8-Day Ethiopia Wildlife Photography Safari

• You'll be collected from the airport.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Arrival in Addis Ababa

Welcome to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Your guide will meet you and help you settle in at your hotel. Today is a relaxed day to rest after your flight and check your camera gear. Your guide, experienced in working with photographers, will go over the trip plan, including the best light times and locations for each stop, and answer any questions about gear or logistics for the days ahead.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

Capital Hotel & Spa

• Mid-range hotel located in Addis Ababa (City)

+6 Photos

+5 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• Dinner (Breakfast & lunch not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Gelada Monkey Photography in the Simien Mountains

Drive north from Addis Ababa to Debark, the entrance town for Simien Mountains National Park. Along the way, stop for photos of highland farmland and small villages. In the afternoon, enter the park for your first session photographing gelada monkeys, a species found only in Ethiopia, often seen feeding calmly in large groups close to the path, making them an easy and rewarding subject. Overnight near the park.

Main Destination:

Simien Mountains National Park

Best Time To Visit September to December (Beautiful scenery)

High Season October to April (Lodges are busy)

Best Weather October to April

Wildlife in Simien Mountains NP

Gelada Monkey Abundant

Walia Ibex Occasional

Ethiopian Wolf Rare

Klipspringer Rare

Bushbuck Rare

Show more

Golden Jackal Rare

Hyena Rare

Accommodation:

Simien Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located inside Simien Mountains NP

+2 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Simien Escarpment Landscapes & Wildlife

Spend a full day in Simien Mountains National Park, working with the light for landscape shots of the park's dramatic canyons and cliffs, said to be some of the most striking scenery in Africa. Continue photographing gelada monkeys and look for other wildlife such as the Simien fox and Walia ibex. Your guide will help position you for good angles while respecting the animals' space. Overnight camping or lodge stay inside the park.

Main Destination:

Simien Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Simien Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Fly to Addis Ababa, Connect South to Bale

Drive back to Gondar and fly to Addis Ababa, then connect onward toward the Bale Mountains region in the south of the country. It is a long travel day between two very different landscapes, but it sets you up well for the next stage of the trip: the high-altitude home of the rare Ethiopian wolf. Overnight near Dodola, gateway town to Bale Mountains National Park.

Main Destination:

Bale Mountains National Park

Best Time To Visit November to February (Little rain)

High Season October to January (Park is never busy)

Best Weather November to February

Wildlife in Bale Mountains NP

Ethiopian Wolf Common

Mountain Nyala Common

Warthog Common

Menelik's
Bushbuck Occasional

Guereza Monkey Occasional

Show more

Olive Baboon Occasional

Bohor Reedbuck Occasional

Starck's Hare Occasional

Giant Mole-rat Occasional

Bale Monkey Rare

Giant Forest Hog Rare

Golden Jackal Rare

Gelada Monkey None

Walia Ibex None

Accommodation:

Wabe Shebelle Hotel Goba

• Budget hotel located less than 1hr drive from Bale Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Sanetti Plateau Photographing the Ethiopian Wolf

Drive up onto the Sanetti Plateau, one of the highest roads in Africa at over 4,000 meters, and one of the best places in the world to photograph the Ethiopian wolf, the rarest canid on Earth. The open, golden grassland here also makes a striking backdrop for photos. Spend the day working with your guide to find wolves and other high-altitude wildlife such as mountain nyala and rock hyrax. Overnight at a lodge near the park.

Main Destination:

Bale Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Bale Mountain Lodge

• Luxury lodge located inside Bale Mountains NP

+2 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Harenna Forest Colobus Monkeys & Wild Coffee

Descend into the Harenna Forest, a cloud forest on the southern side of the Bale Mountains, for a complete change of scenery and subject. Photograph troops of black-and-white colobus monkeys in the misty, moss-covered trees, along with wild coffee plants growing in the shade. The soft forest light here is very different from the sharp highland light of previous days, a good chance to vary your shots. Overnight near the forest edge.

Main Destination:

Bale Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Bale Mountain Lodge

• Luxury lodge located inside Bale Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Rift Valley Birds & Return to Addis for Farewell Dinner

Drive back toward Addis Ababa, stopping at the Rift Valley lakes for a final chance at bird photography, including pelicans, storks, and flamingos against the open water. Arrive in Addis Ababa in the evening. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner hosted by Origin Abyssinia at a local restaurant in the capital, a relaxed way to review your photos and share favorite moments from the trip with your guide.

Main Destination:

Bale Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Capital Hotel & Spa

• Mid-range hotel located in Addis Ababa (City)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Free Time in Addis Ababa & Departure

Enjoy a free morning in Addis Ababa after your photography journey across northern and southern Ethiopia. Depending on your flight time, you may have time for last-minute shopping or a short visit to a local market for a few final photos of city life. Your guide will take you to Bole International Airport in good time for your departure flight, bringing your journey to a close.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• You'll be dropped off at the airport.