Day 1:  Arrive at Addis Ababa
A representative from African Adventure Tours welcomes you on your arrival at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and transfer to hotel. Ghion Hotel, which has very extensive grounds for birding. Among the species spotted here are the White-backed Black Tit and the brown Tit Warbler. After lunch in the hotel, we leave for Geferssa Reservoir, some 20 kms west of Addis Ababa, where one can see the Blue-winged Goose, black-headed Siskin, Abyssinian Long Claw and Wattled Ibis. Return to Addis Ababa early evening. O/n Ghion Hotel.   
Day 2:  Alem Ketema
After a final morning birding around the cliffs surrounding our hotel, you will drive to Addis Ababa, thus completing our southern loop. Continue driving beyond Addis Ababa across the Sululta Plains           and proceed to the Jemma Valley. Overnight Local hotel.
Day 3:  Explore Jemma Valley
We explore Jemma Valley for Harwood’s Francolin and other birds of the valley and its upper heights. A very early start will be needed to find Harwood’s Francolin; if we missed Erkel’s Francolin there is another chance for that species here. The lower valley holds such lowland species as Speckle-fronted Weaver due to its great depth, we shall look for this and make our way back up the gorge heights to seek Rueppell’s Black Chat and White-winged Chat always keeping an eye open for Lammergeyers patrolling the cliff edges. Overnight: Local Hotel near Jemma Valley (very basic)
Day 4:  Alem Ketema to Debre Birhan
An early departure from Alem Ketema is essential in order to be at our chosen site when the       endemic Harwood’s Francolin is at its most vocal, thus providing our best opportunity for seeing this elusive species. We will have a picnic breakfast at the river and bird the surrounding woodlands Overnight Akalu hotel at Debre Birhan.
Day 5:  Awash
From Debre Birhan we shall head through Ankober and descend the escarpment to look for the elusive Yellow-throated Serin in the vicinity of Melka Guba. From Melka Guba we continue our descent into the hot acacia woodlands birding en-route to Awash. Birds we will hope to see include: Bateleur, Dark-chanting Goshawk, Gabar Goshawk, Shikra, Pygmy Falcon, Arabian Bustard, Buff-crested Bustard, Black-headed Lapwing, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, African Collared-dove, African Mourning Dove, Ring-necked Dove, Laughing Dove, Namaqua Dove, Orange-bellied Parrot, White-bellied Go-away-bird, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Northern White-faced Owl, Senegal Coucal, Palm Swift, Blue-naped Mousebird, Little Bee-eater, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Abyssinian Roller, Black-billed Woodhoopoe, Black Scimitar-bill, Abyssinian Scimitar-bill, Red-billed Hornbill, Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Von der Decken’s Hornbill, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Black-throated Barbet, Black-billed Barbet, Yellow-breasted Barbet, Nubian Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Plain Martin, Rock Martin, Wire-tailed Swallow, Lesser-striped Swallow, Ashy Cisticola, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Green-backed Carmaroptera, Gray Wren-warbler, Buff-bellied Warbler, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Northern Crombec, Black-headed Batis, Rufous Chatterer, Mouse-coloured Penduline-tit, Kenya violet-backed Sunbird, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Shining Sunbird, Somali Fiscal, Northern Puffback, Tropical Boubou, Slate-coloured Boubou, Chestnut Sparrow, Bush Petronia, Red-billed Buffalo-weaver, White-headed Buffalo-weaver, White-browed Sparrow-weaver, Black-capped Social Weaver, Vitelline Masked-weaver, Little Weaver, Green-winged Pytilia. As we progress across the sands of the encroaching desert we approach the vicinity of the Fantalle Volcano with black lava fields upon which we could hope to find Sombre Chat. Finally we pass through an area of cultured land before entering Awash town for the night. Overnight: Hotel in Awash
Day 6:  Bilen Lodge
Explore Awash National Park and surrounding area including a visit to the stunning Awash River Gorge and Awash waterfall. Here we shall be searching the acacia woodlands and grasslands for specialities including: Ostrich, Secretary Bird, Arabian Bustard, Kori Bustard, White-bellied Bustard, Lappet-faced Vulture, Martial Eagle, Swallow-tailed Kite, Black-winged Kite, African Hobby, Bateleur, Crowned Plover, Black-headed Plover, White-rumped Helmet-shrike, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, White-bellied Go-away-bird, Carmine Bee-eater, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Rufous-crowned Roller, Lilac-breasted Roller, Red-winged Bushlark, Chestnut-backed Sparrow Lark, Banded Martin, Somali Fiscal, Cuthroat, Eastern Paradise Whydah. Mammals could include: Beisa Oryx, Swayne’s Hartebeest, Greater & Lesser Kudu, Waterbuck, Soemmering’s Gazelle, Spotted Hyena, Warthog, Hamadryas Baboon, Olive Baboon, Leopard Tortoise. Overnight: Billen Lodge.
