Ethiopia - Endemic Wildlife & Ancient Cultures 2025

02 Dec 2025 - 13 Dec 2025 (12 days)

USD5,950 - Spaces Available

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Pricing notes : *prices are estimated and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): USD5,950 * GBP4,553 * EUR5,437 * AUD8,820

Single Supplement: USD590 * GBP451 * EUR539 * AUD875

Flight costs: USD350 * GBP268 * EUR320 * AUD519

Join our 12-day Ethiopia tour in December, exploring the unique endemic wildlife and rich ancient cultures of this fascinating country. Begin in Addis Ababa, visiting historical sites and museums, then journey south to Lake Awassa and the Bale Mountains National Park, home to the rare Ethiopian Wolf and Giant Mole-rats. Discover the stunning landscapes of Lake Langano and Awash National Park, where you’ll encounter diverse wildlife including Grevy’s Zebra and Beisa Oryx. Travel north to the Simien Mountains, renowned for its breathtaking scenery and large troops of Gelada Baboons. Conclude your adventure in the medieval city of Gondar, with its impressive castles and historical significance. This tour offers an unparalleled blend of Ethiopia’s natural beauty and cultural heritage.

Top Mammals

Simien Wolf, Gelada, Walia Ibex, Mountain Nyala, Bale Monkey, Menelik’s Bushbuck, Hamadryas Baboon, Aardwolf, Aardvark, Lesser Kudu, Gerenuk, Beisa Oryx, Soemerring’s Gazelle

Habitats Covered

The tour covers diverse habitats including the urban landscapes of Addis Ababa, the freshwater ecosystem of Lake Awassa, the montane forests and high-altitude moorlands of Goba and the Sanetti Plateau, the riparian woodlands of Lake Langano, the savannas and riverine forests of Awash National Park, and the dramatic highlands and escarpments of Simien Mountains National Park.

Expected Climate

In December, the tour will experience a range of climates, from the mild, temperate conditions of Addis Ababa and Gondar, to the cooler, high-altitude climate of the Bale and Simien Mountains, and the warm, tropical climate around Lake Awassa, Lake Langano, and Awash National Park.

Max Group Size

8 and 1 Rockjumper Leader

Tour Pace & Walking

The tour maintains a moderate pace, combining cultural visits and wildlife excursions with ample time for relaxation and photography, allowing for an immersive and enjoyable experience of Ethiopia’s diverse landscapes and rich heritage.

Accommodation

Accommodations range from comfortable city hotels to charming lakeside and rustic mountain lodges, ensuring both comfort and proximity to nature.

Photographic Opportunities

Expect abundant photo opportunities with stunning landscapes, unique wildlife, and ancient cultural sites throughout the tour.

What our clients say about us

Gregory de Klerk
SC, Ethiopia 2018

This tour was our first one with Greg de Klerk. I would certainly go with him again. He is an extremely good birder, quick to locate birds and get all of the tour group on them. He worked hard to get those difficult endemics. His sense of humour added greatly to the group experience. What I most appreciated about Greg was his method of helping us to see the necessary field marks to identify a bird and to explain the difference between a bird and one that looked similar. I was therefore sure of the identity of every bird we had.

Heinz Ortmann
RG, Ethiopia 2018 - Tailormade

Heinz Ortmann did an excellent job of leading a group with diverse interests. He was particularly patient in showing the birds to the non-birders, and I believe he increased the level of interest in all of them with his enthusiasm. (Graham is already talking about a possible trip to Uganda!). He also did his best with my "wish-list" and I don't think we missed much. I have some stunning pictures of Stresemann's Bushcrow and Vulturine Guineafowl as evidence. It was necessary to make a couple of changes to the itinerary and accommodation, and Heinz managed all of this without any stress to the group.

David Hoddinott
CS, Ethiopia 2023

Just a few comments on the recent Ethiopia Summer Highland Endemics tour guided by David Hodinott. First, I want to commend David on his skills as a leader and guide. His logistic and organizational skills are first-class and his knowledge of the bird life in Ethiopia matchless. His interpersonal skills with the group kept people on time, focused and successful in getting good looks at most species and great looks at many. That was his challenging task and he accomplished it with passion and patience, two qualities that are often difficult to combine.

Julian Parsons
RL - Ethiopia 2024

Julian was a wonderful leader, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and attentive to our needs. The local guide, was also excellent and worked particularly hard when we had to change accommodation at short notice. The cultural guide was very knowledgeable and shared both his knowledge and his experience of Orthodox Christianity with us in a very helpful manner. We saw a lot of birds and a good variety of mammals. In addition the food was very interesting and the coffee outstanding.

David Hoddinott
DB, Ethiopia 2023

This tour was designed to see endemic birds during the summer with full breeding plumage. The pace was fast and called for extensive time in vehicles racing from site to site to get the birds. This was great for getting birds but tough on the participants, if they expected time to relax. I enjoyed the birds but not the time riding in cars. The number of species seen was astounding and the birds were great. Knowing that accommodations would be "basic" was realistic but still tough at times. Fortunately, our group did well together and this helped compensate for the facilities at times. I reached my goal for birds and I hope to enjoy trips again in the future.

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