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4-Day Tour Of Harar City & Awash National Park From Addis Ababa
  • Tour Category

    Private Tour

  • Tour Types

    Food and Drink, Culture, Wildlife

  • Duration

    4 Days

  • Activity Level

    Easy

  • Language

    English

Description

Explore the 16th-century walled city of Harar, starting with its markets, then meet the locals, see the walls and gates, and watch the live Hyena Man Show. Also, go for a Game drive in Awash National Park to spot various birds and animals, check out the beautiful waterfalls of the Awash River, and enjoy the picturesque views. 


Highlights
  • Visit the stone-walled town of Harar, UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • See the 'Hyena Man' as he feeds wild hyena by hand
  • Experience the unique culture of the Harari (Adere) people at the Harar town
  • Spot a number of lowland bird species at Awash National Park
  • Take a game drive in Awash National Park to see big mammals
  • Enjoy the great scenery of the Rift Valley
  • Day 1: Arrive at Addis Ababa & Drive Awash National Park expand_more
    • Arrive at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, meet with the Ethiopian tour guide and drive 225 km east of Addis Ababa to the Awash National Park via the town of Adama (Nazareth). 

    • The first stop would be at one of the five crater lakes of Bishoftu (Debre Zeit). 

    • Continue driving on the new Express Road to Awash National Park with few stops at viewpoints to enjoy the great scenery of the Ethiopian parks of the Great East African Rift Valley. You will also visit the extinct volcano called Fentale. 

    • Reach Awash National Park, stop at a viewpoint to see the Awash River Valley and the beautiful waterfall (best from June – November) before checking in at the lodge.

    Overnight stay at Awash Falls lodge.

  • Day 2: Awash National Park- Harar expand_more
    • Have an early breakfast, then head for a game drive in Awash National Park to spot kudus, gazelles, beisa oryx, and warthogs. Awash National Park is also one of the best bird-watching spots in Ethiopia.  

    • Get a chance to spot few crocodiles in the Awash River.

    • Drive 300 km to Harar, crossing the Chercher Mountains, which are extensions of the Simien Mountains.

    • Stop at the village of the Hararghe Oromo people for lunch on the way.

    • After arriving at Harar, drive to one of the gates of the city in the evening to visit the ‘Hyena Man’, who feeds wild hyenas with his own hand and mouth.

    Overnight stay at Ras Hotel.

  • Day 3: Sightseeing in Harar expand_more
    • Enjoy a full day sightseeing tour of Harar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back to the 16th Century AD, which once served as the country's medieval Muslim capital. 

    • Visit the different walls and gates of Harar, which marks and identifies the city’s peculiarity.

    • Check out the local market, which is attended by the tribal people of Amhara, Oromo, and Adere (Harari).
    • Travel to the House of Arthur Rimbaud, a famous French poet who lived in Harar in the late 19th Century AD.

    Overnight stay at Ras Hotel.

  • Day 4: Departure expand_more
    • Wake up early in the morning to visit a small scale coffee processing industry. Harar is also best known for its locally brewed, tasty coffee. 

    • Attend a typical Ethiopian coffee ceremony to try some local varieties, one of the best in the country. 

    • Explore some of the oldest mosques and shrines of Harar. 

    • Drive 50 km from Harar to Dire Dawa.

    • Halt at the town of Aweday to visit the largest Chat market in Ethiopia on the way. Chat is an important perennial crop, and its leaves are chewed for a stimulating effect. 

    • Visit the colourful spice market and the old train station, which was founded by the French in the 1900s in Dire Dawa.

    • Arrive at Addis Ababa to catch a flight back home.

What's Included
  • Comfortable private air-conditioned minivan

  • Fuel (gasoline) and driver’s allowance

  • English speaking Ethiopian tour guide

  • Local language speaking on-site guides

  • Airfare for the guide

  • Park scouts at Awash National Park
  • Bottled water and local snacks in the car

  • Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony attendance and coffee

  • All related government taxes

What's Excluded
  • Meals

  • Entrance fees

  • Accommodation

  • Any expenses not mentioned in the ‘Included’ list

What to bring
  • Don't forget to bring your camera to capture the best moments of this wonderful experience.
Know before you go

Harar is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being the fourth Holy City of Islam, after Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. It has the largest concentration of mosques in the world (99 mosques, dedicated for the ninety-nine names of Allah) in a 1 square kilometre area. It is also a place where different ethnic and religious groups have lived in harmony for hundreds of years.

  • June, July and August are rainy seasons, so get prepared accordingly.

  • The tour will be conducted through a private minivan- one way and return to Addis Ababa.

  • The tour can be customized to fit visitors' interests, expectations, duration of time, places of visits, and means of transport.

  • The tour can be personalized to visit visitors’ interests, duration, and means of transport and places of visit.

  •  The tour is by drive with a private vehicle one way and flying back.
    The price for the itinerary is 1,350 US Dollars for up to six visitors in a group.

  • Please contact the guide to know more about the exact price, including other service items.

  • Note- This tour is a private tour and can be customized to include the above services in the tour price according to the number of visitors. 

Meeting Point

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport - ADD, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Cancellation Policy

For cancellations upto 2 days before the tour -

Refund of 80% of the tour price.
Price Details
The group size and price
1 To 6USD 1550 Per Group

This is a private tour

Starting From

Fromss

see details
USD 1550 / group