Overview
Bale Mountains National Park is one of Ethiopia’s most spectacular natural destinations, showcasing a striking blend of rugged mountain landscapes, mist-covered alpine forests, and vast highland plateaus. Home to one of the country’s largest populations of large mammals, the park is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, hikers, and nature lovers. Visitors can enjoy breathtaking scenery featuring deep gorges, crystal-clear lakes, flowing streams, picturesque waterfalls, and dramatic volcanic ridges, making it an unforgettable destination for outdoor adventure and exploration.
Trip Highlights
- Budget tour: This budget tour includes camping and resorts.
- Shared tour: On this shared tour, you will join a group of other travelers. Max 10 people per group.
- Can start any day; If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
- Cannot be customized: The accommodations and destinations of this tour cannot be changed.
- Suitable for single travelers: Single travelers can join this group tour, but it requires a minimum of 2 people to run.
- Minimum age of 13 years: The minimum age for this tour is 13 years.
Itinerary
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)
Dinner (Breakfast & lunch not included)
Drinks not included
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
Accommodation:
Budget camping
Inside Bale Mountains NP
Meals & Drinks:
All meals included
Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
All meals included
Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
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)
Includes/Excludes
Cost Includes
- Park fees (For non-residents)
- All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
- Camping equipment
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
- Drinks (As specified in the day-by-day section)
- Sleeping bag
Cost Excludes
- International flights (From/to home)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Bath towels
- Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
- Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
FAQs
The 9-Day Bale Mountains Trekking Tour typically includes airport transfers, transportation, accommodation, meals as specified in the itinerary, park entrance fees, professional guides, trekking support, and camping equipment where required.
The 9-Day Bale Mountains Trekking Tour offers excellent opportunities to spot Ethiopian wolves, mountain nyalas, Menelik’s bushbucks, giant mole-rats, warthogs, and numerous endemic bird species in their natural habitats.
The 9-Day Bale Mountains Trekking Tour is considered moderately challenging, with several days of hiking across mountainous terrain and high-altitude landscapes. A reasonable level of fitness is recommended to fully enjoy the experience.
The 9-Day Bale Mountains Trekking Tour can be enjoyed year-round, but the dry seasons from October to February and June to September generally provide the best trekking conditions, clear skies, and excellent wildlife viewing.
For the 9-Day Bale Mountains Trekking Tour, pack sturdy hiking boots, layered clothing, a waterproof jacket, a warm fleece, a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, a reusable water bottle, trekking poles if preferred, and a camera for capturing the spectacular scenery.
The 9-Day Bale Mountains Trekking Tour is suitable for active beginners with good physical fitness as well as experienced trekkers. The varied trails, stunning landscapes, and expert guides make the adventure enjoyable for anyone prepared for multi-day hiking.
