Ethiopia vacations, tailor made
This bestselling Ethiopia vacation is fully organised by our expert partner who lives in the country and knows it intimately. His tailor-made itineraries combine natural and man-made wonders, enriched by the insider knowledge of local guides.
Addis Ababa Bahir Dar Blue Nile Falls Boat trip to island monasteries on Lake Tana Gonder Camping and wildlife in the Simien Mountains Chenek Aksum Stelae Lalibela Rock hewn churches Harar and hyenas Rimbaud's house
£3295 excluding flights
Description of Ethiopia vacations, tailor made
Departure information
This trip can be tailor made at a time to suit you and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary. Minimum 2 people
Travel guides
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Vacation information
Our top tip:
Carry small denomination notes for tips, markets and of course - the ubiquitous Ethiopian coffee.
Trip type:
Tailor made. Min. 2 people, min. age 5.
Activity level:
Moderate.
Accomm:
Locally owned hotels, camp sites in Simien Mountains and Chenek.
Included:
Accomm., private transport and transfers, tour leader throughout, local guides for specific activities, driver, listed activities, local flights. Meals not included.
Dietary Requirements:
A wide array of vegan options are available in Ethiopia. If you are a
vegan or vegetarian, this trip is for you. Based on your meal requirements, veg/vegan dishes will be provided on both breakfast and dinner times.
Reviews
39 Reviews of Ethiopia vacations, tailor made
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed on 24 Sep 2023 by Susan Gomez
Excellent! Highly recommend to those looking for adventure and culture with some wildlife in the mix! Read full reviewReviewed on 20 May 2023 by Patricia Elaine Thomas
Fantastic, amazing - it went well beyond our expectations!! One of the best ever and we hope to return soon to visit the areas we didn’t get to. Read full reviewReviewed on 11 Oct 2022 by Amanda Law
We were greated at our lodge in the simien mountains by the Gelarda baboons. They were so gentle and friendly and the mountains are so beautiful and green we were amazed. Read full reviewReviewed on 19 Apr 2022 by Laura Clarke
Excellent. The experience was phenomenal. I'm not sure I have adequate words to describe what I feel. Throughout the vacation, my mum, sister and I marvelled at the things we saw, how we were made to feel and from the hospitality and kindness of the Ethiopian people. Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Dec 2019 by John Miller
the most memorable part of the vacation was the religious ceremonies at lalibela and roasted goat dinner at our guides home. Read full reviewReviewed on 20 Nov 2019 by Albert Monty
The whole experience was fulfilling and exciting. Getting to know the local landmarks, both natural and cultural, our charming guides... everything! Read full reviewReviewed on 03 Nov 2019 by Ruth Scally
We were blown away by Ethiopia. The scenery was stunning with the Blue Nile waterfall and awesome volcanic mountains. Read full reviewReviewed on 22 Feb 2019 by Nick Waterfield
It was good to see and experience contrasting aspects of Northern Ethiopia, both cultural and natural, and having guides who knew their town or region made a huge difference to our trip. Read full reviewReviewed on 16 Feb 2019 by Tony Riley
Everything was memorable. Perhaps the "treks" in Janamora and West Mesket stand out, or the smiley friendliness of everyone... Fabulous, loved every minute. Read full reviewReviewed on 28 Jan 2019 by Susan Cunningham
The most memorable part of the vacation was visiting the livestock market... A wonderful first (and not last) experience of Ethiopia. Read full reviewReviewed on 25 Sep 2019 by Kay Topping
The most memorable part of the vacation was the flora, fauna and scenery. Read full reviewReviewed on 25 Aug 2019 by Diana Barran
It was a really memorable vacation, helped a great deal by the fascinating history and people of Ethiopia - including our guides and drivers who could not have taken more trouble. Read full reviewReviewed on 30 Jan 2019 by Vivienne Barton
The most memorable part of the vacation was the history of Ethiopia; the grandeur and landscape of the Simien mountains in northern Ethiopia. Read full reviewReviewed on 20 Dec 2018 by Debroah Olszewski
It was a great adventure and made me love Ethiopia. Read full reviewReviewed on 10 Dec 2018 by Jane Nairne
The visit to Tigray was astonishing. Fabulous mountain views and the red rocks and lush vegetation was impressive... Wonderful - Ethiopia is a fascinating place with a huge variety of things to see and the friendliest people. Read full reviewReviewed on 08 Oct 2018 by James Toon
Excellent. The operator was extremely well organised. During our trip we visited a number of places and took several internal flights. Despite the complexity of the schedule all went without a hitch. Guides and Drivers were also generally very good Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Feb 2018 by James Attree
This is very difficult to answer because there are so many memorable aspects to the trip for example the hikes in the Simien mountains with all the monkeys, the Tigray church on the top of the cliff, the rock churches of Lalibela, the art work in some of the churches. Read full reviewReviewed on 12 Jan 2018 by Ros Pennefather
Trekking in the Simien mountains for 5 days. Loved every moment. Read full reviewReviewed on 01 Jan 2018 by Ann Dieckmann
Meeting interesting guides, seeing amazing churches in Lalibella. Read full reviewReviewed on 28 Oct 2018 by Oliver Kuhn
The most beautiful sight must have been the Blue Nile waterfalls, which were just awesome. Followed by Lalibela and Axum. The entire countryside, culture, sights and sounds are amazing too to see. Read full reviewReviewed on 21 Feb 2018 by Christine Hammond
The highlight was hiking in the Simien Mountains and the wonderful views at Lake Buonyi. seeing the mountain gorillas up close in Uganda. Read full reviewReviewed on 18 Dec 2017 by Jan Sawyer
