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Great Rift Valley Tour

From shimmering Rift Valley lakes full of birdlife to the Bale Mountains and Awash National Park: a journey through Ethiopia’s volcanic highlands, wildlife and local culture.

9 days

Rift Valley & Bale

Wildlife & birdwatching

Private & tailor-made

Overview Highlights Itinerary What’s included FAQ Contact

About this tour

Lakes, wildlife and volcanic landscapes

Stretching from volcanic highlands to shimmering lakes, Ethiopia’s Great Rift Valley reveals a landscape shaped by powerful tectonic forces and remarkable biodiversity. Just south of Addis Ababa, the valley forms part of the vast East African Rift system and is famous for its chain of scenic lakes, including Lake Ziway, Lake Langano and Lake Abijatta. These wetlands attract extraordinary birdlife, including flamingos, pelicans and many migratory species, making the region one of Ethiopia’s best birdwatching destinations.

Travelling through the valley offers sweeping views of escarpments, volcanic terrain and fertile farmland, while Abijatta-Shalla National Park protects important habitats and wildlife. This tour continues to the Bale Mountains and Awash National Park, creating a rewarding blend of scenery, nature and culture.

Trip facts

Duration9 days

Best timeOctober – March

DifficultyEasy

AccommodationHotels, lodges & some camping

Start / endAddis Ababa

StylePrivate, tailor-made

Highlights

What you will see

Lake Awasa & the fish market

Lakeside life, fresh fish and marabou storks.

Lake Chamo & Nechisar

Boat trip among crocodiles, hippos and pelicans.

Abijata–Shala lakes

Flamingos, pelicans and dramatic crater lakes.

Bale Mountains & Sanetti Plateau

High-altitude moorland, home to endemic mammals and birds.

Awash National Park & Falls

Morning game viewing and the impressive Awash River Falls.

Birdwatching

Hundreds of species, from hornbills to kingfishers.

Sample itinerary

Day by day

A 9-day example. Shorter trips and day trips to the Rift Valley lakes are also possible: we adjust every itinerary to you.

Day 1 · Arrival in Addis Ababa

Arrive in Addis Ababa and transfer to your hotel. Time to rest after your flight. Overnight in Addis Ababa.

Day 2 · Addis Ababa to Awasa

Fly or drive to Awasa in the Great Rift Valley. Visit Lake Awasa and the local fish market, where you can try freshly prepared fish. Overnight in Awasa.

Day 3 · Awasa to Arba Minch via the Dorze highlands

Drive south through the Great Rift Valley, passing lakes and volcanic landscapes, and visit the Dorze highlands, known for their weaving and tall bamboo houses. Overnight in Arba Minch.

Day 4 · Nechisar National Park & Lake Chamo

Explore Nechisar National Park, followed by a boat trip on Lake Chamo, known for its rich birdlife, hippos and crocodiles. Overnight in Arba Minch.

Day 5 · Arba Minch to Lake Langano

Drive north to Lake Langano, stopping at Abijata–Shala Lakes National Park to see flamingos and dramatic crater lakes. Overnight camping at Lake Langano.

Day 6 · Lake Langano to the Bale Mountains

Continue east towards the Bale Mountains, one of Ethiopia’s most important wildlife reserves. Scenic highland landscapes dominate the journey. Overnight camping near Bale Mountains National Park.

Day 7 · Bale Mountains: Sanetti Plateau & Tullu Dimtu

A full day exploring the Bale Mountains, including the Sanetti Plateau and Mount Tullu Dimtu, Ethiopia’s second-highest peak. Look out for endemic mammals such as the Ethiopian wolf and mountain nyala, and high-altitude birdlife. Overnight in Goba.

Day 8 · Goba to Awash

Drive north via Asella towards Awash, moving from cool highlands to semi-arid lowlands. Overnight near Awash National Park.

Day 9 · Awash National Park & return to Addis Ababa

Morning game viewing in Awash National Park and a visit to the impressive Awash River Falls. Return to Addis Ababa in the afternoon, where the tour ends.

