Embark on an unforgettable 3-day escape to Bale Mountains National Park — one of Ethiopia’s most biodiverse gems and a UNESCO World Heritage hopeful. This compact yet immersive tour takes you from the dramatic Afro-alpine highlands to lush cloud forests, offering prime chances to spot rare endemic species in their natural habitat.
In the morning, drive southeast of Addis Ababa on the new express road to Dinsho, in the heart of Bale Mountains National Park. This is one of the biggest Afro-Alpine habitats on the entire African continent. In the afternoon, we will do a game drive to visit some of the endemic mammals in the park including the Bale Mountain Nyala, Menelik’s Bushbuck, and Warthogs. Overnight: Wabi Shebele Hotel, Goba (Meals: L, D)
In the morning, drive through the high plateau of one of the most beautiful parts of the park. This is the territory of the endemic Ethiopian Red Wolf. This endangered canine is the only wolf family found in Africa. It can be spotted commonly here in the vast Afro-Alpine vegetation hunting Giant Mallrats, on which it commonly feeds.
In this well-conserved Afro-Alpine ecosystem, you will see some endemic birds like the Blue-Winged Goose, as well as the Giant Mallrats. Later in the afternoon, we will take a relaxing trek around Gesse Valley where we can see much more wildlife and enjoy the scenic view walking around the valley.
Overnight: Wabi Shebele Hotel, Goba (Meals: B, L, D)
In the morning, drive northwest to the Ethiopian Great Rift Valley Lakes Region. In this region, you will find chains of beautiful Rift Valley lakes, which are home to many birds and other wildlife. En route, we will stop at Lake Ziway, one of the biggest Rift Valley lakes. Lake Ziway is very famous for its abundant birdlife. We will have lunch at Haile Resort on the shore of Lake Ziway.
After we visit the lakes, we drive back to Addis Ababa through the new expressway, which starts at Mojo, arriving in Addis Ababa late in the afternoon. End of tour. (Meals: B, L)
