12-Day Ultimate Ethiopia Wildlife Safari

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

Fly to Gondar and Drive to Debark

Upon arrival in Addis Ababa, you'll catch a connecting domestic flight to Gondar where your guide will meet you at the airport. Upon arrival at Gondar, you will have a short sightseeing of the historical part of the city, including Fasil Ghebbi, Debre Birhan Selassie Church, Mentewab Empress Castle, and a drive to the Simien Mountains National Park (138 km, rough but good road). On the way, near the town of Gondar, you will make a short visit to Woleka —a place of the Falasha or the Black Jewish people, known for their synagogue and black pottery shop. Jews have amazing histories in Ethiopia, even before the time of the Gonderine civilization (17th–19th century). Then, you'll continue driving to Debark (101 km from afar) for an overnight stay. At Debark, you will collect entrance tickets and a scout for the park.

Main Destination:

Gondar (City)

Accommodation:

Ras Dejen Hotel

• Budget hotel located in Debark (Town)

Meals & Drinks:

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

Simien Mountains National Park

The first day of proper hiking starts with breakfast before you head out to the trail along the ridge. There’s a wonderful vantage point offering incredible views over the foothills ~800 meters below. The mountains are known worldwide for their biodiversity. Your guide will point out all the flora and fauna. Along the trail, Gelada Monkeys, Klipspringer, and Walia Ibex make regular appearances, and birds soar on the thermals beneath you as you look out over the views. The
highlight of today’s trek is Genbar Falls, a waterfall over a sobering 500m sheer drop. The falls plummet into the Geech Abyss —a vast canyon cut into the main wall of the escarpment. After a break for lunch, you’ll carry on towards Geech, a remote traditional village with thatched roofs.

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:

Budget camping

• Inside Simien Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

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

Imet Gogo

Today, you’ll head to Imet Gogo, a headland at the edge of the ridge that stands close to 4000 metres altitude with unbelievable 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains. From here, you can witness stunning 360-degree views of the mountains surrounding the region. You can see the westward direction, where Sankaber and Geech are located. While trekking, you'll trail through Giant Erica woodlands before finally emerging on the moorland top at Inatye, which is the second-highest peak located in the western section of the park. After enjoying the stunning vistas from the top, you'll have to drop down to Chenek camp through a path that provides some of the most impressive views of the lowlands beneath. Chenek Camp is the best spot to witness the beauty of Ethiopian Wolves and Walia Ibex. You'll have an overnight stay. Make sure you don't miss the chance to enjoy the stunning views and take in the region's natural beauty.

Main Destination:

Gondar (City)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Moutain Buahit and Limalimo Lodge

Mount Buahit is Ethiopia’s third-highest peak, standing at an impressive 4430 metres. Your route to Mount Buahit follows footpaths off the road alongside a stream that trickles down the hill. This is quite a steep walk, but you can take regular breaks at great viewpoints en route. This is your best chance to see Walia Ibex.

Main Destination:

Simien Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Limalimo Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located just outside Simien Mountains NP

+4 Photos

+3 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

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

Fly back to Addis Ababa

You'll spend the morning relaxing around the lodge and soaking up the last of the incredible views. After an early lunch, you'll transfer to Gondar Airport to catch a flight back to Addis.
This day will be your relaxing day. You'll spend it admiring the place, preparing for the next adventure.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

Magnolia Hotel

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

+6 Photos

+5 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

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

Drive to Bale Mounatains National Park

After breakfast, you'll continue your journey through Shashamane to Dinsho, where the Bale Mountains National Park headquarters are located (approx. 5 hours). In the afternoon, you'll undertake a gentle, very interesting walk around the headquarters in Dinsho and almost certainly encounter animals such as warthogs, the endemic Menelik bushbuck, or the Mountain Nyala, as well as a variety of birds.

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:

Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel

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

Meals & Drinks:

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

Bale Mountains National Park

Today, it will take you approximately. 5-6 hrs to explore the Senetti Plateau, usually the best place to see the Ethiopian wolf.
In the afternoon, you'll drive further down to Harenna Forest for birding includes the Abyssinian Catbird, Abyssinian Woodpecker, White-backed Black Tit, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Yellow-crowned Canary, Somali Chestnut Winged Starling, Olive Pigeon, and Mountain Buzzard.