Day 7:  Langano
This morning we search the vicinity of the lodge for more East African acacia birds in addition we will also search for Arabian Bustard and Sombre Chat before we take the road south to the lake district of the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Along the way raptors, including Long-crested Eagle and African Fish Eagle, should be seen with White-crowned Shrike, Von Der Decken’s Hornbill, Mosque Swallow and Ethiopian Swallow. A stop at Lake Ziway will reveal a bewildering assortment of water birds: Great White Pelican, Long-tailed Cormorant, Darter, Squacco, Intermediate Egret, Hammerkop, Hadada, Spur-winged Goose, Pygmy Goose, Red-billed Teal, African Pochard, Maccoa Duck, Lesser Jacana, African Jacana, Lesser Moorhen, Great Black-headed Gull, Grey-headed Gull. Other birds include: Baglaflecht and Little Weaver, Nubian and Grey Woodpeckers. After Ziway we travel on to Langano and in the evening we will look for Freckled Nightjar along the cliff pathways.Overnight: Hotel on lakeside, Langano
Day 8:  Wondo Genet
Morning birding in the extensive acacia woodland near the hotel, for birds including the endemic Banded Barbet, also: Superb Starling, Little Rockthrush, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Red-fronted Barbet, African Black-headed Oriole, Bearded Woodpecker, Hemprich’s Hornbill. After lunch we will look for roosting Verraux’s and Spotted Eagle Owl then visit The Abiatta-Shalla National Park homing in on the shallow soda Lake Abiata where thousands of Lesser Flamingos congregate together with a wide variety of waders & sometimes Wattled Crane. This lake, in recent years has been much dryer than usual but if the water level returns it will continue to be a stopping place for birds migrating along the Rift Valley attracting raptors including: African Fish Eagle, Pallid, Montague’s and Marsh Harriers. Other birds to look for are: Abdims, Saddle-billed and Yellow-billed Stork, Sacred Ibis, African Spoonbill and Hottentot Teal. After the lakes we continue to Wondo Genet set in lovely gardens in an area of old forest. Overnight: Wondo Genet  Wabi Shebele Hotel
Day 9:  Wondo Genet
All day will be used to explore the lush wooded valley with its thermal springs, there are many trails to walk and look for the birds. Endemics here include: Yellow- fronted Parrot, Brown Sawwing, Abyssinian Woodpecker, White-winged Cliffchat, and Thick-billed Raven. Much sought after birds such as: Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Crowned Eagle, Lizard Buzzard, Nerina’s Trogon and Half-collared Kingfisher inhabit the area together with: Scaly Francolin, African Thrush, Olive Thrush, Yellow-crowned Canary, Bruces’s Green Pigeon, The exotic looking Eastern Colobus Monkey and Vervet Monkey can be found right in the hotel grounds. Overnight:  Wondo Genet Wabi Shebele Hotel
Day 10:  Bale
Leave the Rift Valley and start the ascent of the Bale Mountains. We shall enter the National Park taking stock of the endemics including: Blue-winged Goose, Wattled Ibis, Rouget’s Rail, White-collared Pigeon, Thick-billed Raven, Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher, Abyssinian Longclaw, Abyssinian Black-headed Siskin also: Lammergeier, Little Sparrowhawk, Black Goshawk, Red-chested Sparrowhawk, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Rueppell’s Robin-Chat, Red-billed Chough, Somali Crow. We will call at Dinsho, the park headquarters, with its ancient forest where we shall look for the endemic Catbird, Abyssinian Black-headed Oriole and the endemic White-backed Black Tit. Here also we should obtain some close encounters with the many mammals that inhabit the forest including: Mountain Nyala, Menelik’s Bushbuck, Klipspringer, Bohor Reedbuck, Grey Duiker and Warthog. Overnight:   Goba Wabi Shebele Hotel
Day 11:  Excursion to Sof Omer
