About Armaye Ethiopia Tours

Armaye Ethiopia Tours is an expert Ethiopian private tour operator based in Addis Ababa and Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. It is run by a highly professional team comprising experienced tour organisers and fully licensed tour guides. All major languages are spoken. We offer a wide variety of tours and travel packages ....more

About Armaye Ethiopia Tours Our Story Covid Policies Environmental Sustainability Responsible Tourism Cultural Preservation What We Offer Accreditations and Associations Social Responsibility Awards Economic Impact Reviews FAQ Videos Tours

Reasons to tour with Armaye Ethiopia Tours

Affordable Packages

A wide variety of tours and travel packages

Fully Licenced Tour Guides

Highly professional team comprising experienced tour organisers

Value for money through detail oriented service for every penny you paid

Comfortable, new and sturdy vehicles with experienced drivers

Benefiting the local community with sustainable tourism development goals

Personalised and flexible tour itineraries and program

Our Story

Armaye Ethiopia Tours is an expert Ethiopian private tour operator based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is run by a highly professional team comprising experienced tour organizers and fully licensed tour guides. All major languages are spoken.

Our organizers will meet you on your arrival at Bole International Airport in ....more

Covid Policies

By sanitizing commonly touched surfaces before or after each tour. Policies o Utilize daily health screenings to look for symptoms and assess possible

Environmental Sustainability

We organise tours while benefitting the local culture and environment.

Responsible Tourism

Promoting local social and environmental causes, engaging with cultural heritage, and seeking out authentic experiences are just some of the tenets of responsible tourism that ensure the impact on destinations is actively positive.

Cultural Preservation

Any of our tours don't have negative impact on local culture we believe in preserving local indigenous cultures.

What We Offer

We offer a wide variety of tours and travel packages in Ethiopia for individuals and larger groups, including historical, cultural, archaeological, and ornithological and wildlife viewing tours, as well as trekking, horse riding and other customized packages.

Accreditations and Associations

We are a member of Ethiopian tour operators association

Awards

We have been locally awarded as the best sustainable tour operator

Economic Impact

We created jobs for local communities by employing locals in different positions in our company

Armaye Ethiopia Tours Reviews

Doreen

Armaye was extremely helpful, accommodating and professional in planning our tour.

20-Feb-2024

Our 17 day tour was an experience we would recommend. The tour was well planned and covered many different areas of the country. The hotels were well chosen and comfortable. The guides were knowledgeable and helpful. We could not have made a better choice than Armaye Ethiopia Tours. They went well beyond what was expected. Our arrival was unfortunately delayed by two days. But when we arrived at 1:00am two days late, Armaye was at the airport waiting for us. And our tour had been reworked so we did not miss any of the high points. When I took ill (nothing to do with the tour or country), the guide made sure I got immediate care and treated me like a mother hen. We have traveled for many years to many places, but this would be one of the best tour operators we hav encountered.

Jen

This is an amazing, well set, locally aware team, I was impressed from 1st contact to end of tour

24-May-2024

Armaye tours were courteous, prompt, flexible and knowledgeable in their correspondence from the first contact. It was simple to put together the tour with their help They remained in touch until I arrived and was picked up from the airport. The tour team consisted of Awol, guide - who was respectful, caring, hugely knowledgeable about the area, the fauna and flora and Ethiopia. And his eagle eyes were superb pointing out so much as we walked along. A true diamond Idris our chef produced hot home cooked food throughout the tour and I remain amazed at what can be produced on a single burner!! Our porters were polite, cheerful, organised and so efficient. I was a single white older female and I never felt uncomfortable once Armaye is a well run, locally respectful tour company and I would recommend them without hesitation. You won't be disappointed

Erin

Above and beyond expectations

27-Mar-2024

I am a solo female traveler and this was my very first trip to Africa. From the very beginning Armaye was so helpful, flexible and responsive. Once I arrived, Armaye was there to greet me and bring me back to the hotel before a week of hiking in the Simien mountains and then the Bale mountains. I never once felt unsafe and his team was beyond caring and attentive in both the North and the South. Armaye and his team made this trip so memorable and I have so much respect for the people of Ethiopia and my time spent in such a beautiful place. It’s important to me that I used a local company as well, not only do they know the land better then anyone, but all the proceeds go directly to the people that need it most. I highly recommend Armaye Tours, and if I visit Ethiopia again in the future it will absolutely be through his company.

