9-Day Bale Mountains Trekking Tour

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

Arrival in Addis Ababa Ethiopia

Meet our team on arrival at Bole International Airport and transfer to your hotel. Located in the center of the country, Addis Ababa is Ethiopia’s geographic, political and cultural hub. Addis is distinct from many other African capitals, because it was not developed under the colonial rule. One of its best-known sites is the National Museum of Ethiopia, which houses the remains of “Lucy,” a bipedal hominid who lived 3.2 million years ago and was discovered in 1974.
If you arrive early, you can take an optional tour of this bustling city, established by the Emperor Menelik II in 1887. The city tour will include the National Museum, where you’ll find the famous remains of "Lucy" and the Ethnographic Museum set within the beautiful gardens of Haile Selassie’s former palace. We'll gather for a welcome dinner with our fellow travelers this evening.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

Da'amat Hotel

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

Meals & Drinks:

• Dinner (Breakfast & lunch not included)
• Drinks not included

Addis Ababa – Bale Mountains National Park

After an early breakfast in Addis, we will drive to Bale Mountains National Park. We will drive about 400km through the southeast highlands of Ethiopia. Afterward, our hike will take us through park headquarters where we'll get a chance to spot some endemic/endangered mammals such as the Menilik’s bushbuck, mountain nyala, warthog, reedbuck, grey duiker and baboon. Ethiopian endemic birds such as the black-headed siskin, wattled ibis, and Abyssinian catbird, can also be found in the juniper woodlands of Bale Mountains headquarters. You will enjoy dinner and your overnight stay at Dinsho Campsite.

Main Destination:

Bale Mountains National Park

Best Time To Visit Nov to Feb (Little rain)

High Season Oct to Jan (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:

Budget camping

• Inside Bale Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

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

Trek Dinsho to Sodota Campsite

After breakfast, we will begin our hike to Sodota which is about 18km. We will trek from Dinsho through the spectacular scenery of Web Valley towards the Fincha Habera Waterfall, where the Web and Wolla Rivers meet. In this area, we have our first opportunity to spot the endemic Ethiopian wolf, as well as raptors, rock hyraxes and endemic birds such as the blue-winged goose. This will surely leave you excited and in awe of the actual wilderness of Bale Mountains. On arrival at the campsite, you will have a nice coffee/tea break and have dinner and your overnight stay at Sodota Campsite (3500 masl).

Main Destination:

Bale Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Bale Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

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

Trek Sodota to Keyrensa

After breakfast, we begin our hike to Keyrensa which is about 20km long. We will continue our trek through magic landscapes to the Keyrensa Campsite. Again, we will have very good chances to spot a variety of bird species, particularly raptors, as well as the Ethiopian wolves. On arrival at the campsite, you will have a nice coffee/tea break. You will overnight at Keyrensa Campsite (3900 masl).

Main Destination:

Bale Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Bale Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

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

Trek Keyrensa to Rafu

The hike to Rafu Campsite is about 18km. We will have an interesting stop at a special viewpoint for photography and bird watching. We will then pass by the volcanic rock pillars near Rafu from where we'll enjoy spectacular panoramic views. On the way, we should see rock hyraxes, birds of prey, klipspringers and others mammals. On arrival at the campsite, you will have a nice coffee/tea break. We will overnight at Rafu Campsite (4000 masl).

Main Destination:

Bale Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Bale Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

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

Trek Rafu to Gerba Guracha

Today we will have a long trek of about 22km through the largest afro-alpine part of the African continent, the Senneti Plateau. We will be able to spot the rare Ethiopian wolf once more, along with high-altitude birds and shrubs. After we reach our campsite, we will take a walk around the biggest alpine lake in the Bale Mountains called Gerba Guracha, meaning ”Black Lake”. A variety of water birds usually stay around the lake. On arrival at the campsite, you will have a nice coffee/tea break. You will overnight at Gerba Guracha Campsite (4100 masl).

Main Destination:

Bale Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Bale Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

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

Trek Gerba Guracha to Senetti

After breakfast, we will hike 5km to Sanneti Campsite, then drive down to Harrena Forest (the largest tropical rainforest in Ethiopia). The southern part of the national park holds unique vegetation and animals. We will explore parts of the pristine Harenna Forest on foot and hopefully spot the endemic Bale monkeys as well as Colobus monkeys. We will overnight at Harenna Forest (2600masl).

Main Destination:

Bale Mountains National Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Bale Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

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

Drive to Lake Langano

After breakfast, we will take a drive to Sabana Resort (about 300km) to the Rift Valley of Ethiopia. At the shores of Lake Langano, you may relax on the beach (swimming is possible), take a walk through the lodge and encounter many bird species in the forest.

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 Lake Langano to Addis

Today we drive back to Addis (about 250km). On arrival, we will have an optional city tour, which include the National Museum, where you’ll find the famous remains of 3.4 million-year-old "Lucy", and the Ethnographic Museum set within the beautiful gardens of Haile Selassie’s former palace. In the evening, you will have a traditional Ethiopian dinner and dance at a renowned restaurant in Addis Ababa. You will then be transferred to your hotel or the airport for your departure.

Main Destination:

Addis Ababa (City)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water & beer and wine (Other drinks not included)

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