The fabulous landscapes and seeing how these happy, friendly, people live.The children were delightful. Read full reviewReviewed on 14 Dec 2017 by Diana O
Trekking in the mountains near Laliebela and staying in the Community huts was the most memorable. Read full reviewReviewed on 21 Oct 2017 by Liz Delmont
It was the most fantastic vacation. I cannot recommend it highly enough. incredibly varied, amazing culture and history, stunning landscape and scenery, really nice people and just an extraordinary experience. Read full reviewReviewed on 01 Mar 2017 by Kim Mahon
The Simeon Mountains where we were lucky enough to see 5 Ibex in one day with our wonderful interesting guide Desu ( who knew to much about the flora & fauna of the country as he was born there!) and the Bale Mountains were we spent a very lovely afternoon walking through the forest with a guide Hussain and saw so many animals Nyala, Reedbuck, Bushbuck and Wort hogs. Read full reviewReviewed on 29 Apr 2017 by Anne Stevenson
This went above and beyond all expectations. Such warm, beautiful people everywhere that we went. We ate well, saw and experienced incredible things: all wonderful. Read full reviewReviewed on 01 Mar 2017 by Tim Elworthy
This part of Africa was a fascinating insight into a hugely varied country of lovely people - many leading a very hard life in good humour and without apparent religious or ethnic conflict. Their welcome was invariably friendly and helpful and an effort to make us welcome. Read full reviewReviewed on 20 Mar 2016 by Alison Newman
Fantastic. Ethiopia is beautiful, ancient and dramatic. A sight to see around every corner. The vacation provider crafted our itinerary, provided some superb guides and ensured we experienced the country as more of a traveler than a tourist. Read full reviewReviewed on 28 Feb 2016 by Sally-Ann Shouler
Extremely good. Well thought out and very good value for money. Read full reviewReviewed on 28 Jan 2016 by katie gray
The three days we spent in Lalibela over Timket were extraordinary - but so was watching our guide in Harar negotiate for a can of camel milk in a local village. Read full reviewReviewed on 27 Jan 2016 by Elizabeth Treherne
We both loved walking in the Simien mountains and time time spent with the gelada monkeys. Read full reviewReviewed on 19 Jan 2016 by Roger Tubb
Excellent vacation, we saw some amazing buildings, paintings and scenery and met some really nice and helpful people. Read full reviewReviewed on 15 Jun 2015 by Noel O
It was most excellent. So many highlights to choose from however the Simian highlands and the Golada baboons were amazing. Go for it, sit back and enjoy! Read full reviewReviewed on 30 Nov 2014 by Barbara Kaplan
This was an incredible vacation. It was beautifully planned, by our agent, who planned every detail with precision and wisdom. The places we stayed were excellent, and the entire itinerary, designed specifically to our needs, was wonderful. Read full reviewReviewed on 06 Nov 2014 by Michelle Le Blanc
Go for it! The whole trip was brilliantly organised - ran like clockwork - and thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. Read full reviewReviewed on 26 Oct 2014 by Helen Spence
Although my tent living conditions were not 5 star, the experience was. Read full reviewReviewed on 17 Feb 2014 by Sharon Woodworth
Loved every minute of it! Camping and hiking in the Simiens. Traveling through breathtaking landscapes. The friendliness and hospitality of the people we met along the way but most of all our driver and guide who looked after us throughout the whole trip. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) vacation so that you can travel knowing it will help support the places and people that you visit, and the planet. Read how below.
Planet and people
All the guides throughout the trip are locals who are well trained and with adequate experience. We purchase most of the items that are necessary for your stay, from local shops. You may also wish to buy gifts and souvenirs, weavings, and intricate creations and various kinds of handicrafts from the locals. The income they will earn as a result of your trip will have a great deal of importance for their children and families they support.Most of the accommodations are owned and operated by the locals. They have put in place environmental conservation, water and energy usage, and economic policies such as employing local staffs and using local resources for the services they provide.
As part of an environmental responsibility, they participate in different initiatives like in an initiative against the deforestation and land degradation in Ethiopia. It is a campaign that has helped the community to realize the importance of clean and green environment. They also protect the environment by giving away plastic bags to recycling agencies.
For you to have better knowledge of the trip we will provide you an accurate pre-trip information before the start of the tour. Also in order for you to have a good understanding of the places, the environment, and the local community; we will supply you with our Travelers Code of Conduct which is also supplied to our staff and local suppliers.
If you get some spare time at Lalibela, we recommend a visit to a local initiative which provides services in supporting and promoting disability prevention and rehabilitation. They have an income generation scheme and vocational trainings to help improve their lives. This small initiative also gives training to the community about personal hygiene and environmental sanitation.
As part of our environmental concerns, this trip will help us buy a few seedling trees in a way to support an initiative which is working with school administrations through planting vegetable gardens and nurseries. The idea is to raise environmental awareness among students and to teach skills on how to grow, protect and plant trees as well as vegetables for income generation or improved diets.
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