Nine Day Bale Mountains Trekking Tour

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. overnight Camping

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. Overnight Camping

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). Overnight Camping

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). Overnight Camping

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). Overnight Camping

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). Overnight Camping

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). Overnight Camping

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. Overnight Hotel

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.