Home / Africa, Ethiopia Tours / National Park
3 day(s)
Regular
3-15 people
easy
Bale Mountains National Park is an area of a high-altitude plateau, broken by numerous spectacular volcanic plugs and peaks, and beautiful alpine lakes. The rushing mountain streams descend into deep, rocky gorges on their way down to the lowlands. It has the largest area of Afro-alpine habitat in the whole of Africa. It also offers the chance to spot many of Ethiopia's endemic mammals, such as the mountain nyala and the Ethiopian wolf, as well as numerous birdlife.
Duration
3 day(s)
Max Group Size
3-15 people
Tour Code
AET102
Departure Type
request
Tour Category
National Park
Guiding Method
Fully guided
Operated In
Age Requirement
3 - 15

Addis Ababa
Bale Mountain National Park
On arrival at Goba Airport with flight ET175, you will meet our team and then drive to Dinsho - the gateway to the Bale Mountains. Here, you’ll take a hike to explore the surrounding area and its wildlife. Sightings of warthog, mountain nyala, Menelik’s bushbuck, and Bohor reedbuck are all common within this area, as well as many Ethiopian and Abyssinian endemic birds.
After breakfast, you will head to the Sanetti Plateau. As the sun rises, the most endangered canid in the world - the Ethiopian wolf - begins to hunt. The plateau is the best place in Ethiopia to see this elegant animal, and the winding road atop the plateau, one of the highest all-weather roads in Africa, is an ideal spot for viewings. The plateau is also home to many rodents, the largest being the giant molerat, found only in the Bale Mountains.
As you continue your journey, you will stop at Tulu Dimtu or the “Red Mountain”. At 4,377m, this is the highest mountain in the park. At the base of the escarpment is the small village of Rira. You can either stop and relax with some local refreshments, or if you’re feeling more adventurous, go on a short walk (around 2 hours round-trip) through the forest. Continue to a bamboo-filled canyon and 2 waterfalls, stacked almost on top of each other. Keep your eyes peeled for the black-and-white colobus monkey and the elusive Bale monkey.
In the morning, you’ll take a short drive south from Rira to the south of the national park. Visit another local highlight, the Gushuralle Peak forest trail. This route, which takes around 2-3 hours, takes you through a dense bamboo forest to the summit of Gushuralle, where you will be rewarded with stunning views across the Harenna Forest. As ever, keep your eyes peeled for wildlife such as Bale monkeys, Menelik’s bushbucks, warthogs, colobus monkeys, and giant forest hogs. You’ll return to Goba town and then you’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight back to Addis.
In tweens bed sharing
Round trip domestic air fare
Full board
All transportation