Duration
8-Day
Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia
8-Day Mammal Watching Tour
Overview
An 8-day mammal-watching tour to Awash National Park and the Bale Mountains offers a rich contrast of ecosystems and some of Ethiopia's most iconic wildlife. The trip combines lowland savanna, acacia woodland, volcanic landscapes, and high-altitude Afro-alpine habitats, giving excellent opportunities to observe both common and rare mammals.
Plan snapshot
Quick Facts
Route
Addis Ababa to Addis Ababa
Via Aledeghi WR, Bale Mountains NP, Addis Ababa (City)
Country & park
Ethiopia / Bale Mountains National Park
Style
Safari
Group size
1-12 travelers
Starts
Any day if available
Minimum age
18 years
Activities
game drives, evening/night game drives, walking safaris (with an armed guide) & nature hikes/walks
Accommodation
Budget camping Just outside Aledeghi WR – Day 1: Lunch & Dinner Included – Day 2: All Meals Included - Just outside Aledeghi WR
Meals
Day 1: Lunch & Dinner Included; Day 2: All Meals Included; All Meals Included
Pickup
Airport transfer included
Booking
Request quote
Currency
USD
Rates
Rates Per Person
USD
Start datesSingle2+ people
Jan 1, 2026 - Dec 31, 2026
$3,465 USD
$2,596 USD
Jan 1, 2027 - Dec 31, 2027
$3,465 USD
$2,596 USD
Jan 1, 2028 - Dec 31, 2028
$3,465 USD
$2,596 USD
Before booking
Important To Know
Rates are per person and exclude the international flight from/to your home country.
This tour is offered in US dollars (USD).
This tour is unavailable for children.
Rates include a fixed budget for flights during this tour. Flights may cost more, depending on travel dates. If so, your quote will reflect this.
Quote flow
Request Guidance
We advise requesting quotes from 3 operators ()
Requests are sent directly to the tour operator
If preferred, you can contact the tour operator directly
Route
country
Ethiopia
Start
Addis Ababa (Day 1)
Day 1-2
Aledeghi WR
Day 3-6
Bale Mountains NP
Day 7
Addis Ababa (City)
Day 8
Debre Libanos Monastery (Highlight)
End
Addis Ababa (Day 8)
Tour Features
Budget tour
This budget tour includes camping and hotels.
Private tour
This tour will be organized exclusively for you and won't be shared with others.
Can start any day
If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
Can be customized
You can request minor changes to the accommodations and destinations of this tour.
Suitable for solo travelers
Solo travelers can book this private tour.
18
Minimum age of 18 years
The minimum age for this tour is 18 years.
Activities & Transportation
Activities: game drives, evening/night game drives, walking safaris (with an armed guide) & nature hikes/walks
Game drives: open-sided 4x4 vehicle
Getting around: open-sided 4x4 vehicle & air transfer
Book your own international flights when using this operator
A transfer from and back to the airport is included
Accommodation & Meals
Day 1-2
Budget camping Just outside Aledeghi WR – Day 1: Lunch & Dinner Included – Day 2: All Meals Included
Just outside Aledeghi WR
Day 1: Lunch & Dinner Included; Day 2: All Meals Included
Day 3-6
Budget camping Inside Bale Mountains NP – All Meals Included
Inside Bale Mountains NP – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 7
Bentark Hotel
Mid-range hotel in Addis Ababa (City) – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 8
End of tour
(No accommodation)
All Meals Included
Day By Day
Tour step
Arrival
You'll be collected from the airport. Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.
Day 1
Drive To Aledeghi Wildlife Reserve
On your arrival to Addis Bole international airport meet our team and take a drive to Awash National park Which will take about 230km from Addis. on arrival to the park will go for game drive in the thorny bushes and grassland of Awash National Park including the hike in the riverbank forest by the Awash River Falls. We have a chance to spot mammals such as the Salt’s dik-dik, lesser kudu, warthog, Hamadryas baboon, olive baboon, black-backed jackal, Abyssinian hare, Grivet monkey, Nile crocodiles in the shores of the river and more wildlife with numerous birdlife. In the evening drive to Alideghe National park where you spend the next two nights in camping. Night game drive will introduce us with mammals such as Crested Porcupine, Aardvark, Aardwolf, African Golden Wolf, Wild Cat, Genet families and others. Just outside Aledeghi WR Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Destination: Aledeghi Wildlife Reserve Stay: Budget camping Just outside Aledeghi WR Meals: Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 2
Explore Aledeghi National Park
Explore Alideghi National Park Morning after having an early breakfast, we take a drive to Alideghi National Park. Here we will have a game drive and scan the vast plain for Grevy’s zebra, gerenuk, Beisa oryx, Soemmerring’s gazelle, Grant’s gazelle, olive and Hamadrias baboons, African golden wolf, Somali ostrich and more wildlife. Bird species include Abyssinian roller, Arabian bustard, kori bustard, Carmine bee eaters and several raptors. At night We will have game drive for nocturnal mammals. Just outside Aledeghi WR All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Destination: Aledeghi Wildlife Reserve Stay: Budget camping Just outside Aledeghi WR Meals: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 3
Drive to Bale Mountains
Drive to Bale Mountains we will have an early morning game drive in the park then set off for a long drive to Bale Mountains National park where we stay the next 4 nights. Arrive in the evening then transfer to Weyb valley also called wolf camp. Here in Weyb valley we have a chance of seeing the largest amount of Wolves that the Bale Mountains has. Inside Bale Mountains NP All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Destination: Bale Mountains National Park Stay: Budget camping Inside Bale Mountains NP Meals: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 4
Explore Gassay Grasslands
Explore Bale Mountains – Gaysay Grasslands This morning we'll do an early game drive to look for Ethiopian wolves in their natural habitat then in the afternoon, we will enjoy a safari in gassay grasslands While the handsome Mountain nyala is regularly seen on the moorlands, Here, some of the nyalas have become unafraid of humans and will allow a close approach, as will Menelik’s bushbucks and especially the ultra-tame common warthogs, which one can get to within a couple of metres! It is also a good area for Bohor reedbucks, Serval Cats and olive baboons. Drive to sodota for overnight. Inside Bale Mountains NP All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Destination: Bale Mountains National Park Stay: Budget camping Inside Bale Mountains NP Meals: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 5
