Style: Adventure • Cultural • Community-based
Difficulty: Moderate–Challenging (options to adjust)
Best season: Oct–Feb (dry, green, cooler highlands)
Bike: Hardtail or full-suspension MTB (29er recommended)
Itinerary
Day 1 :
Arrival in Addis Ababa
- Airport pickup
- Bike assembly & safety check
- Short city spin (light traffic areas)
- Welcome dinner & tour briefing
- Overnight: Addis Ababa
Day 2 :
Addis Ababa → Entoto Mountains Ride
Ride: ~30 km | ↑800 m
- Ride through eucalyptus forests above Addis
- Gravel roads & singletrack
- Views over the capital
- Visit Entoto churches
- Overnight: Addis Ababa
Day 3 :
Addis Ababa → Bishoftu (Rift Valley Lakes)
Ride: ~40 km | rolling terrain
- Ride between crater lakes (Hora, Babogaya)
- Dirt roads, village tracks
- Swim break (optional)
- Overnight: Bishoftu
Day 4 :
Bishoftu → Koka → Ziway
Ride: ~55 km
- Flat-to-rolling ride through farmland
- Teff fields & rural villages
- Cultural interactions en route
- Overnight: Ziway
Day 5 :
Ziway → Arsi Highlands
Ride: ~45 km | ↑900 m
- Long climb into Arsi Mountains
- Cooler air, pine forests
- Remote gravel tracks
- Overnight: Highland lodge / camp
Day 6 :
Arsi Highlands Loop Ride
Ride: ~35 km | technical sections
- Singletrack & rocky descents
- Highland farming villages
- Wildlife sightings possible
- Overnight: Same lodge/camp
Day 7 :
Arsi → Bale Foothills (Transfer + Ride)
Ride: ~30 km (optional)
- Transfer partway by vehicle
- Afternoon ride in Bale foothills
- Afro-alpine landscapes
- Overnight: Dinsho / Bale area lodge
Day 8 :
Bale Mountains National Park
Ride: ~40 km | high altitude
- Open plateau riding (3,500–4,000 m)
- Unique scenery (giant lobelia)
- Easy pace due to altitude
- Overnight: Bale area lodge
Day 9 :
Bale → Rift Valley Transfer
- Morning recovery ride (~20 km)
- Transfer north toward Rift Valley
- Relax afternoon
- Overnight: Hawassa
Day 10 :
Hawassa → Wondo Genet Trails
Ride: ~45 km
- Forest singletrack
- Hot springs area
- Fast descents, shaded riding
- Overnight: Wondo Genet / Hawassa
Day 11 :
Hawassa → Yirga Alem
Ride: ~50 km
- Coffee-growing highlands
- Rolling dirt roads
- Strong community interaction
- Overnight: Yirga Alem lodge
_____________________________________
Day 12 :
Yirga Alem → Gurage Highlands
Ride: ~35–45 km | ↑700 m
- Challenging climbs
- Enset & teff landscapes
- Very rural riding
- Overnight: Community lodge / guesthouse
Day 13 :
Gurage → Addis Ababa (Final Ride)
Ride: ~30 km (best section)
- Scenic ridge riding
- Final descent sections
- Vehicle transfer into Addis
- Farewell dinner
- Overnight: Addis Ababa
Day 14 :
Departure
- Bike packing
- Airport transfer
- Departure
