Duration
3-Day
Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia
Bale Mountains National Park is an area of a high-altitude plateau, broken by numerous spectacular volcanic plugs and peaks, and beautiful alpine lakes. The rushing mountain streams descend into deep, rocky gorges on their way down to the lowlands. It has the largest area of Afro-alpine habitat in the whole of Africa. It also offers the chance to spot many of Ethiopia's endemic mammals, such as the mountain nyala and the Ethiopian wolf, as well as numerous birdlife.
Plan snapshot
Duration
3-Day
Route
Addis Ababa to Addis Ababa (City)
Via Bale Mountains NP
Country & park
Ethiopia / Bale Mountains National Park
Style
Shared safari
Group size
1-12 travelers
Starts
Any day if available
Minimum age
15 years
Activities
game drives, walking safaris (with an armed guide) & nature hikes/walks
Accommodation
Wabe Shebelle Hotel Goba Budget hotel less than 1hr drive from Bale Mountains NP – All Meals Included - Budget hotel less than 1hr drive from Bale Mountains NP – All Meals Included
Meals
All Meals Included
Pickup
Airport transfer included
Booking
Request quote
Currency
USD
Solo travelers
Can join this group tour
Rates
USD
Before booking
Quote flow
This budget tour uses guest houses and hotels.
On this shared tour, you will join a group of other travelers. Max 4 people per vehicle.
If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
The accommodations and destinations of this tour cannot be changed.
Single travelers can join this group tour, but it requires a minimum of 3 people to run.
The minimum age for this tour is 15 years.
Day 1
Budget hotel less than 1hr drive from Bale Mountains NP – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 2
Budget guest house less than 1hr drive from Bale Mountains NP – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 3
(No accommodation)
All Meals Included
Tour step
You'll be collected from the airport. Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.
Day 1
On arrival at Goba Airport with flight ET175, you will meet our team and then drive to Dinsho - the gateway to the Bale Mountains. Here, you’ll take a hike to explore the surrounding area and its wildlife. Sightings of warthog, mountain nyala, Menelik’s bushbuck, and Bohor reedbuck are all common within this area, as well as many Ethiopian and Abyssinian endemic birds. Budget hotel located less than 1hr drive from Bale Mountains NP All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 2
After breakfast, you will head to the Sanetti Plateau. As the sun rises, the most endangered canid in the world - the Ethiopian wolf - begins to hunt. The plateau is the best place in Ethiopia to see this elegant animal, and the winding road atop the plateau, one of the highest all-weather roads in Africa, is an ideal spot for viewings. The plateau is also home to many rodents, the largest being the giant molerat, found only in the Bale Mountains. As you continue your journey, you will stop at Tulu Dimtu or the “Red Mountain”. At 4,377m, this is the highest mountain in the park. At the base of the escarpment is the small village of Rira. You can either stop and relax with some local refreshments, or if you’re feeling more adventurous, go on a short walk (around 2 hours round-trip) through the forest. Continue to a bamboo-filled canyon and 2 waterfalls, stacked almost on top of each other. Keep your eyes peeled for the black-and-white colobus monkey and the elusive Bale monkey. Budget guest house located less than 1hr drive from Bale Mountains NP All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 3
In the morning, you’ll take a short drive south from Rira to the south of the national park. Visit another local highlight, the Gushuralle Peak forest trail. This route, which takes around 2-3 hours, takes you through a dense bamboo forest to the summit of Gushuralle, where you will be rewarded with stunning views across the Harenna Forest. As ever, keep your eyes peeled for wildlife such as Bale monkeys, Menelik’s bushbucks, warthogs, colobus monkeys, and giant forest hogs. You’ll return to Goba town and then you’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight back to Addis. All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Tour step
Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost. You'll be dropped off at the airport.
Park fees (For non-residents)
All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
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)
Drinking water (On all days)
International flights (From/to home)
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
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
Offered by
Armaye Ethiopia Tours is an expert Ethiopian private tour operator based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is run by a highly professional team comprising experienced tour organizers and fully licensed tour guides.