Fabian

Five Star Service

29-May-2024

We booked the 17 Days Wildlife Safari Tour with Armaye being our main interest the photography of wild life. The offered tour was a perfect match to our needs. From the very beginning, Armaye provided a lot of information, the communication was fluid all the time, he showed also flexibility to adjust details of the itinerary, giving us a high level a confidence with his knowledge and professionalism. Upon arrival at Addis Ababa Airport, everything run smoothly and attached to the planned schedule. Armaye is a great guide and companion for this kind of challenging safaris, where long distances must to be covered different transports and the visits to remote areas of the National Parks are a must to spot the targeted animals. Our high expectations were surpassed!! The two drivers were great, at Simien Montains National Park, he was an expert animal spotter too. All the local guides, in all places where needed, were very good. At the National Parks, the expert eye of Armaye was invaluable, also his sense of photographer, we enjoyed every minute spent with Armaye. Regarding the tour organization, it was perfect, and Armaye was all the time checking our particular needs and taking care constantly about them, even talking to the restaurant chefs to adjust the menus for us!. We think we covered a big part of the most relevant National Parks to spot endemic animals, like Simien and Bale Mountains as the most impressive of them. The long list of mammals to spot were checked and most of the relevant birds too!! In Harar we experienced the early night session with the Hyena men, unbelievable! The hotels booked had some up and downs but understanding that we were visiting some remote areas with a limited tourism developing, we were overall satisfied, all them were clean and with comfortable beds. Special remarks to Simien Lodge, Haile Resort Awassa and, on top of all them, Doho Lodge, an amazing place. As a conclusion, the safari tour focus was great, the organization perfect and the value for money more than reasonable. Armaye is an excellent guide and organizer, but even more important he is a great guy! My recommendation, if somebody wants to visit Ethiopia, is booking the trip with Armaye Tours, with no doubt!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a visa?

Yes, you do need a visa to travel to Ethiopia. Tourist visas (available for one or three months, single entry) are available upon arrival at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa. Tourist visas are available in the following link. Please note there are other websites that are not official and may charge extra fee for issuing tourist visas to Ethiopia. Electronic visas are available for tourists from most of European countries as well as the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Kenya, Japan, Korea, India, China and Russia. Applications can be made online at www.evisa.gov.et. Please note the following is required: Arrival information Personal details A passport size photo A copy of your scanned passport (passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you intend to travel to Ethiopia.) Non-refundable payment fee (MasterCard, Visa and American Express are accepted) It is also possible to obtain a business visa of up to three months validity upon arrival with the prior arrangements made by the sponsoring organisation in Ethiopia. The visa extension fees are currently $100 for a one month extension (first time), $150 for a fifteen days extension (second time) and $200 for a 10 days extension (third time). If the traveller’s visa expires before their departure, they will be required to obtain a visa extension at the Immigration Office in Addis Ababa. There is an overstay penalty fee of $5 a day from one to fifteen days and $10 a day after fifteen days. In such cases, the traveller may also be required to pay a penalty of up to 4,000 ETB ($300) before being allowed to leave Ethiopia.

What is the best time to travel?

If you want my opinion, the months that are most preferable to travel to Ethiopia would be September and October as this time of the year offers a particularly beautiful landscape since it follows the rainy season (June and August). During this period, the whole country is covered with a mantle of flowers of thousands of colors that bring a beauty to the already magical landscape. Let's just say it's the Ethiopian Spring. However, do not fear if you can not visit the country at this time, it just adds an extra beauty to the view but Ethiopia can be breath-taking at any time of the year.

What should I pack?

In Ethiopia, there are certain things that are difficult to find, especially if you are travelling through rural areas. Therefore, it is very important to be pack thoroughly. The first thing you should keep in mind when packing your suitcase is including a first-aid kit with the following items: Mosquito repellent and sprays High SPF sunscreen and sunglasses Antihistamine Antiseptic cream for insect bites Plasters Anti diarrhoea pills Saline solutions in case of severe dehydration Contact lens liquid Besides the first-aid kit mentioned above, it is advisable to include in your bag the following items: Light clothes for the daytime and a good sweater or pullover for the evening Sandals and a good pair of shoes (specially during the rainy season to deal with muddy pathways) A discrete wallet or money belt and a small bag to carry your camera and phone A rainy jacket and umbrella if travelling during the rainy season (June to September) A warm sleeping bag if you are thinking of sleeping in campsites A hat and sunglasses to avoid long sun exposure If you are thinking of donating your personal stuff we kindly advise to do it at your discretion and avoid uncomfortable situations on the street, especially with children. We recommend you to contact a local NGO in advance so they can relocate your things in a sustainable way.