A four-day overland journey east of Addis Ababa: wildlife and natural hot springs at Awash National Park, then the walled UNESCO city of Harar Jugol and its hyena men.
Harar, Awash & Doho Hot Springs
Four days east of Addis Ababa, entirely overland, through a side of Ethiopia most itineraries never reach. This route leaves the highlands behind on the Djibouti road, drops into the Rift Valley for wildlife and hot springs at the edge of Awash National Park, then climbs east to Harar Jugol — the walled UNESCO city of 82 mosques where men feed wild hyenas by hand after dark.
It is a driving trip, and we say so plainly. You will spend real hours on the road. What you get for them is the transition: escarpment to acacia savannah to Afar desert to a medieval Islamic city, watched from the window rather than skipped over at 30,000 feet. It is the best way to understand how these places relate to each other.
Two nights in Harar, one at Doho Lodge & Hot Springs on the northern edge of Awash National Park, and a flight home from Dire Dawa on the final afternoon if you would rather not drive back.
Why this route
- Awash National Park — 827 km² of Rift Valley savannah established in 1966, with Beisa oryx, Swayne’s hartebeest, and over 460 recorded bird species. The Awash Falls drop into a gorge at the park’s southern edge; the dormant volcano of Fantale rises to 2,007 m, its 1820 lava flow still a dark scar on the southern flank.
- Doho Lodge & Hot Springs — an eco-lodge on the park’s northern edge, 248 km from Addis Ababa, built around natural hot spring pools. A hot soak at the end of a long driving day is not a gimmick; it is the reason this itinerary works as an overland trip rather than an endurance test.
- Harar Jugol — UNESCO World Heritage since 2006. 82 mosques, three of them from the tenth century, and 102 shrines inside 48 hectares of sixteenth-century walls. Read our full Harar travel guide before you come.
- The hyena men — wild spotted hyenas called in by name and fed by hand outside the city walls, every night.
Who this suits
Travellers who want somewhere that is not on the northern historic circuit, who are comfortable with long road days, and who would rather see one region properly than three regions in passing. It pairs naturally either side of a northern tour, and it is a strong second trip to Ethiopia for anyone who has already done Lalibela and Gondar.
It is not a trekking trip. The only real walking is inside Jugol’s alleyways and the optional Fantale crater hike.
Before you book
Conditions in eastern Ethiopia vary by district and change. We will tell you honestly what the situation looks like on the ground the month you intend to travel, and we will not tell you an area is fine when your own government says otherwise. Please read our honest guide to safety in Ethiopia, check your foreign ministry’s current advice for the Harari and Afar regions and the roads between them, and confirm your travel insurance covers the route.
The best months are the dry season, roughly October to February — see Ethiopia in December and our month-by-month guide. You will also need a visa: our Ethiopia visa guide covers the eVisa process.
Why This Tour Stands Out
- Harar Jugol, a UNESCO World Heritage city since 2006 — 82 mosques, 102 shrines and sixteenth-century walls, explored on foot with a licensed Harari guide.
- The hyena men of Harar: wild spotted hyenas called in by name and fed by hand outside the city walls after dark.
- Awash National Park — Beisa oryx, kudu and over 460 recorded bird species across 827 km² of Rift Valley savannah, plus the Awash Falls.
- A night at Doho Lodge & Hot Springs, soaking in natural thermal pools on the northern edge of the park.
- Entirely overland: highland escarpment to acacia savannah to Afar desert to a medieval Islamic city, watched from the window rather than flown over.
