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Ethiopian wolf by Laika ac

Authentic Ethiopia Cultural & Wildlife Tour

Tour Length14 days
Priced from pps $6199 R118191 £4915 5748 A$9554 C$8429 NZ$10398 Full pricing info
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Summary of this Lodge Safari

  • Starts & ends in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  • Accommodation Lodge & Camping Combo
  • Transport 4x4 Vehicle
  •  See Departure Dates

Quick Itinerary Overview

This itinerary is ideal for budget-conscious travellers seeking an authentic African experience focussing on the fascinating tribal cultures and wildlife of ancient Ethiopia.

The Authentic Ethiopia Cultural & Wildlife Tour combines the major national parks of Ethiopia, with the unique traditional tribes of Omo Valley, offering an unforgettable journey. Explore untouched wilderness areas, venturing off the beaten track in search of rare and endangered animals, birds and plants. Highlights include seeing critically endangered Ethiopian Wolves and Swayne’s Hartebeest, both endemic to Ethiopia. Visit the ancient tribes of Omo Valley encountering the peculiar customs and traditions of Ethiopia's intriguing people, including the Mursi, Hamar, Karo, Konso and other ethnic groups.

Enjoy an extraordinary African adventure on this budget Ethiopia Tour, designed for nature lovers, wildlife enthusiasts and globetrotters who are curious about unusual cultures.

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Itinerary for this Tour

Day 1: Addis Ababa

This Authentic Ethiopia Cultural & Wildlife Tour starts in Addis Ababa, the vibrant capital of Ethiopia. When you arrive at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport your guide is there to meet and greet you. From the airport, you are transferred to your comfortable hotel in Ethiopia's relatively cosmopolitan capital.

Relax at your hotel or begin your journey through ancient Ethiopia, one of the oldest inhabited places on earth, by exploring the cultural, historical and modern facets of Addis Ababa. Addis Ababa, known as the "new flower", was founded by Emperor Menelik II in 1886 and today functions as the diplomatic hub of Africa. Do some sightseeing in this city of contrasts where old colonial buildings, churches and monuments, stand side-by-side with dusty shacks and high-rise buildings. Attractions include the national and ethnological museums of Ethiopia, Trinity Cathedral and Merkato, one of Africa's largest open-air markets.

  • Overnight: Jupiter or similar 4 Star Hotel

Day 2: Addis Ababa to Chebera Churchura National park

After breakfast on day two, we travel southwest to Chebera Churchura National Park in the highlands. Our drive takes us via the university town of Jimma, capital of the former Kaffa Province, the birthplace of coffee, after which it is named.

In the late afternoon, we arrive at Chebera Churchura National Park and embark on our first game drive. This beautiful, untouched wilderness area is home to elephants, buffalos, hippos and other mammals, along with over 235 bird species.

  • Overnight: First class camping gear and a private cook

Day 3: Chebera Churchura National Park

We spend the entire day exploring the untouched Chebera Churchura National Park today. Our exploration takes us through the various habitats of Chebera Churchura, from wooded grasslands to riverine forests.

This is a relatively new national park declared in 2005 primarily to create habitat for declining elephant populations. Today the park is known for its large elephant population, serving as a stronghold for Ethiopian elephants, as well as hosting impressive numbers of buffalos. Chebera Churchura is also home to lions, hyenas, hippos, leopards and other large mammals so keep your eyes peeled on our game drives. The park features numerous streams, rivers and small lakes supporting healthy populations of animals and birds year-round. Endemic bird species include white-winged cliff chat, banded-barbet, wattled ibis, black-headed forest oriole and thick-billed raven.

  • Overnight: First class camping gear and a private cook

Day 4: Chebera Churchura to Maze National Park

Day four kicks off with an early morning game drive in Chebera Churchura Park - an ideal time to spot mammals and birds in the African bush. After our final game drive in the crowd-free Chebera Churchura, we head southeast to Maze National Park.

Maze National Park is one of only three protected areas that still hosts good populations of the critically endangered Swayne's Hartebeest, endemic to Ethiopia. This 210 km² national park is home to about 39 mammal species and 196 bird species, encompassing savannah grasslands dotted with broad-leaved deciduous trees and riverine bush along the rivers. Other wild animals found in Maze include leopards, wild cats, baboons, monkeys and various antelope species such as oribi, kudu and waterbuck.

  • Overnight: First class camping gear and a private cook

Day 5: Maze to Mago National Park

On day five we head out on a morning game drive in Maze National Park. After spotting Swayne's Hartebeest and other wildlife and birds in Maze Park we drive to Mago National Park, Ethiopia's newest national park.

Our campsite for tonight is ideally located for watching the birds and animals of Mago Park and enjoying nature.

  • Overnight: First class camping gear with a private cook

Day 6: Trip to Mursi Tribal Village

This morning we take a game drive in Mago National Park en route to the Mursi villages located along Mago River. Mago is known for the traditional African tribes living in and around the park - including the Mursi, Aari, Benna, Hammer, Ngagatom, Karo and Kwegu.

