Duration
7-Day
Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia
The BMNP is a protected area of approximately 2,200 km2 and is located around 400 km southeast of Addis Ababa. Its high mountains, sweeping valleys, dramatic escarpment and wide expanses of forests, provide visitors with a diversity of vistas unique to the Ethiopian highlands. This is combined with rare amphibian species, endemic birds and spectacular flora. It is easy to see why the park is designated as a biodiversity hotspot by Conservation International.
Plan snapshot
Duration
7-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
12 years
Activities
walking safaris (with an armed guide) & nature hikes/walks
Accommodation
Budget camping Inside Bale Mountains NP – All Meals Included - Inside Bale Mountains NP – All Meals Included
Meals
All Meals Included
Pickup
Airport transfer included
Booking
Request quote
Currency
EUR
Solo travelers
Can join this group tour
Rates
EUR
Before booking
Quote flow
This budget tour includes camping and hotels.
On this shared tour, you will join a group of other travelers. Max 30 people per group.
If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
You can request minor changes to the accommodations and destinations of this tour.
Single travelers can join this group tour, but it requires a minimum of 2 people to run.
The minimum age for this tour is 12 years.
Day 1-4
Inside Bale Mountains NP – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 5-6
Budget hotel less than 1hr drive from Bale Mountains NP – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 7
(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
In the morning at 7:00 am, we start driving from your hotel to the town of Dinsho, the location of the Bale Mountains National Park headquarters. En-route, we see the Arsi massif and abundant agricultural farmland. Continue driving south and stop for lunch at the town of Asela (250 km from Addis Ababa). We arrive in Dinsho at the Bale Mountains National Park headquarters in the afternoon, and complete all the necessary forms needed for trekking in the park. If time permits, take a short hike along the northern part of the park, close to where you will be staying for the night. You might spot two endemic mammals that frequent the area, Menelik's bushbuck and the mountain nyala. Birds in this area include the blue-winged goose, the spot-breasted lapwing, the Abyssinian longclaw, the wattled ibis, the black-headed siskin, Rouget’s rail, and numerous other species. Inside Bale Mountains NP All meals included Non-alcoholic drinks
Day 2
After breakfast, start the hike from Dinsho to Sodota. Today’s trekking will offer a good opportunity to see the typical biodiversity of the area. You may spot the mountain nyala, Menelik's bushbuck, warthog and the Ethiopian wolf. The birdlife includes the gigantic bearded vulture, also known as the lammergeyer, thick-billed raven, wattled ibis, blue-winged goose and Rouget’s rail. You will have lunch at the mid-way point of the trekking. After enjoying the beautiful highlands' fauna and flora, we have dinner and overnight at the campsite in Sodota. Inside Bale Mountains NP All meals included Non-alcoholic drinks
Day 3
After breakfast, we resume the trek that will take us to the Wasama camping area. We pass through Mararo valley where the lammergeyer and Verreaux eagles keep their nests. The trek offers the chance to see Ethiopia's endemic Abyssinian wolf. At this point in the trek, we begin to look for the Ethiopian wolf, the rarest canid in the world and Africa’s most threatened carnivore. Ethiopian wolves live in packs of between 2 and 18, but there are also solo hunters surviving primarily on a diet of rodents. We will have lunch at the mid-way point of the trekking. Beneath the peaks of Wasama valley, see and taste the strange mineral springs (“hora” in Oromo) before making the steep ascent out of the head of the valley onto the Sanetti Plateau. Our overnight camping site is at the base of Wasama Mountain. Inside Bale Mountains NP All meals included Non-alcoholic drinks
Day 4
Today we trek through the highlands, crossing Batu Mountain on the way to Gebre Guracha, set beneath towering cliffs in the head of the Tegona valley. We have lunch at the mid-way point of the trekking. Wildflowers abound, the dominant plant being the Helichrysum, or 'everlasting' flowers. The everlasting plant can be seen in several forms, but the grey bushes of H. splendidum are the most striking with its yellow flowers. Several rodent species are found in the area. We climb Mount Wasama, situated at 4200 meters above sea level. The terrain around the mountain is dotted with colorful giant lobelia and other plants typical to the high-altitude Afro-alpine landscapes. Our walk will pass through high altitude plateau with amazing views and amazing clear alpine lakes. Inside Bale Mountains NP All meals included Non-alcoholic drinks
Day 5
After breakfast, we trek to the highest peak in the Bale Mountains, Tullu Deemtu (4377 m, 14357 ft), which is part of the Sanetti Plateau. The vistas are simply unbelievable and photogenic. Here you will find small alpine lakes and typical Afro-alpine vegetation that includes the giant lobelia and shrubs such as 'everlasting'. Vistas reach out to the strange pinnacles of Chorchora Peak and across the sheer-sided Tegona River gorge. There are views of the steep-sided volcanic plug of Konteh Tullu and the long, craggy ridges of Mount Batu. Highland birding includes the Abyssinian catbird, Abyssinian woodpecker, white-backed black tit, Abyssinian ground thrush, yellow-crowned canary, Somali chestnut-winged starling, olive pigeon and mountain buzzard. The vehicle will meet us here and drive us down to Goba town for an overnight stay. Budget hotel located less than 1hr drive from Bale Mountains NP All meals included Non-alcoholic drinks
