Itinerary

1. Day 1: Addis Ababa City Tour

   • You will be picked up by your Ethiopian guide from your hotel in Addis Ababa/ Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.

   • Take part in a typical Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony and scenic drive on the main streets of Addis Ababa.

   • Visit the 'Merkato', the biggest outdoor market in Africa. Followed by a tour of the Spice Market and the Basket Market.

   • After lunch at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant, drive towards Mount Entoto to enjoy the great view of the city. At Mount Entoto, visit the oldest palace and the 140-year-old church in Addis Ababa, which is famous for its original hand-painted wall paintings.

   • Visit the Holy Trinity Cathedral, one of the most important religious sites of Addis Ababa and where Ethiopia's last emperor (Emperor Haile Selassie I) is buried. 

   • Visit the National Museum of Ethiopia to mainly see the fossil remains of Lucy, the oldest hominid, approximately 3.25 million years old. 

   • Drive on the main streets of Addis Ababa to visit the city's historical monuments and famous places such as the HQ of the African Union, Meskel Square, and the HQ of the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

   Stay the night at a hotel of your choice.

2. Day 2: Drive in the Rift Valley to Lake Ziway

   • Drive 180 km south of Addis in the Ethiopian part of the Great East African Rift Valley via the town of Butajira. 

   • Visit the interesting and still active rock-cut church of Adadi Mariam, which was hand cut out of a single piece of rock in the 13th century AD by King Lalibela.

   • Next, drive to the Stele of Teya, a cemetery where about 40 huge blocks are decorated with carvings and erected in honour of local warriors in the 14th century AD.

   • Attend a food preparation class at Tiya to learn how the locals make bread and porridge from Enset or False Banana Tree. 

   • Walk on the shores of the Rift Valley Lake of Ziway to see some low land water birds.

   Stay the night at Haile Resort Hotel.

3. Day 3: Head to Awassa

   • Revel in the beautiful sunrise view from the lake and have breakfast. Take an hour-long boat ride on Lake Ziway to see families of hippos and visit the Birds' Island, which is the breeding ground of birds like Marabou Stork, Spoon Billed Stork, Sacred Ibis, etc.
   • Have lunch at the other Rift Valley Lake of Langano, the only lake in the Ethiopian Rift suitable for swimming as it is Bilharzia. 
   • After lunch, drive 100 km south to Awassa. Along the way, you will have a game drive in the Abiyatta-Shalla Lakes National Park to see Ostriches, Grant's Gazelles, Warthogs and enjoy the great view of the Rift Valley Lakes of Abiyatta and Shalla.

   • Enjoy the great sunset over Lake Awassa in the evening and walk by the shores.

   Stay the night at Lewi Resort Hotel.

4. Day 4: Drive South to Arba Minch

   • Start your day by visiting the Fish Market of Lake Awassa in the morning. It is a popular place where the locals gather to have a breakfast of freshly-caught raw and fried fish and see the rare Black and White Monkey (the Colobus Monkey). 

   • Drive 275 km farther south in the Rift Valley to Arba Minch visiting the villages of the Alaba people along the way. The Alaba people are famous for their huge huts, which are beautifully decorated with paintings in and out. 

   • Late in the afternoon, enjoy the great view of the Rift Valley Lakes of Chamo and Abaya from the comfort of your hotel. 

   Stay the night at the Paradise Lodge.

5. Day 5: Arba Minch Tour

   • Take an early morning drive to Chencha to meet the Dorze people and head to Arba Minch. The Dorze are famous for their typical huts made by weaving branches bamboo trees, which measure up to 12 m when made originally. These huts become as short as 2 metres with time as termites eat the bottom and locals need to adjust the height of the gates accordingly. 

   • Have lunch at Arba Minch and enjoy a boat ride in the Rift Valley Lake of Chamo to see big African Crocodiles, families of hippos, and various low land water birds. 

   Stay the night at Paradise Lodge.

6. Day 6: Drive back to Lake Langano

   • Head back north to the other Rift Valley Lake of Langano, which is one of the most famous weekend resorts for residents of Addis Ababa. 

   • Indulge in swimming, bird watching, water sports, horse riding, and see the beautiful sunset over the lake with your loved ones. 

   Stay the night at Sabana Lodge.

7. Day 7: Return to Addis Ababa

   • Enjoy some free time in the morning and then drive 200 km back to Addis with a stop at one of the crater lakes of Bishoftu. 

   • At Bishoftu (Debre Zeit), you will also have a food preparation class to learn how Ethiopians prepare Enjera, the country's national bread. Enjera is prepared from tiny grains called 'teff', a gluten-free grain rich in iron, carbohydrates, calcium, etc.

   • At the end of the day, you will be taken to some of the best traditional Ethiopian restaurants in Addis Abba, where you can taste varieties of delicious Ethiopian meals and enjoy live dance shows.