lake Koriftu and the seasonal Lake Cheleklaka. Nearby points of interest include Mount Yerer and Green Crater Lake.
What can you do at Lake Hora?
Lake Hora is a base for watersports and is known for its many water birds, and it hosts an annual festival.
Decide whether you are coming for the dry season's clear skies or the green of the rains, then build your days around the crater lakes.