Departs 17 Jan
Popular 4 days, 3 nights Cultural
Addis Ababa
Timket in Addis Ababa
Walk beside the tabots to Jan Meda on the eve, then stand in the crowd at dawn as the blessed water falls.
Cultural journeys
Addis, Harar and the Omo Valley
One week, two very different Ethiopias: Harar’s walled lanes and its dusk hyena feeding, then Ari and Mursi communities around Jinka.
Overview
The journey in brief
- Duration
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Where
- Eastern · Harar
- Travel style
- Private tour
- Best season
- June to March
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Price
- USD 1,895 per person
At about 6:30 each evening, just outside Harar’s walls, the hyena men call wild hyenas out of the dark and feed them. Inside the walls lies Jugol, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with five historic gates and, by the usual count, 82 mosques in its lanes. You walk it with a Harari guide.
Then the week turns south to Jinka, for Ari farming villages and a morning with the Mursi in Mago National Park, always with a local guide who knows the families. Addis Ababa, seat of the African Union, bookends it all. Harar’s guesthouses are simple, and the flights mean a few early starts.
Highlights
- Jugol’s narrow lanes and five historic gates, with a Harari guide
- Wild hyenas fed at dusk just outside Harar’s walls
- The Shewa Gate market, Harar’s busiest, and the tailors of Mekina Girgir
- Enset, pottery and coffee with Ari families near Jinka
- A morning in a Mursi village in Mago, with a local guide
- Haile Selassie’s tomb at Holy Trinity, in the seat of the African Union
What is included
- Airport pickups and drop-offs
- 6 nights’ accommodation, twin share
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- Domestic flights Addis Ababa–Dire Dawa and Addis Ababa–Jinka at the Ethiopian Airlines discounted fare
- Private vehicle and driver
- English-speaking guide throughout
- Local guides in Harar and the Omo Valley
- Entry fees, including Mago National Park
- Bottled water
What is not included
- International flights
- Ethiopian visa
- Domestic fare difference if you do not fly Ethiopian Airlines internationally (about USD 150 per round trip, USD 300 for this tour)
- Photo fees, paid directly to the people you photograph
- Single room (optional extra)
- Meals not listed
- Drinks and personal expenses
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Travel insurance
Itinerary
Day by day
Day 1 Arrival and a First Evening in AddisAddis Ababa
We meet you at Bole International Airport and take you to your hotel to rest. If you feel like it, your guide walks you to dinner nearby and talks you through the week.
Activities
- Airport welcome and transfer
- Briefing with your guide
- Optional evening walk to dinner
Day 2 The Capital of Africa and the Emperor’s TombAddis Ababa
A full day in the seat of the African Union. At the National Museum you see the human-origins gallery, with casts of Lucy (3.2 million years old) and Selam, the child found at Dikika (about 3.3 million years old). Then Haile Selassie’s tomb at Holy Trinity Cathedral, and the city spread out below the hills.
Activities
- National Museum human-origins gallery
- Holy Trinity Cathedral and Haile Selassie’s tomb
- City views from the hills
- Lunch at a local restaurant
Day 3 Into Jugol, and Hyenas at DuskHarar
An early flight of about an hour takes you to Dire Dawa, then it is an hour by road up to Harar. In the afternoon a Harari guide leads you through Jugol’s gates and its narrow, painted lanes. At about 6:30 pm you walk out to the edge of town for the hyena feeding.
Activities
- Morning flight to Dire Dawa
- Walking tour of Jugol and its gates
- Hyena feeding at dusk
Day 4 Harar’s Markets, Then Back to AddisAddis Ababa
The morning starts at the Shewa Gate, Harar’s largest and busiest market, then follows Mekina Girgir, where tailors work treadle sewing machines, into the spice, basket and coffee stalls. Rimbaud House, named for the French poet who traded here, comes last. In the afternoon you drive to Dire Dawa for the evening flight.
Activities
- Shewa Gate market
- Mekina Girgir, the tailors’ street
- Spice, basket and coffee markets
- Rimbaud House
- Evening flight to Addis Ababa
Day 5 South to Jinka and the Ari VillagesJinka
A morning flight takes you to Jinka. After lunch, Ari families show you how they grow coffee and enset and make pottery, with a local guide alongside. The day ends at the small South Omo museum in town.
Activities
- Morning flight to Jinka
- Afternoon in an Ari village
- South Omo museum
Day 6 A Morning With the Mursi in MagoJinka
You leave early on the rough road into Mago National Park, a round trip of most of the morning, to spend time in a Mursi village with your local guide. Ask before any photograph and pay the fee to the person directly. On Saturdays the afternoon ends at the Jinka market.
Activities
- Early drive into Mago National Park
- Time in a Mursi village with a local guide
- Jinka market (Saturdays)
Day 7 Farewell Lunch in Addis, Then HomeAddis Ababa
You fly back to Addis Ababa, the city Menelik II founded in 1886, for a farewell lunch. Your guide then takes you to Bole International Airport for your flight home.
Activities
- Morning flight to Addis Ababa
- Farewell lunch and coffee
- Transfer to Bole International Airport
Itineraries can change with weather, road and flight conditions. We will tell you promptly if they do.
Gallery
A look at the trip
Photo: Unsplash
Good to know
Before you book
- Guide languages
- English, Amharic
- Minimum age
- 8 years and over
- Group size
- 1 to 12 travellers
- Meeting point
- Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa. Your guide meets you in arrivals with a name sign.
- Accessibility
- Harar’s lanes are narrow and uneven, and the Mago road is long and rough. Not suitable for wheelchairs.
What to bring
- Sun hat
- Sunscreen
- A light scarf
- Comfortable walking shoes
- A warm layer for the evenings
- Small notes for photo fees
Dress code: Shoulders and knees covered in Harar’s old town and in churches; women bring a light scarf.
Cancellation policy
This tour follows the Strict policy. Days are whole calendar days before departure.
| When you cancel | What you get back |
|---|---|
| 30 or more days before departure | 50% refund |
| Fewer than 30 days before departure | No refund |
A non-refundable USD 300 per traveller (domestic flights) is deducted before these percentages are applied.
Questions
About this tour
Is the hyena feeding safe?
Yes. You watch from a few metres away and can hold out meat on a stick if you wish; many visitors simply watch.
How much are photo fees in the Omo?
Small cash amounts per photo, paid to the person you photograph. Your guide knows the current rate and carries small notes for you.
Why are there two flights back to Addis?
Harar and Jinka sit at opposite ends of the country with no direct flight between them, so you pass through Addis.
Are the hotels in Harar comfortable?
They are simple, clean guesthouses full of character. Harar has no luxury hotels, even on the VIP upgrade.
Can I join alone?
Yes. This is a private tour, so it runs for one traveller; add a single room as an optional extra.
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