Office In
Ethiopia
Size
5-10 employees (Founded in 2015)
Tour Types
Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
Destinations
Ethiopia
Traveler feedback
Overall
5.0/5Communication
5.0/5Accuracy
5.0/5Value
5.0/5Safety clarity
5.0/5Cultural value
5.0/5I am a naturalist with an appetite to photograph endemic and vulnerable species. Armaye worked with me, awesome communication skills btw, to provide me with the appropriate destinations for the time I had available. Even with the challenges of the changing political climate during the trip, Armaye had the flexibility to make changes to lodgings, flights, destinations, etc. that still offered me the photo opportunities for which I had hoped and remain in budget. My travel plans placed me in Ethiopia during off-season for tourism, but I was rewarded with a unique insight into the natural world of that region during the rainy season. I am delighted by the many babies, juveniles, and family units that nature revealed to me, glimpsing some of the more elusive animals. The trade-off was that the trip did not coincide with migrations of birds, but the abundant numbers and varieties of resident species filled camera memory cards with animals I had never encountered. This was my first trip to the Horn of Africa. I was immersed in rural Ethiopia, but my professional guide and driver took good care to keep me safe. Of note, I do not have a palate for spicy food (I feel that cayenne pepper and curry is too spicy) so that was a challenge for me personally, but I planned for that inevitability and brought nuts, raisins, and crackers to sustain me.
Marcia · United States
Perfect organization, the hotels were very good and clean, and the drivers very professional. Armaye organized the tour only for 2 people and we visited very interesting places in the North and in the south of the country. Ethiopia has been a very nice discovery.
Nadia · Italy
It was an amazing trip! Easy to talk with, the tour operator! Our guides & drivers are punctual, really friendly and very kind to us. They were not only guide us to the place, but also taught us many cultural things. Really appereciated!
Hana · Japan
Armaye was so responsive to our request for a very last minute request for a trip to Ethiopia. He answered quickly, responded to questions quickly and designed our tour to our preferences. I was a bit nervous about travelling to Ethiopia where we knew we would be "off grid" but it was very safe and the people we met were very friendly. Armaye was our guide too - very informative and answered all my husband's inquisitive questions about culture, traditions, food. Aman was our driver and also comes highly recommended. Aman is an expert driver both on major roads and offroad. WE saw many animals specific to Ethiopia that we hadn't seen before, including lots of Ethiopian golden wolves. The 3-day tour in Afar was excellent value.
Christina · Botswana
Practical answers
Rates are per person and exclude the international flight from/to your home country.
This tour is offered in US dollars (USD).
This tour accepts children who are 15 years and older.
If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
The accommodations and destinations of this tour cannot be changed.
Wabe Shebelle Hotel Goba Budget hotel less than 1hr drive from Bale Mountains NP – All Meals Included - Budget hotel less than 1hr drive from Bale Mountains NP – All Meals Included. Meals: All Meals Included
This tour starts and ends in Addis Ababa
A transfer from and back to the airport is included
Operator policy
This tour is offered by Armaye Ethiopia Tours, not SafariBookings.
This operator reserves the right to change rates advertised on SafariBookings.
This group tour requires a minimum of 3 people to run.
The exact order, contents and rates of this tour are subject to availability.
If an accommodation is fully booked, the operator will suggest a comparable alternative.
Keep comparing
Bale Mountains National Park
Ethiopia · 8-Day
Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia · 8-Day · Armaye Ethiopia Tours
From
$2,596 pp (USD)
Bale Mountains National Park
Ethiopia · 9-Day
Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia · 9-Day · Armaye Ethiopia Tours
From
$1,430 pp (USD)
Bale Mountains National Park
Ethiopia · 8-Day
Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia · 8-Day · Ethio Top Land Tours
From
$1,573 pp (USD)