Main Destination:

Bale Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel

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

Meals & Drinks:

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

The Great Rift Valley

In the morning, you'll start driving to Lake Langano, where you will spend the night. You will bird this and other lakes, among them beautiful Lake Ziway, and wetland sites of the Great Rift Valley, looking for Black Crowned Crane, Collared Pratincole, African Snipe, and several other shorebird species, various Tern species, including Gull-billed, Lesser, and African Jacanas, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, African Pygmy Goose, Western Marsh Harrier, and many others. Other highlights today might be Greater Spotted Eagle, Egyptian Vulture, White-headed Vulture, Clapperton’s Francolin, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Buff-bellied Warbler, Northern Black Flycatcher, Blackstar, Black-headed and Pygmy Batises, the striking Masked Shrike, Green-winged Pytilia, and Red-fronted Warbler, as well as many others.

Main Destination:

Great Rift Valley (Ethiopia)

Accommodation:

Sabana Beach Resort

• Mid-range resort located at Lake Langano

Meals & Drinks:

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

Lake Langano and Surrounding Area

In the morning, you'll start driving to Lake Langano, where you will spend the night. You will bird this and other lakes, among them beautiful Lake Ziway, and wetland sites of the Great Rift Valley, looking for Black Crowned Crane, Collared Pratincole, African Snipe, and several other shorebird species, various Tern species, including Gull-billed, Lesser, and African Jacanas, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, African Pygmy Goose, Western Marsh Harrier, and many others. Other highlights today might be Greater Spotted Eagle, Egyptian Vulture, White-headed Vulture, Clapperton’s Francolin, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Buff-bellied Warbler, Northern Black Flycatcher, Blackstar, Black-headed and Pygmy Batises, the striking Masked Shrike, Green-winged Pytilia, and Red-fronted Warbler, as well as many others.

Main Destination:

Lake Langano

Accommodation:

Sabana Beach Resort

• Mid-range resort located at Lake Langano

Meals & Drinks:

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

Drive to Awash National Park

After breakfast, you'll drive to Awash National Park. You'll have lunch in Nazareth and pass Lake Beseka, and enter the
Awash National Park for a game view. The dramatic Awash Falls, as the river tumbles into its gorge, is a sight not to be missed in the national park. Awash National Park, surrounding the dormant volcano of Fentale, is a reserve of arid and semi-arid woodland and savannah, with riverine forests along the Awash River. Forty-six species of animals have been identified here, including Beisa Oryx and Swayne’s hartebeest. The birdlife is prolific, especially along the river and in the nearby Lake Beseka, and there are fine endemics amongst the 392 species of recorded birds. A special attraction is the beautiful, clear pools of the Filwoha hot springs. You will proceed to the beautiful Doho lodge to spend the night.

Main Destination:

Awash National Park

Best Time To Visit October to February (Little rain and less hot)

High Season September to April (The park is never busy)

Best Weather October to February

Wildlife in Awash NP

Olive Baboon Abundant

Beisa Oryx Common

Soemmerring's
Gazelle Common

Hamadryas
Baboon Common

Salt's Dik-dik Common

Show more

Lesser Kudu Occasional

Desert Warthog Occasional

Defassa Waterbuck Occasional

Nile Crocodile Occasional

Spotted Hyena Occasional

Guereza Monkey Rare

Ethiopian Wolf None

Gelada Monkey None

Walia Ibex None

Accommodation:

Doho Lodge & Hot Springs

• Mid-range lodge located just outside Awash NP

+10 Photos

+9 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

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

Awash National Park

Awash is one of Ethiopia’s premier national parks, which has a rich diversity of birds as well as mammals such as the Golden Jackal, Caracal, and rare cases, hyena cave for spotted hyena, Beisa Oryx, and Soemmerring's Gazelle. We’ll look for
African Swallow-tailed Kite, a host of Bustards including Arabian, Buff-crested, Hartlaub’s Black-bellied, and White-bellied,
Bruce’s Green Pigeon, and tons more. During your time here, we hope to find Somali Ostrich, African Collared Dove, SingingBush Lark, Gillett’s Lark, Chestnut-backed and Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Larks, Boran and Ashy Cisticolas, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Pale and African Grey Flycatchers, Mouse-colored Penduline Tit, four of Africa’s most lovely Sunbirds, namely Eastern Violet-backed, Nile Valley, Beautiful, and Shining, Southern Grey Shrike, Somali Fiscal, Woodchat Shrike,
Northern Masked Weaver, Cut-throat Finch, and many others.

Main Destination:

Awash National Park

Accommodation:

Doho Lodge & Hot Springs

• Mid-range lodge located just outside Awash NP

Meals & Drinks:

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

Drive Back to Addis Ababa

In the morning, you'll have a free outdoor private or group hot spring bath with a spectacular view of the
surrounding palm trees. You'll have breakfast in the lodge and drive back to Addis Ababa.

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.