Day 6
Early in the morning, we drive to the fantastic limestone caves of Sof Omar to make a day’s outing from Dinsho, Robe or Goba. The road leaves Robe town, crossing the farming areas to the east, before descending into the lowlands. We'll see various animals along the way, most noticeably the greater and lesser kudu. The caves themselves carry the whole flow of the Web River. There is 15 km of associated passages, which require skill, time and special equipment for a full exploration. Our friendly local guide will show you enough to take your breath away and make the trip worthwhile. We can spend an hour or longer, the choice is yours. Budget hotel located less than 1hr drive from Bale Mountains NP All meals included Non-alcoholic drinks
Day 7
Today you will return to Addis Ababa. On the way, visit the Abijatta-Shala National Park. Lake Shala is a very deep crater lake (over 260 meters deep!) and Lake Abijatta is a soda lake, which attracts thousands of flamingos. After the visit, continue the drive back to Addis Ababa. In the evening, go to the farewell dinner party (invitation from Finot Tour Ethiopia), to experience Ethiopia's cultural meals and drinks, which include a traditional special buffet. Here you will enjoy and experience several tribal dances. After the farewell dinner party, we transfer you to Bole International Airport for your international departure. All meals included Non-alcoholic drinks
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)
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)
International flights (From/to home)
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
Sleeping bag
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
Offered by
Finot Tour Ethiopia is your option for a responsible and nature friendly tour in Ethiopia. We are always available to serve you the tour experience of your dreams. Our tour programs are flexible; you can feel free to make your own ideal tour package and then contact us for any information. If you are interested in History, Culture, Nature, Bird watching, Trekking, Adventure, Documentary Films, Rafting, Biking, Volcano and sightseeing, you will contact us for further information.
Office In
Ethiopia
Size
20-50 employees (Founded in 2011)
Tour Types
Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
Destinations
Djibouti, Ethiopia
Traveler feedback
Overall
5.0/5Communication
5.0/5Accuracy
5.0/5Value
5.0/5Safety clarity
5.0/5Cultural value
5.0/5Our tour preferences were very well combined, we received a very detailed tour description for the 4 weeks in advance, which then also took place as planned, with a fair value of money . The communication was perfect. Flights, hotels, visits to attractions, entrances, and transportation were very well organized and coordinated. Our tour guide Haile was very friendly, absolutely reliable, and trustworthy. On-site, he has a good network, the local guides, and drivers were also always very good. Our safety was Haile's top priority. We can wholeheartedly recommend Finot Tours Ethiopia.
Michaela · Germany
Great experience! My wife and me did a 13-day long tour of Harar, Bale mountain an Omo valley and considering the very high quality of both the guides and the tour itself we felt we got our money's worth. Hailemeskel of Finot Tour Ethiopia has specially for us developed great tour itinerary! We have a good 4WD car and accommodation in nice hotels and lodges. Our main guide and driver Lmuel, was fantastic. He's very knowledgeable and has a very nice attitude towards guests! We discussed various aspects of life and nature in Ethiopia and we began to feel him as a friend. Both gentlemen were very kind and nice and they made our experience so wonderful. So it really feels like we made friends and it made us feel as if we weren't just tourists. All in all this was an amazing experience. We highly recommend Finot Tour Ethiopia. Thank you very much Haile and Lmuel!
Stanislav Moynov · Bulgaria
Traveling with Finot is a great, real adventure. A great guide with good contacts in the places you visit. Thanks to this, we were able to see more interesting things than others. Trip to the tribes of the Omo Valley.
Piotr Banasik · Poland
My six day trip to the Lower Omo Valley was very interesting and well organized. A good guide (Danny), a comfortable car and nice lodges/hotels made the trip most enjoyable. Danny's knowledge about culture and nature was great. He also knew the names of all the birds we saw which I appreciated. Since I was a solo guest we also had a flexible schedule. From time to time we also met friendly Haile who travelled with another group. Since all costs were included I did not have to think about paying local guides etc. But they all appreciate a small tip. I can highly recommend Finot Tour.
Rolf · Sweden
Practical answers
Rates are per person and exclude the international flight from/to your home country.
This tour is offered in Euros (EUR).
This tour accepts children who are 12 years and older.
If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
You can request minor changes to the accommodations and destinations of this tour.
Budget camping Inside Bale Mountains NP – All Meals Included - Inside 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 Finot Tour Ethiopia, not SafariBookings.
This operator reserves the right to change rates advertised on SafariBookings.
If you request changes to this tour, the advertised rates will likely change.
This group tour requires a minimum of 2 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.
This tour is subject to the terms & conditions of Finot Tour Ethiopia.
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