Bird Watching Ethiopia is an absolute paradise for birdwatchers, boasting a magnificent tapestry of habitats found nowhere else on earth.
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Day 1
Welcome to Addis Ababa 2
Day 2 Across the Sululta Plains to Debre Libanos Across the Sululta Plains to Debre Libanos
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Day 3 Journey into the Awash Savannah Today we drive southeast down the Rift Valley escarpment, passing Lake Basaaka to reach Awash National Park. The landscape transforms from lush highlands to semi-arid acacia woodlands. As the sun begins to dip into its golden hour, we explore the plains around Awash Falls Lodge. This is the prime time to search for the massive Arabian Bustard, the striking Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, and the flashing turquoise-and-blue of Abyssinian Rollers.
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Day 4 A Full Day in Awash Wilds A full day dedicated to the acacia savannahs and open plains of Awash. Our expert guides will help you trace smaller specialties like the Mouse-colored Penduline Tit, Chestnut Sparrow-Lark, and Somali Fiscal. While keeping our eyes on the bush, we’ll also look out for the park's beautiful mammals, including the elegant Soemmering’s Gazelle, families of warthogs, and the tiny, delicate Salt's Dik-dik.
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Day 5 The Lakes of the Great Rift Valley We leave Awash and travel down the spine of the Rift Valley to Lake Ziway, stopping en route at Lake Koka where hundreds of flamingos and African Spoonbills often gather. Lake Ziway is a vibrant freshwater haven famous for its bird-rich shoreline and wild hippos. Tonight, we stay at the beautiful Haile Resort Ziway, founded by Ethiopia’s legendary distance runner, Haile Gebrselassie.
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Day 6 The Fig Forests of Lake Langano Wake up to the gentle sounds of the Rift Valley. We spend the morning exploring the ancient, towering fig forests hugging the shorelines of Lake Langano. This unique forest ecosystem is an absolute haven for endemics; we'll be listening carefully for the calls of the Banded Barbet, the Yellow-fronted Parrot, and the Abyssinian Woodpecker. If time permits, we’ll make an afternoon excursion to neighboring Lake Abijata to witness its dramatic flamingo spectacles.
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Day 7 The Prolific Waters of Lake Hawassa We take a short drive to Lake Hawassa, one of the most productive and beautiful birding lakes in the entire region. Walking along the lakefront, you'll find an astonishing density of waterbirds—from gargantuan Marabou Storks and Yellow-billed Storks to the jewel-like Pygmy Kingfisher darting over the reeds. Watch for families of hippos surfacing out in the deeper waters as the sun sets over the lake.
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Day 8 Climbing to the Afro-Alpine Bale Mountains Today, we leave the warmth of the Rift Valley lakes behind and ascend into the misty Bale Mountains National Park, home to the largest continuous alpine habitat on the African continent. As we climb into the moorlands, the air becomes crisp and clean. We immediately search the heather fields for the endemic Rouget's Rail and the vibrant Abyssinian Longclaw, while keeping a watchful eye out for the majestic Mountain Nyala—a stunning spiral-horned antelope found only in these mountains.
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Day 9 Atop the Enchanted Sanetti Plateau This is a crown-jewel day of the expedition. We spend the entire day exploring the ethereal, high-altitude Sanetti Plateau (above 4,000 meters). Amidst the prehistoric giant lobelia plants, we hunt for unique highland specialties like the Moorland Francolin, Wattled Ibis, and the highly endangered Wattled Crane. This open landscape is also the last true stronghold of the Ethiopian Wolf—the rarest canid in the world. Watching them naturally hunt giant mole rats across the plateau is an unforgettable sight.
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Day 10 The Harenna Forest to Negele Borena We drive off the back edge of the plateau, dropping through the surreal, moss-draped Harenna Forest into the southern semi-arid savannahs toward Negele Borena. As we cross the Genale River, we enter the fruiting wild fig trees that serve as the territory for one of Africa's most sought-after, legendary avian prizes: the brilliant green-and-red Prince Ruspoli's Turaco.
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Day 11 The Sacred Liben Plains We dedicate our morning to the vast, open grassland of the Liben Plains. Our main, highly focused target today is the critically endangered Sidamo Lark (Liben Lark), which lives exclusively within this fragile ecosystem. We will also scan the dry plains for the Somali Courser, Plain-backed Pipit, and the elusive Salvadori's Seedeater.
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Day 12 Termite Mounds & Southern Specialties to Yabello A scenic journey westward takes us into the heart of the Borena Acacia savannah. The landscape here is defined by massive, towering red termite mounds. This specific region is home to two globally unique endemics with incredibly tiny geographic ranges: the charismatic Stresemann's Bushcrow and the elegant White-tailed Swallow. We will spend the afternoon watching them interact around the acacia bushes and red earth mounds.
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Day 13 The Yabello Wildlif sanctuary A full day exploring the pristine dry-country bush within Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary. Our guides will help you tease out cryptic species like the Red-naped Bushshrike, the bobbing D'Arnaud's Barbet, and the intensely colorful Purple Grenadier. This sanctuary is also a protected refuge for the rare Swayne's Hartebeest antelope.
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Day 14 Heading North to Arba Minch & Nechisar We point our 4x4s northward today towards Arba Minch, birding along the route for the brilliant, iridescent Golden-breasted Starling. In the afternoon, we touch the edges of Nechisar National Park, a stunning park bounded by two massive lakes. We spend the evening twilight scanning the skies for the specialized, fast-flying Bat Hawk and migrating Lesser Kestrels.
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Day 15 The Waters of Lake Chamo & The "Bridge of God" We spend our final full safari day exploring the waters of Lake Chamo and the dramatic land bridge known locally as the "Bridge of God." We take a private boat safari onto the water to look for African Fish Eagles calling from the canopy, giant Goliath Herons, and wintering wetland migrants. This lake is also home to Africa's most impressive population of giant Nile Crocodiles and large pods of hippos.
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Day 16 Return to Addis Ababa & A Warm Farewell After a final relaxing breakfast in the southern sun, we transfer you to the Arba Minch airport for your short domestic flight back to Addis Ababa. In the evening, the Ethio Soul family invites you out for a special, traditional farewell cultural dinner. You’ll enjoy authentic Ethiopian dishes, fresh coffee, and live music and dance from different regions of the country a perfect celebration to mark the end of an incredible journey before we escort you to the airport for your international flight home.
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