The 9 days Ethiopia safari includes a city tour in Addis Ababa, visiting Awasa, the Bale Mountain national park, Senetti plateau, Sof Omar Cave and Awash national park. The tour concludes with visiting the cities of Harar and Dawa.
Detailed Itinerary of the 9 Days Ethiopia Safari
Day 1. Arrival in Addis Ababa and city tour
Upon arrival at the Bole international Airport in Addis Ababa, our representative will meet you and take you on a city tour to see the Holy Trinity Cathedral (constructed in 1955 for the 25 years anniversary of Emperor Haile Selassie and painted richly with remarkable biblical and other saint’s story), National museum (home of Lucy hominid skeleton dating back to 3.2 million years) .You will later have lunch and In the afternoon visit Ethnological museum, which was the former palace of Haile Selassie then proceed to Mountain Entoto for panoramic view of Addis Ababa.
Accommodation: Nexus hotel or similar
Day 2: Transfer to Awassa
Drive to Ziway lake; the largest of the northern rift valley lakes famed for its 5 volcanic islands that shelter hidden paths, forests and ancient monasteries with ancient manuscripts dating back more than 1000 years. One of the islands; Tulu Gudo, is said to have acted as a hiding place for the Biblical ‘Ark of the Covenant’ for about 70yrs before it was allegedly taken to Axum. A trip to this lake will reward you with beautiful sights of nature and wildlife including hippos and several species of birds. The forests around this lake are home to the Yellow Fronted Parrot, Black-winged Lovebird, the Thick-billed Raven, the Sacred Ibis and the Hammer Kop among others. The lake is also a paradise for fishermen that usually crowd the lake in search for the tilapia, a common delicacy of this area.
Proceed then to Shashamanne, the city of the Rastafarians. Proceed to the Awasa Rift Valley Lake, re known for its large hippo populations. If time permits late afternoon add a boat excursion on Awasa Lake.
Accommodation: South Star hotel or similar
Meal: Breakfast
Day 3: Visit the Bale Mountains NP
Early morning around 6am visit the vibrant fish market of Awasa. After breakfast proceed then to the Bale Mountains National Park; popular for its diverse landscapes characterized by volcanic peaks and ridges, deep valleys, glacial lakes, dramatic waterfalls, lush forests and deep gorges. The park is home to about 78 mammal species including some of the rare species like the Bale monkey, the mountain Nyala, the endangered Ethiopian Wolf and the endemic Menelik’s bushbuck among others. On the way, you may visit the Oromo people and their villages. Visit particular fauna and the afro-alpine vegetation of this park. Dinner & Overnight at a hotel in Bale Goba
Accommodation: Wabi Shebelle or similar
Meal: Breakfast
Day 4: Drive to Senetti Plateau
Drive to Senetti Plateau, the second highest altitude in Ethiopia and here you may see Ethiopian Wolf which is endemic to Ethiopia. Trek to Tulu Dimitu (the second highest mountain in Bale Ethiopia, with an elevation of 4377m).
Accommodation: Wabi Shebelle or similar
Meal: Breakfast
Day 5: Drive to Sof Omar Cave
Morning, drive to Sof Omar; the longest cave in Ethiopia measuring about 15km long and used to be the longest cave in Africa by around 1970s until more discoveries were made in Algeria and Madagascar. The cave is made up of a network of different chambers with natural pillars of limestone. The cave is one of the largest in Africa and lies at about 100km east of the Bale Mountains range at an elevation 1300m. It has been curved by the Web River, descending from the Bale Region Highlands to the flat arid plains then stretches to Somali Border. The underground chamber, watered by the Web River reaches about 16km long, the limestone pillars that support the cave are high up to 20m. The cave is named after Sheikh Sof Omar, a 12century Muslim Chief who lived in the area and used the cave as his mosque, remaining an important pilgrimage site for Ethiopian Muslims. Sof Omar Cave is an important site for birdwatchers being home to many bird species including; the endemic salvadori’s Serin– with bold yellow throat, acacia-scrub bird species such as orange- bellied Parrot, Blue napped mouse bird, Somali Tit among others. You will later drive back to Goba.
Accommodation: Wabi Shebelle or similar
Meal: Breakfast
Day 6: Transfer to Awash NP
Cross the Awash River and drive to Asela and proceed to the Awash National Park. The park is a paradise for nature lovers with captivating land scape, diverse habitats and a plethora of wildlife species including 81 mammal species, 453 species of birds and about 43 reptile species among others. The park is home to the lesser Kudu, Salt’s dik dik, the country’s largest population of protected Beisa Oryx and many more. Birds include; Kori Bustard, little bee-eater, Abyssinian roller and the eastern yellow billed hornbill among others. Late afternoon, take a game drive and visit the Awash falls, spot crocodiles and hippos in the Awash river if you are lucky on the day.
Accommodation: Doho Lodge or similar
Meal: Breakfast
Day 7: Drive to Harar
Early morning take another game drive in the park for game viewing before driving to Harar. Harar is a holy Islamic city in eastern Ethiopia famed for its ancient defense walls and many mosques. In 2006, it was declared a UNESCO world heritage site due to its rich history and cultural heritage including its stone houses and mosques that date back to the 10th Century. UNESCO regarded it as the 4th holiest city of Islam with its 82 mosques and about 102 shrines. Afternoon tour of Harar: visit the Adere people houses, the mosques, the city walls, the basket production, markets, French poet Rimbaud house, and more. In the evening, visit the man who feeds wild hyenas and is known as the ‘Hyena man’.
Accommodation: Ras Hotel or similar
Meal: Breakfast
Day 8: Drive to Dire Dawa
Early morning visit the flamboyant market of Awedae before proceeding to Dire Dawa, to tour the town and the prominent Ethiopia-Djibouti rail way. If time allows, you can also visit their markets before going to your hotel. Dinner & Overnight at hotel
Accommodation: Ras Hotel or similar
Meal: Breakfast
Day 9: Drive back to Addis Ababa for departure
You will embark on you long drive back to Addis Ababa and if your flight is a bit late in the evening, you can have a hotel room to clean up and relax before your transfer to the airport for your departure back home
Accommodation: Day use room at Nexus hotel or similar until 18:00 hrs.
Meal: Breakfast
End of tour
Inclusions;
- Hotel accommodations sharing basis;
- All transfer in and out from Airport;
- Surface using Mini Bus for Addis Ababa and for the rest of tour Land Cruiser (4 Seater) including fuel and driver’s allowance;
- English speaking guide;
- Local guide’s service;
- Boat trip on lake Chamo
- All entrance fees; and
- All applicable government taxes.
Exclusions;
- Travel insurance & Visa expenses;
- Early check in:
- Video or photographing fees or tips at different sites;
- Meals and any alcoholic drinks;
- Entrance to special ceremonies you might encounter by chance;
- International & Domestic flight;
- Tips, telephone calls, laundry services and other expenses of personal nature; and
- Any other personal item expenses not mentioned on package inclusions part.