Antelope graze peacefully across an open East African savanna beneath a cloudy sky.

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Grand Ethiopia: Highlands to Rift Valley Lakes

The Historic Route, a Simien Mountains trek and Rift Valley wildlife and birding, combined into one twelve-day circuit.

Enquire about this trip See the day by day

Duration12 Days / 11 Nights

Group size2 – 8 travellers

Best monthsOctober – March (dry season)

From$4,680 per person sharing

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The Trip in Short

This is the itinerary for a first and possibly only trip to Ethiopia, built to show why the country resists easy categorisation. It runs the Historic Route through Gondar, Lake Tana and Lalibela, climbs into the Simien Mountains for gelada and Afro-alpine scenery, then drops south through the Rift Valley for Awash’s dry-country wildlife and the lakes’ waterbirds.

It is honestly a lot of ground, and honestly a lot of driving and flying between very different landscapes. What it is not is a Big Five safari – Ethiopia’s wildlife interest is highland-endemic and dry-country rather than savanna megafauna, and this itinerary is built around that reality rather than around it.

Official visitor information for Ethiopia is published on Visit Ethiopia.

Highlights

Fasil Ghebbi royal enclosure at Gondar and Lake Tana's monasteries
Eleven rock-hewn churches at Lalibela
Gelada monkeys and Afro-alpine scenery in the Simien Mountains
Awash National Park's oryx, kudu and dry-country raptors
Rift Valley lakes for pelicans, storks and flamingos
A genuine cross-section of Ethiopia's cultural and highland-endemic character

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Where You Go, Stop by Stop

Day 1–2

Addis Ababa – Bahir Dar, Lake Tana

Day 3–4

Gondar, Fasil Ghebbi

Day 5–7

Simien Mountains trekking

Day 8–9

Lalibela rock-hewn churches

Day 10–11

Addis Ababa – Awash National Park – Rift Valley lakes

Day 12

Return to Addis Ababa, departure

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Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1–2: Bahir Dar and Lake Tana

A flight to Bahir Dar, followed by a boat trip on Lake Tana to visit its island monasteries and an excursion to the Blue Nile Falls.

Day 3–4: Gondar

On to Gondar for two days centred on Fasil Ghebbi, the seventeenth-century royal enclosure, with time also for the Debre Berhan Selassie church, known for its painted ceiling of angel faces.

Day 5–7: Simien Mountains

A drive to Debark and up into the Simien Mountains for three days of trekking across the escarpment – gelada troops at close range, walia ibex on the steeper ground, and views toward Ras Dashen's summit ridge.

Day 8–9: Lalibela

A flight to Lalibela for two full days across both church clusters, carved directly down into the surrounding volcanic rock between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

Day 10–11: Awash and the Rift Valley lakes

A flight back to Addis Ababa, then south into the Rift Valley for a day in Awash National Park – oryx, greater kudu and strong raptor activity in dry acacia country – followed by a day at the Rift Valley lakes for pelicans, storks and, at the right lake, flamingos.

Day 12: Return to Addis Ababa

The drive back to the capital for departure.

From

$4,680

Enquire about this trip

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What the Price Covers

Included

All domestic flights on the northern leg
All national park and historic site entry fees
All accommodation, 11 nights
All meals as noted in the itinerary
English-speaking guide throughout, with trekking support in the Simien Mountains
Private ground transport

Not included

International flights
Ethiopia entry visa
Personal trekking gear
Gratuities
Travel insurance

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Before You Book

Is this trip a wildlife safari in the East African sense?

No, and we'd rather say so plainly. Ethiopia's wildlife interest is highland endemics, dry-country species and exceptional birding rather than Big Five game viewing – this itinerary is built around that strength.

How much internal flying is involved?

Three domestic flights connect Bahir Dar, Lalibela and the return to Addis Ababa; the Rift Valley leg is entirely by road.

Is twelve days too much given the altitude changes?

The itinerary moves between roughly 1,600m and over 3,000m at various points; most travellers adjust without difficulty, but it's worth mentioning to your doctor if you have any cardiac or respiratory concerns.

Can the Simien trek be shortened or skipped?

Yes, though it's one of the itinerary's strongest sections; a shorter one-day visit to the park's lower trails is possible for anyone who prefers less physical exertion.

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Where This Trip Goes

Omo Valley

Ethiopia · National Park

A remote region of southern Ethiopia along the Omo River, home to a dozen distinct ethnic groups and some of the world's most significant early hominid…

Ethiopia

Country

Rock-hewn churches at Lalibela, gelada baboons on the Simien escarpment and the Omo Valley's tribal cultures. A highland country that runs on its own calendar and…

Bale Mountains National Park

Ethiopia · National Park

Home to the world's largest Ethiopian wolf population, hunting across the high Sanetti Plateau, with a moss-draped cloud forest holding wild coffee on the park's southern…

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Grand Ethiopia: Highlands to Rift Valley Lakes