Your questions, answered

Our own team in Addis Ababa. The person who answers your first message knows the routes, the hotels and the guides, and stays with you from the first idea to the day you fly home.

Yes. Most of our travellers come with their own dates and interests. Tell us who is coming, how long you have and what you would love to see, through the Plan your trip form or a free call, and we reply with a suggested route and a clear price. You pay nothing to ask.

Yes. A free call of about fifteen minutes, by video, phone or WhatsApp, with someone on our team. There is nothing to buy on the call, and no obligation to book afterwards.

Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most trips. For the big festivals, Timket in January and Meskel in September, or for the Simien Mountains in high season, book as early as you can: hotels and domestic flights fill up. Shorter notice is often possible, so ask us.

October to March suits most of the country: dry, clear and green after the rains. The long rains, roughly June to September, bring green hills and fewer visitors, but some roads become difficult. Our team can tell you how the season affects the places you have in mind.

Of course. If you already have flights or some hotels booked, we plan around them: a few days in Addis Ababa, a guide for one region, or the whole journey.

Choose a tour and a departure date on the tour page, then send your booking request. We hold your seats, confirm within one working day, and only then ask for payment.

No. Sending a request or an enquiry costs nothing. We ask for payment only after we have confirmed your booking.

It depends on the tour: some are paid in full when you book, others take a deposit with the balance due before departure. The exact amounts and dates are shown on each tour page and on your booking, and we remind you before the balance is due.

Once your booking is confirmed we send you how to pay. Where online payment is available you pay on our payment provider’s secure page; card details are never stored on this website.

Refunds depend on how many days before departure you cancel, and each tour states its cancellation policy before you book. You can read every tier in our booking policy. Approved refunds go back to the payment method you used.

One change of dates is free with 60 days’ notice. After that we tell you any cost before making a change. For other changes, such as who is travelling, contact us as early as you can.

If we cancel for our own reasons, including a group departure that does not reach six travellers, you choose a full refund of what you have paid, a new date or another tour.

Experienced local guides who know their regions, with Dejene and our team behind every trip. Where the rules call for it, as in the Simien Mountains National Park, a local scout joins you too.

Yes. Most of our tours can run privately on dates that suit you, for a couple, a family or a group of friends. Choose the private option on the tour page, or ask us to plan a custom trip.

Every tour shows its difficulty. Easy tours involve short walks, often on uneven ground and steps in churches; challenging tours involve several hours of walking a day at altitude. Addis Ababa itself is at about 2,350 metres, so take the first day gently. Ask us if you are unsure.

Ethiopian food is a highlight, and the many fasting days of the Orthodox calendar mean vegetarian and vegan dishes are easy to find everywhere. Tell us about allergies or other needs when you book and we will plan around them.

Modest clothes that cover shoulders and knees. You take your shoes off at the entrance of churches, and women are usually asked to cover their hair. A light scarf in your day bag solves both.

Most visitors do. Many nationalities can apply online through Ethiopia’s official e-visa service (evisa.gov.et). Rules change, so check the current requirements for your passport well before you travel.

Most visitors travel without problems, and we plan every route with local knowledge and travel with experienced guides and drivers. Conditions vary by region and change over time, so read your government’s travel advice before you book and before you fly. If the situation on a route changes, we change the route or the dates at no extra cost.

Yes, please travel with insurance that covers medical treatment, evacuation and cancellation. It is not included in our prices.

The local currency is the Ethiopian birr. Cards work in larger hotels and some restaurants in Addis Ababa, but cash is still needed in most places, especially outside the city.

Ask your doctor or a travel clinic six to eight weeks before you travel. Depending on where you are coming from and where you go, proof of yellow fever vaccination may be required, and malaria precautions may be advised for lowland areas.