Ethiopia | Living Museum of Harar & Rift Valley tour

Tour program by Finot Ethiopia

DAY 01: ADDIS ABABA

Up on your arrival at Bole International Airport and you will clear immigration and proceed to baggage claim, after collecting your checked bags, clear customs and pass through the arrivals hall where you will be meet by Finot Tour Ethiopia representative, who will assist you with your transfer to your hotel.

After a break in the afternoon, you will enjoy a half day guided tour of the Ethnological Museum, with its artifacts and displays of the cultures and handicrafts of Ethiopia’s many ethnic groups. At the famous National Museum, with its cultural and archaeological relics, you will visit the famous “Lucy,” a 3.2 million-year-old female hominid who was discovered in Ethiopia’s Awash Valley in 1974. Time permitting; you may visit the biggest open-air market of Addis Ababa, the Mercato, is the largest on the continent, and you will take a drive through it. You may also visit Ba’ata Church, also known as Menelik’s Mausoleum, one of the oldest of the churches in Addis, built in 1911. It houses beautiful paintings and the royal tombs of past emperors, including Emperor Haile Selassie.

Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Transportation:
4X4 Land cruiser

Accommodation:
Monarch Addis Hotel or Similar

NOTE

You will drive approximately 85 km and 4 hours

Game drive varies the time

Journey times depend on intermediate layover times.

DAY 02: DRIVE TO AWASH NATIONAL PARK

After breakfast, drive from Addis to Awash National Park through the awe-inspiring crater lakes of Debrezeit. Your next stop will be at Lake Beseka. Then you will be continuing to Awash National Park. Birding in Awash National Park, located in the rift valley. It is enriched with many species of birds and mammals; African orange-bellied parrots, bustards, weavers, European Hoope somber rock-chat, yellow-throated serine, Red-fronted barbet, pygmy baits, Lesser striped swallow, House martin and Anubis Baboon, Colobus Monkey, Black-backed Jackal, Bat-eared Fox, Egyptian Mongoose, Warthog, Beisa Oryx, Soemmering’s Gazelle, Lesser Kudu, Salt’s Dik-dik, etc. Overnight stay at Doho Lodge with natural hot spring.

Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch and
Dinner

Transportation:
4X4 Land cruiser

Accommodation: Doho Lodge

NOTE

You will drive approximately 210km and 4 hours

Journey times depend on intermediate layover times.

DAY 03: DRIVE HARAR

In the morning after relaxed breakfast from our lodge, we continue our drive to Harar. You will pass through many villages and some beautiful landscapes, unique and different to other areas of Ethiopia. We stop for lunch at Asbe-Teferi. Then You will visit the local Street ‘Chati’ market. We continue our drive Harar. On the way, some 36 km before Harar, we will see one of the most famous ‘Chati’ exporting market town they call it Aweday.

Then drive to an early 16th century eastern Ethiopian city, was once an important trade center and is famous for its ancient Arabic structures, great walled city Harar. Harar is an Islamic center with at least 99 mosques, and is considered as the fourth holiest Islamic city, after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. After check in to your hotel we meet up before dinner, we go outside the walled of the city to see Hyena man feeding. You’ll be amazed how close the hyenas come and how unfazed all the locals are as the Hyena Man allows them to eat off a stick dangling from his mouth. If you’re brave enough, you can also give this a try yourself, with these animals even climbing skillfully up your back to reach their prize!

Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Transportation:
4X4 Land cruiser

Accommodation: Ras Hotel or similar

NOTE

You will drive approximately 300km and 6hours

Journey times depend on intermediate layover times.

DAY 04: VISIT THE WALLED TOWN OF HARAR

In the morning after breakfast, you will start exploring the 16^th century UNESCO registered wall city of Harar. Harar is the city, which is the eastern part of Ethiopia known for being origin for the Ethiopian first grade coffee and old historical tourist attraction site for its unique old round wall built at early of 16^th century by the governor of Harar. Harar is recognized as the fourth most holy Muslim city in the world, hosting pilgrims after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.

We continue our exploration with a guided tour of Harar to see the mosques and interesting old architecture of the town, including the old walled city. With 368 alleys squeezed into just one square kilometer, this distinctive, ancient city, with five-meter high walls, colorful shops and mosques, offers a myriad of exciting experiences for explorers and adventurers alike. Including the colorful local market and the famous museums and holy shrine, you will enjoy visit of the colorful market in Harar. Adere people to protect themselves from invaders built the wall in the 16^th C. Harar is also home to Arthur Rimbuad, renowned French poet who lived in 1880’s and worked in Harar as a “gun-runner” during the 19^th century. Visit the National and Harari museums; the house of Ras Mekonnen (father of Haile Selassie); and a traditional Harari home.

Meals: Lunch and Dinner

Transportation:
4X4 Land cruiser

Accommodation: Ras Hotel or Similar

NOTE

You will drive approximately 210km and 4 hours

Journey times depend on intermediate layover times.

DAY 5: DRIVE BACK TO ADDIS ABABA 

After a relaxed breakfast, you will drive to Addis Ababa. We enjoy a free morning to do our own exploration around the labyrinth of alleys that make up Harar. The tour ends upon arrival in Addis Ababa. You will arrive in Addis Ababa late afternoon where you will do some shopping for souvenirs. Finally, in the evening, we will have a fare well dinner (depending on your scheduled flight) in one of the Ethiopian restaurants for traditional dinner and live stage dances from the different ethnic groups. Then you will be transfer to Bole International Airport for return flight back home.

Meals:
Lunch and Dinner

Transportation: 4X4
Land Cruiser

Accommodation: –

NOTE:

You will drive approximately 525 km

Journey times depend on intermediate layover times.

End of Tour of Ehtiopia, Living Museum of Harar and Rift Valley!

NB: The tour program can modify differently, rearranged, combined with other itinerary and shorten or extended to suit your interest, time and budget. Up on request FINOT TOUR ETHIOPIA can arrange various tour programs based on your interest.