Driving through the Mago we take in the dramatic landscapes before visiting the Mursi ethnic group. Our time with the traditional Mursi people gives you a chance to see their old custom of inserting lip plates into the lower lips of young women when they reach puberty. The Mursi are also known for their distinctive body ornamentation (piercings and painting) and traditional dress style, featuring beadwork, elaborate headdresses and leather clothes.

  • Overnight: First class camping gear with a private cook

Day 7: Jinka & Turmi

Today we travel further south to the village of Turmi. This lower Omo Valley village is primarily populated by Hamer (or Hamar) people.

Hamar women are famous for their striking appearance. Traditionally the women wear their hair in thick braids coated in ochre butter with thick fringes. They wear leather skirts, cowrie shell necklaces and lots of tight copper bracelets. The Hamar men are known for the unique Bull Jumping Ceremony that they practice. If we are lucky we may witness one of these initiation ceremonies.

Today we also stop in at the bustling Key Afer market, one of the biggest markets in the Omo Valley. Key Afer draws diverse tribes, including the Ari, Banna, Hamer and Tsemai ethnic groups. Enjoy watching the locals sell, trade and buy all kinds of goods at this well-known market.

  • Overnight: Buska Lodge or similar

Day 8: Turmi & Murulle

On the morning of day eight, we take a trip to Murulle village where we encounter the Karo people. This small tribe is known for the detailed body and face painting that they do for major ceremonies. White chalk, charcoal, ochre and red mud are used to create elaborate decorations, often resembling guinea fowl feathers.

The Karo group is one of the Ethiopian tribes that practice body scarification. Small incisions are cut into the skin using a razor or knife and ash is then applied to create the raised patterns. In women, chest scarification is carried out to beautify and in men, it signifies that a man has killed an enemy or dangerous animal. The men also wear hair buns with grey and ochre clay to indicate the killing of an enemy or wild animal. We visit the typical rural settlement of Dus to see how the Karo live. Here we see the shared meeting and dancing places of the village, as well as their shelters, called shuppa. During the heat of the day, the locals retreat to their shuppa to rest and play a Karo board game called Ware.

This afternoon, we visit a Hamer village near Turmi or attend a bull jumping ceremony if our visit coincides with one of these special celebrations. This ceremony serves as a rite of passage for young men entering adulthood and involves jumping up onto the backs of castrated bulls and running over them. Another traditional Hamar practice is a style of dancing called Evangadi. The Hamar have a distinctive style of tribal dress with intricate body decorations and ornate hairstyles that show the wealth and welfare of tribe members.

  • Overnight: Buska Lodge or similar

Day 9: Turmi to Arba Minch

After breakfast, we travel from Turmi to Arba Minch stopping to visit the Arbore and Konso tribes along the way. The Arbore, also called Erbore, are pastoralists and subsistence farmers who exchange gifts across a wide network of regional bond friendships. The Konso live in villages that form part of the Konso Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed for its cultural value. The Konso are known for their finely handwoven cotton and age-old terraced technique of crop cultivation. The Konso people also carve wooden totems, called wakas, to honour their deceased leaders.

In the afternoon we embark on a boat trip on Lake Chamo, the southernmost Rift Valley Lake in Ethiopia. The boat trip is ideal for watching birds, hippos and Nile crocodiles, taking us via Crocodile Market where these massive crocs congregate. Keep an eye out for the local fishermen in their traditional boats on the lake.

  • Overnight: Paradise Lodge or similar

Day 10: Arba Minch to Awassa

On day 10 we visit the Dorze people living in Chencha or a similar Dorze village near Arba Minch. Here you will see the unique beehive-shaped huts of the Dorze people. The traditional huts of the Dorze are built of bamboo and enset (false banana) leaves. We spend some time in the village watching the Dorze go about their daily lives. The small Dorze tribe of Omo Valley was once known for its warriors. Today the Dorze are a friendly people recognised for their fine cotton weaving and beehive huts.

After our cultural experience with the Dorze, we proceed to the Alaba region, named after the Alaba people. The Alaba, also called Halaba, are mostly of Muslim faith, claiming Arabic descent. We pause here to view the brightly painted homes of the Alba before driving to Awassa where we spend the night.

  • Overnight: Taddesse Enjori or similar

Day 11: Awassa to Bale Mountains National Park

Day 11 starts with a visit to the fish market at Lake Awassa. Then we drive to the remote Bale Mountains National Park of the Ethiopian Highlands. Home to Ethiopia's most abundant wildlife populations, this precious biodiversity hotspot is home to some of the rarest animals on earth. The Bale Mountains Park is a critical stronghold for Ethiopian wolves, the most endangered carnivores in Africa. Here, on the Sanetti Plateau the rarest canids in the world, the wolves of Ethiopia, are often seen hunting.

