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.
Adventure journeys
Great Ethiopian Run and Thanksgiving
Run or walk Africa’s biggest road race at 2,350 m on Sunday, then end the week at a Thanksgiving table in Addis Ababa.
Overview
The journey in brief
- Duration
- 6 days, 5 nights
- Where
- Central · Addis Ababa
- Travel style
- Small group
- Best season
- November
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Price
- USD 1,495 per person
On race morning, tens of thousands of runners in matching shirts fill the streets of Addis Ababa, with music along the course. Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie founded the Great Ethiopian Run, now the largest road race in Africa. At about 2,350 m, even a slow 10 km feels earned, in the city that has produced many of the world’s best distance runners.
The week then slows down: the old city Menelik II founded in 1886, now the seat of the African Union, the crater lakes, Merkato, and a Thanksgiving dinner with doro wat beside the familiar dishes. Plenty of people walk the course.
Highlights
- Race entry and transport to the start on Sunday 22 November
- A night of live Ethio-jazz after the finish
- Lunch beside the Bishoftu crater lakes, an hour from the city
- Shiro and tibs on a Merkato food tour as the Advent fast begins
- Thanksgiving dinner on 26 November, doro wat next to the usual dishes
What is included
- 5 nights’ accommodation, twin share
- Meals as listed in the itinerary, including Thanksgiving dinner
- Race entry and race packet
- Race-day transport to the start and from the finish
- Vehicle and driver
- English-speaking guide
- Entrance fees
- Food and coffee tour
- Ethio-jazz night entry
- Airport transfers
- Bottled water
What is not included
- International flights
- Ethiopian visa
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Drinks and personal expenses
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Single room (optional extra)
- Hotel night on 26 November (add an extra night if you fly on 27 November)
Itinerary
Day by day
Day 1 Thin Air and a Race BriefingAddis Ababa
Your guide meets you at Bole International Airport on Saturday 21 November. In the evening the group meets over a coffee ceremony, race packets and an early, carb-friendly dinner. Drink plenty of water; the altitude is real.
Activities
- Airport pickup
- Race packet handover
- Welcome coffee ceremony and race briefing
Day 2 Race Day, Then Ethio-JazzAddis Ababa
We take you to the start near Meskel Square and meet you at the finish. The afternoon is for rest. In the evening, live musicians play Ethio-jazz in a club the city has danced in for decades.
Activities
- Transport to the start
- Great Ethiopian Run 10K
- Ethio-jazz night
Day 3 The Emperor’s Tomb and Old PiassaAddis Ababa
An easy day on tired legs: the National Museum’s 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 old quarter of Piassa, with lunch at a local restaurant.
Activities
- National Museum
- Holy Trinity Cathedral
- Piassa
- Lunch at a local restaurant
Day 4 The Crater Lakes of BishoftuBishoftu
About an hour on the expressway brings you to Bishoftu’s volcanic crater lakes. We walk the rim at Lake Hora, look down on Lake Babogaya and eat lunch by Lake Bishoftu, then return to Addis by evening.
Activities
- Lake Hora
- Lake Babogaya viewpoint
- Lunch by Lake Bishoftu
Day 5 Merkato, Shiro and the Advent FastAddis Ababa
A morning in Merkato, among spice sacks and metalworkers hammering scrap into stoves. Then a tasting tour of shiro, tibs and injera; the Advent fast is starting, so fasting dishes are everywhere. The day ends with green beans roasted for coffee.
Activities
- Merkato on foot
- Food tasting tour
- Coffee ceremony
Day 6 Entoto Trails and Thanksgiving DinnerAddis Ababa
An easy walk on the eucalyptus trails of Entoto, then a free afternoon. In the evening the group sits down to Thanksgiving dinner, with Ethiopian dishes beside the familiar ones. Afterward we take you to Bole for overnight flights.
Activities
- Entoto walk
- Free afternoon
- Thanksgiving dinner
- Airport transfer
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
- 12 years and over
- Group size
- 6 to 16 travellers
- Meeting point
- Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa. Your guide meets you in arrivals with a name sign.
- Accessibility
- The race is 10 km at about 2,350 m in a dense crowd, and Entoto and the lakes involve uneven paths; walking the course is fine, but the trip is not suitable for wheelchairs.
What to bring
- Your own running shoes and kit
- A refillable water bottle
- Sun hat and sunscreen
- A light jacket for cool mornings and evenings
Dress code: Running kit on race day; shoulders and knees covered for church and museum visits.
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 |
Questions
About this tour
Do I have to run?
No. Many people walk, or you can skip the race and cheer from the route with your guide.
I race on day 2. Is that enough time to adjust?
Not fully. Run for the experience, or add extra nights before the departure.
Will there be turkey?
We plan for it, but turkey is rare in Ethiopia, so the main dish may change.
My flight is on 27 November.
Add an extra night in Addis Ababa for USD 140 per booking.
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Plan with us
Ready for Ethiopia?
Choose your dates above, or tell us what you have in mind and we will shape the trip around you.