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The Best of Ethiopia Tour

The full spectrum of Ethiopia in just under three weeks: the living cultures of the Omo Valley in the south, then the ancient capitals and rock-hewn churches of the northern historic route.

21 days

South & north

Culture, history & landscapes

Private & tailor-made

Overview Highlights Itinerary FAQ Contact

About this tour

Ethiopia’s past and present in one journey

Designed for travellers who want a complete, unfiltered view of Ethiopia, The Best of Ethiopia Tour is a comprehensive journey through the country’s most defining regions in just under three weeks. From the living cultures of the south to the ancient civilizations of the northern historic route, it connects Ethiopia’s past and present in a single, cohesive experience.

In the south, explore the Omo Valley and meet the Mursi, Hamer, Karo, Dassanech and Arbore peoples, with wildlife and national parks along the way. In the north, journey through the former capitals of Gondar and Axum and visit Lalibela’s sacred rock-hewn churches. Covering over 4,000 km by road and air, it is the closest you can come to truly knowing Ethiopia without living here. We work with local guides and ethical partners, so your journey benefits both you and the communities you visit.

Trip facts

Duration21 days

TransportBy road & domestic flights

Best timeOctober – March

DifficultyEasy to moderate, with long drives

AccommodationHotels, lodges & some camping

Start / endAddis Ababa

Highlights

What you will see

Hamer people, Turmi

Hairstyles, beadwork and, with luck, a ceremony.

Mursi people, Mago National Park

Known for their lip plates and strong cultural identity.

Lake Chamo & Nechisar

Game drive and a boat trip among crocodiles and hippos.

The castles of Gondar

The 17th-century royal enclosure of Fasil Ghebbi.

Axum & St. Mary of Zion

Ancient stelae and the church said to hold the Ark of the Covenant.

Rock-hewn churches of Lalibela

Two days among Lalibela’s extraordinary churches.

Also on the route: the Karo villages on the Omo River, the Dassanech near Omorate, Konso, the El Sod crater lake and Borana singing wells, the Wondo Genet hot springs, Lake Awasa, Lake Tana’s island monasteries and the Blue Nile Falls.

Sample itinerary

Day by day

A 21-day example. We adjust every itinerary to you.

Day 1 · Arrival in Addis Ababa

Arrive in Addis Ababa and transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Addis Ababa.

Day 2 · Addis Ababa to Arba Minch

Drive south to Arba Minch. Overnight in Arba Minch.

Day 3 · Nechisar National Park & Lake Chamo

Morning game drive in Nechisar National Park to see wildlife and birds, followed by a short boat trip on Lake Chamo. Overnight in Arba Minch.

Day 4 · Arba Minch to Jinka

Drive to Jinka via Weyto and Key Afer. Overnight in Jinka.

Day 5 · The Mursi

Visit Mursi villages in Mago National Park and return to Jinka. Overnight in Jinka.

Day 6 · Jinka to Turmi & the Hamer

Drive to Turmi via Dimeka and visit Hamer villages, and a ceremony if one takes place. Overnight camping in Turmi.

Day 7 · The Karo

Drive to Murulle to visit a Karo village on the Omo River. Overnight camping in Turmi.

Day 8 · The Dassanech

Drive to Omorate to visit a Dassanech village. Overnight camping in Turmi.

Day 9 · Turmi to Konso via the Arbore

Drive to Konso via the Tsemay area, visiting Arbore and Konso villages. Overnight in Konso (hotel or camping).

Day 10 · Konso to Yabello & the Borana

Drive to Yabello, visiting the El Sod salt crater and the Borana singing wells. Overnight in Yabello.

Day 11 · Yabello to Wondo Genet

Drive north to Wondo Genet and relax in the natural hot springs. Overnight in Wondo Genet.

Day 12 · Return to Addis Ababa via Awasa

Visit the Awasa fish market and Lake Awasa’s birdlife on the way back to Addis Ababa. Overnight in Addis Ababa.

Day 13 · Fly to Bahir Dar & Lake Tana

Fly to Bahir Dar and take a boat trip on Lake Tana to the island monasteries. Overnight in Bahir Dar.

Day 14 · Blue Nile Falls

Drive about 32 km to the Blue Nile Falls and return to Bahir Dar. Overnight in Bahir Dar.

Day 15 · Bahir Dar to Gondar

Drive to Gondar and visit the 17th-century castle compound and Fasilides’ Bath. Overnight in Gondar.

Day 16 · Gondar

Explore Debre Birhan Selassie Church and the Beta Israel village of Wolleka. Overnight in Gondar.

Day 17 · Gondar to Axum

Drive to Axum through spectacular Tigray landscapes and the Tekezé River gorge. Overnight in Axum.

Day 18 · Axum

Visit the ancient stelae, archaeological sites, the bath and palace traditionally associated with the Queen of Sheba, excavated tombs and the church of St. Mary of Zion, where, according to tradition, the Ark of the Covenant is kept. Overnight in Axum.

Day 19 · Fly to Lalibela

Fly to Lalibela and visit the first group of rock-hewn churches. Overnight in Lalibela.

Day 20 · Lalibela

Morning mule ride or hike to the Asheton Mariam monastery, and an afternoon visit to the remaining churches. Overnight in Lalibela.

Day 21 · Return to Addis Ababa & farewell

Fly to Addis Ababa for a half-day city tour and a farewell dinner.

Lodges can replace camping, and camping gear can be provided on request.

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!