We make our way to the park headquarters in Dinsho and set off on foot from there. Our walk takes us in search of the rare and endemic species that make the Bale Mountains so special. Keep your eyes open for birds such as Chestnut-naped Francolin, ground scraper Thrush, the secretive Abyssinian Ground-thrush, Abyssinian Catbird and the endemic White-backed Black-tit. We may also spot some mammals, including the Mountain Nyala, only found in the Bale Mountain massif, as well as Menelik’s bushbuck and warthog.

After spotting birds and mammals in the beautiful Bale Mountains we head to Goba where we overnight.

  • Overnight: Goba Wabishebele or similar hotel

Day 12: Full-day Sanetti Plateau Wildlife Excursion

We make our way into Bale Mountains National Park early this morning, heading up onto the Sanetti Plateau where the endangered Ethiopian wolves are found. The whole day is set aside for exploring this beautiful national park and appreciating its unique flora and fauna.

Our drive takes along the highest road in Africa, with Sanetti Plateau ranging between 3800m and 4377m above sea level. Along the way, we pass close to the summit of Tullu Demtu, Ethiopia’s second highest mountain. Sanetti Plateau features Afro-alpine moorland vegetation with Giant Lobelias that tower over the shrubs. This Sanetti Plateau is classified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) of global significance as several threatened bird species and nearly all of Ethiopia’s Highland biome species are found here. The grasslands between the volcanic mountains and glacial lakes are estimated to support an incredible 4000kg biomass of rodents per hectare. The abundance of rodents, in turn, supports a wide variety of raptors along with the Ethiopian wolves. We are likely to see Steppe and Golden Eagles, Augur Buzzards and Pallid Harriers up on these scenic plains.

Heading to the escarpment of this undulating plateau we take in the spectacular views over the surrounding moors, grasslands and expansive Harenna Forest below. This remarkable forest is the largest protected tract of Afro-alpine forest in Africa and Ethiopia's biggest intact forest. Lions are still found in Harenna Forest along with the only surviving forest-dwelling African Wild Dogs. Although we are unlikely to see these rare carnivores, the journey down through this old forest is breathtakingly beautiful.

  • Overnight: Bale Mountains lodge or similar

Day 13: Bale Mountains to Lake Langano

On day 13 we drive on to Lake Langano after breakfast. This freshwater lake is a popular spot for watersports and safe for swimming. End your day with a refreshing swim in the lake or sit back and enjoy the sunset, looking out for waterbirds.

  • Overnight: Sabana Beach Resort or similar

Day 14: Lake Langano to Addis Ababa

On the last morning of our Authentic Ethiopia Cultural & Wildlife Tour, we have breakfast and travel back to Addis Ababa. Along the way, we visit the scenic Ethiopian Rift Valley Lakes of Abiyatta, Shalla and Ziway.

This afternoon we embark on a city tour of Addis Ababa. Highlights include the National Museum of Ethiopia which houses an important palaeontological exhibition, artworks, crafts and historical artefacts. The archaeological exhibition includes the world-famous hominid fossil remains of ‘Lucy’ known locally as ‘Dinknesh’ which means wonderful. We also visit Addis Ababa's bustling Merkato to experience some local culture and browse the wide array of goods and artefacts from across the country. A visit to this large open-air market gives you a taste of traditional Ethiopian trading and the assortment of goods on offer. Next, we visit the ornate Trinity Cathedral, housing the tombs of Emperor Haile Selassie and Empress Menen Asfaw. This large church was built in 1942 and incorporates a style of baroque European architecture unique to Ethiopia featuring impressive indoor murals, statues and stained-glass windows.

Tonight we eat out at one of Ethiopia's top traditional restaurants, celebrating our fascinating journey through Ethiopia together. We are treated to delicious Ethiopian cuisine and folk dancing. After our farewell dinner, you are transferred to the airport for your onward flight.

Child Policy

This tour does not take children.

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+Where does the tour go to?
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Ethiopia
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+Included in the Tour Price
  • Accommodation on a twin room sharing basis
  • All meals out of Addis (breakfast only in Addis)
  • All entrance fees
  • Transfer in and out service
  • First class camping gear
  • Cook for the camping days
  • All ground transport
  • Professional English-speaking guide
  • Portage fees
  • All local guides and scouts
  • Government tax
+Not Included in the Tour Price
  • Lunch and dinner in Addis
  • Any alcoholic drinks
  • Personal expenses (souvenirs, laundry, etc)
  • Tips
  • Any expense not listed as included
+Departure Dates

This tour departs with a minimum of two guests.

Scheduled Tour Departures
Click on a departure date to enquire

If you do not see departures listed for your dates, please do contact us for further info.

Explore the Route

Map

1. Chebera-Churchura National Park, Ethiopia

2. Maze National Park, Ethiopia

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