Explore Sannetti Plateau
We will be spending much of our time exploring the wild and spectacular Afroalpine moorlands of the high Sanetti Plateau, one of the best places in the Bale Mountains to find the Ethiopian wolf. The handsome Ethiopian wolf has had a difficult time in recent decades, suffering from distemper epidemics introduced by domestic dogs (incursions of which have become more common as the region’s human population has increased). This is now the world’s rarest canid, although, happily, a recent campaign to vaccinate local dogs, organized by the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme has brought about a welcome rebound in the population. The wolves tend to go around singly or in small groups and during the course of our visit we should have repeated encounters with them, watching them patrol their territories, greet each other, relax or hunt rodents and other prey. While we should be able to see them catch rodents, you can consider yourself lucky if you witness a close-up ‘kill’. Inside Bale Mountains NP All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Destination: Bale Mountains National Park Stay: Budget camping Inside Bale Mountains NP Meals: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 6
Explore Harenna Forest
Bale Mountains – Harenna Forest This morning drive to Harenna Forest crossing over Sanneti Plateau. Harenna Forest is the second largest tropical rainforest in the country. On arrival to the forest our main target is looking for the Endemic Bale Monkey in the Bamboo part of the forest, Mammals such as Colobus monkey, Olive baboon and Giant Forest hogs can be also seen in the area. Night game drives will introduce us some nocturnal mammals such as African Civet, Bush Pigg, Honey Budger, Abyssinian Genet and others. Inside Bale Mountains NP All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Destination: Bale Mountains National Park Stay: Budget camping Inside Bale Mountains NP Meals: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 7
Flight Back To Addis Ababa
Bale Mountains – Flight Back To Addis After early morning breakfast, transfer to airport for the return flight back to Addis Ababa, in Addis if time permits we will have an optional city tour yo see some of the popular attractions like National Museum and others. Mid-range hotel located in Addis Ababa (City) All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Destination: Addis Ababa (City) Stay: Bentark Hotel Mid-range hotel located in Addis Ababa (City) Meals: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 8
Day Trip To Debrelibanos
Day Trip To Debrelibanos Early morning after breakfast take a drive to Debrelibanos. this day tour from Addis you will have the chance to see one of the endemic mammals of Ethiopia – the Gelada Monkey. The Debre Libanos area is the nearest place to Addis Ababa to see these unique Monkeys. Geladas are notable for the red patch on their chest. With the nickname of “The bleeding heart baboon”. Debre Libanos excursion from Addis Ababa is the best option to spot Gelada Baboons in one day. Have lunch at a local Ethiopian restaurant or at Ethio-German Park Hotel. Try the typical Ethiopian traditional food known as Beyaynet or Beyaynetu. Near Debre Libanos, spot the Rüppell's Chat, White-winged Cliff-chat and White-billed Starling. Return back to Addis in the evening then after dinner transfer to airport for your international departure. All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Destination: Debre Libanos Monastery (Highlight) Stay: No accommodation (End of tour) Meals: All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Tour step
End of tour
Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost. You'll be dropped off at the airport.
Included
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 flights during the tour
All Taxes/VAT
Roundtrip airport transfer
Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
Drinking water (On all days)
Excluded
International flights (From/to home)
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
Sleeping bag
Bath towels
Tips (Tipping guideline US$25.00 pp per day)
Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
Getting There
This tour starts and ends in Addis Ababa
Book your own international flights when using this operator
Fly to/from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD - Check price)
A transfer from and back to the airport is included
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour can be arranged for an extra cost
Offered by
Armaye Ethiopia Tours
5.0 operator rating
51 reviews
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
Reviews
Overall
5.0/5Communication
5.0/5Accuracy
5.0/5Value
5.0/5Safety clarity
5.0/5Cultural value
5.0/5Armaye is wholly professional with flexibility to create unique itineraries and travel experiences.
I 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
Very well organised in , hotels and drivers.
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
Wonderful!
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
Responsive and reliable tour operator and fun too!
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
Tour FAQs
Are rates charged per person?
Rates are per person and exclude the international flight from/to your home country.
Which currency is this tour priced in?
This tour is offered in US dollars (USD).
Can children join this tour?
This tour is unavailable for children.
Can this tour start on my preferred date?
If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
Can the itinerary be customized?
You can request minor changes to the accommodations and destinations of this tour.
Where do travelers stay during this tour?
Budget camping Just outside Aledeghi WR – Day 1: Lunch & Dinner Included – Day 2: All Meals Included - Just outside Aledeghi WR. Meals: Day 1: Lunch & Dinner Included; Day 2: All Meals Included
Where does this tour start and end?
This tour starts and ends in Addis Ababa
Are airport transfers included?
A transfer from and back to the airport is included
Operator policy
Terms and Conditions
Disclaimer
This tour is offered by Armaye Ethiopia Tours, 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.
Rates include a fixed budget for flights during this tour. If flights cost more, your quote will reflect this.
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.
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