Overnight International Flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Upon arrival to Addis Ababa, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

Serving as the capital and largest city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa is the cultural and historic center of the country. The city's National Museum exhibits numerous prehistoric fossils, including replicas of the famous early hominid, "Lucy." Aside from its fascinating history, visitors will also appreciate Addis Ababa's rich food scene as well as Ethiopia's famed export, Arabica coffee.

At the appropriate time, you will be met at your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight to Gondar.

Upon arrival to Gondar, you will drive to Simien Mountain National park (140 km / 87 miles, approx. 5 hours). En route, you will observe the magnificent scenery with unique flora, the first segment of the Simien Mountains National Park - "Roof of Africa". Upon arrival you will check-in to the lodge and you will proceed to drive to Sanqaber where you will be able to encounter birds like Lammergeyer and the endemic Gelada Baboon.
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You will depart from the Lodge after your breakfast and begin your trek by following the ridge of an escarpment. Incredible views greet you on both sides of the ridge and your path is lined with the area's unique flora and fauna, including 180 endemic species of birds. This is one of the most spectacular and diverse landscapes in Ethiopia, and while here, you are well-staged to see the elusive gelada baboon. After approximately five hours of hiking, you arrive at Sanqaber, then you will drive back to your Lodge.

This morning you will drive to Chenek. You will have beautiful views on both sides of the escarpment ridge. This is a great place to spot the Walia ibex, if you are lucky, and the Ethiopian Wolf. Tucked away behind a hillock on a mini plateau is a romantic spot with a bench, looking back to Imet Gogo and Inatye.

At the appropriate time, you will be met at your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight to Addis Ababa.

Upon arrival to Addis Ababa, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.
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At the appropriate time, you will be met at your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight to Goba.

Upon arrival, you will drive to the Bale Mountains National Park (460 km / 286 miles, approx. 10 hours). Arrive at the park headquarters, Dinsho in the afternoon, with the possibility of spotting two endemic mammals that frequent the area: Menelik Bushbuck and the Mountain Nyala. Birds in this area include the Blue-Winged Goose, the Spot-Breasted Lapwing, the Abyssinian Long Claw, the Wattled Ibis, the Black-Headed Siskin, Rouget's Rail, and numerous other species.
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Take an excursion to the Bale Mountains National Park Sanetti plateau where you will be able to witness high mountain botany reaching over 4,377m above sea level. You will also have the chance to encounter various game and birds amongst which the endemics Ethiopian wolves and Mountain Nyala.

At the appropriate time, you will be met at your hotel and transferred to your hotel in Addis Ababa.

Begin your city tour of Addis with a drive to Mount Entoto. This is a historical place where Emperor Menelik II resided and built his palace when he came from Ankober and founded Addis Ababa. It is considered a sacred mountain and has many monasteries. It is situated at an altitude between 2,600 and 3,100 meters. You will have a magnificent view of the city. Then, drive to the National Museum that houses the nation's artistic treasures as well as many of the most precious archaeological finds. This includes the fossilized remains of early hominids, the most famous of which is "Lucy," the partial skeleton of a specimen of Australopithecus afarensis. The well-known Lucy is said to be 3.2 million years old. After visiting the museum, you will drive to Trinity Cathedral Church. This church is the highest-ranking Orthodox cathedral in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was built to commemorate Ethiopia's liberation from Italian occupation and is the second most important place of worship in Ethiopia, after the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum.

This afternoon, you will visit the Ethnological museum set within Haile Selassie's former palace, surrounded by the beautiful gardens and fountains of Addis Ababa University's main campus. Even if you're not normally a museum fan, this one is worth a bit of your time - it's easily one of the finest museums in Africa. Later, you drive to Mercato and visit the largest open market in Africa, where you will drive through the market. Mercato is located covering several square miles and employing an estimated 13,000 people in 7,100 business entities.
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