Good to know

What’s included

Included

Not included

Reviews

What our travellers say

      EXCELLENT  
   Based on 94 reviews 
    
 
 
 
   
 
 
       Posted on Tripadvisor  
    Dessislava M 
 
 
 
 Verified Amazing!
Perfect organization! Very kind and helpful people! They are professionals, and you can be sure with them! Good hotels, comfortable cars, exellent drivers and guides! We were happy every day!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
    Stasys M 
 
 
 
 Verified From historical Lalibela to vibrant soutern tribes
Icredible trip: beutiful nature, fiery people. Well organized. Competent and helpful gides.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
    Regina R 
 
 
 
 Verified Highly recommended
Our group chose this company based on recommendations. It fully met our expectations. The accommodation was selected at a high level. The drivers and guides are professional. I can confidently recommend it.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
    Giedrius_19 
 
 
 
 Verified Two weeks trip in Ethiopia
Very interesting and full of impressions 14 day trip. Visited North and South Ethiopia. Well organized and managed. Schedule is quite tough so you have to be in good shape.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
    Loreta M 
 
 
 
 Verified Colorful Ethiopia
We visited northern and southern Ethiopia. The tour was organized perfectly. Habtu was constantly asking how we were doing. We thank him and the Vast Ethiopia team for a great time.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
    Zbigniew M 
 
 
 
 Verified Rock-hewn monasteries, nature and black Africa.
The overall impression of our private 15 day stay in Ethiopia is really good. We've founf what we expected most: living ancient history,monasteries and a visit to Natives in the South. Axum offers the great place of holy monuments, the morning processions held there are exquisite. Do not miss Balthazar's tomb. Wildlife; we were happy to ser hipos and crocodiles in natural environment. The Natl Museum in Addis is a must-see. We found the smartest and knowledgable guides in Gondar and Axum. Local flights and ca drives were ok. Roads are bad, yet this was not a surprise. Best hotels on our route were located in Lalibela and Gondar. Do visit this vibrant, unpretentious and friendly country. Zbyszek Miśkiewicz
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
    Leah O 
 
 
 
 Verified Amazing trip with vast Ethiopia tours!! Highly recommend!
Our family of 6 traveled with VAST Ethiopia tours in March 2024 and had an amazing experience! We visited Addis Ababa and then took a trip through the southern region of Ethiopia, including Bale Mountains NP, Dorze Village Arba Minch, and Hawassa. The guides were skilled, knowledgeable, and incredibly helpful. We loved every minute of it.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
    osmoreno68 
 
 
 
 Verified Unforgettable and unique Ethiopia. Magic and diversity in one country
We have made a group of 30 people an unforgettable trip through the North and South of the country. It's all been very interesting. The North with its gem La LIBELA and the interesting places of Gondar and Simiens Mountains. And in the south the amazing wonders of the HAMER, DASSENECH, KARO and MURSI tribes along with the KONSO and DORCE people...With Vast we have not had any problems and we have made the trip as planned in the program... fulfilling the agreed and always trying the best for the group. It is the second time we have done ETHIOPIA in a group and for another one!!!!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
    Kevin S 
 
 
 
 Verified A great team! Book with them
For many years, I’ve had dreams of visiting Ethiopia. Finally, that opportunity arose for us in May, 2024.I asked friends for recommendations and we were pointed to Habtu Marye and Vast Tours. And we were lucky to find them.I spent some time online researching the things I wanted to see. But being the local experts, I relied on them to take our list, put it in the most logical order, and then they even added some things that I didn’t realize would be important for our visit.We had four full days in Addis. A short time considering everything there is to see in the country. We realized we had to limit ourselves. We spent three days in Addis and one day we headed out of town with Debre Libanos as our destination goal.We were partnered with Abay as our guide and Tesfaye as our driver. They were a great team and we thought we were fortunate to have them. They shared a wealth of knowledge about the sites we were visiting, took us places regular tourists never would have seen, and even gained entrance to several sites otherwise closed when we were there.we felt safe with Abay and Tesfaye. We were cared for. And they took us to restaurants offering wonderful local foods. We believe we saw everything we could in the short time we were on the ground. Of course, there still is a vast country beyond what we saw but that comes with a future visit.Without a doubt, I would use this tour company again and specifically the staff. And you know, that’s the strongest recommendation I can give!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
    Karim 
 
 
 
 Verified Best Agency for Planning Ethiopia Trip
My wife and I compared several agencies before booking. We found Vast to be the most responsive, most affordable, and most complete. Habtu and the Vast team planned our two week Ethiopia trip and were flexible in adding and removing activities although the schedule was already very complete. I am happy to say the trip was incredible. Vast takes safety first and prioritizes customer safety. The hotels we stayed at were always the best in the city we would visit. our trip was suitable for all ages and we will be recommending Vast to all travelers who want to visit Ethiopia!