Travel to Sof Omer to seek Salvadori’s Serin birding en-route and back to Goba for overnight, After traveling across the Bale landscape we drop down 1,300 metres to the dry acacia landcape we will pass through villages and towns to which small caravans of camels travel with salt. Birds that we may see in the vicinity are: Long-legged Buzzard, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Nubian Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Grey-headed batis, Green-backed Carmaroptera, Pale Flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Apalis (considered a split), Orange-bellied Parrot, Grey Tit, Shining Sunbird, Taita Fiscal, White-crested Helmet-shrike, Yellow-spotted Petronia, Rufous Chatterer, White-rumped Babbler, Grey-headed Social Weaver, Violet-backed Starling, Bristle-crowned Starling, Reichard’s Seedeater. If time allows we will take a look at the caves of Sof Omer which are the largest underground cave system in Africa, before returning to Goba for overnight. Overnight:   Goba Wabi Shebele Hotel
Day 12:  Senette Plateau
One of the highlights of the tour, a visit to the outstanding afro-alpine Sanetti plateau where the majority of the vegetation is low which should ensure good views of our target species: the endemic Spot-breasted Plover and Simien Red Wolf. It is unlikely that we shall be disappointed in our search for these species. On the tarns we can expect to see Ruddy Shelduck and Yellow-billed Duck but we shall seek Chestnut-naped Francolin, Moorland Francolin, Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk, Wattled Crane, Slender-billed Starling and may encounter the endemic Starck’s Hare. We will take time to explore along the highest all weather road in Africa where migrant eagles frequently drift over. We shall drive down the escarpment to the Herrena Forest and search for: Mountain Buzzard, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler and endemic Abyssinian Woodpecker, Brown Sawwing, and near endemic White-cheeked Turaco. Then descend further to travel south to the area where the famed Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco is to be found. We will bird along the way as the climate and landscape change to the more familiar dry acacia woodlands. We will be looking for species such as: White-headed Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, Gabar Goshawk, Black-winged Plover, Crowned Plover, Temminck’s Courser, Broad-billed Roller, White-faced Scops Owl, Lesser-striped Swallow, White-rumped Babbler, Crested Helmet-Shrike, Grey-backed Carmaroptera, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, White-bellied Go-away Bird, Purple Grenadier. Other birds to look out for include: the endemic Salvadori’s Serin, Boran Cisticola, Tiny Cisticola, Banded Parisoma, Grey-headed Social Weaver, Hunter’s Sunbird, Golden Pipit, Red-naped Bush-Shrike, Speke’s Weaver. Overnight: Camping.
Day 13:  Negele
The morning will be spent seeking Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco and other birds in the area including Golden-breasted Starling and Violet-backed Starling, in the afternoon we will head for Negelle and we will explore the Negele Plain and will seek the endemic Sidamo Lark together with Somali Short-toed Lark. The Sidamo Lark is quite secretive and like many Ethiopian endemics inhabits a very small area. While there we will look for other plains species like: Kori Bustard, Teminck’s Courser, White-crowned Starling, Plain-backed Pipit, Zitting Cisticola, Pectoral-patch Cisticola, Pale Prinia, Rufous Sparrow. Overnight: Local Hotel in Negele
Day 14:  Bogol Manyo
A long drive takes us to a little known area of great importance because of the wealth of endemic plants in the region; however, it is the Degodi Lark we shall be seeking here after a night spent in the village near to the areas the bird inhabits. Birding en-route we will look for: Pygmy Batis, Short-billed Crombec, Somali Crombec.. Overnight: Camping
Day 15:  Negele
We shall spend the morning in the area seeking the Degodi Lark, if not seen the day before, together with the White-winged Dove and Juba Weaver two specialties of the area plus Black-faced Sandgrouse, Chestnut-headed Sparrow-lark, Scaly Chatterer, we then we return to Negele, birding along the way. We will stay overnight at Negele before pushing on to Yabello the following day. Overnight: Local Hotel in Negele.
Day 16:  Yabello
Today we will enter the region of the endemic White-tailed Swallow and Streseman’s Bushcrow, after some searching we should find the Swallow threading its way through the termite chimneys and some groups of Bushcrows in the thornbush. Other species we could see include: Somalian Ostrich, Secretary Bird, Rueppell’s Griffon Vulture, Martial Eagle, Grasshopper Buzzard, African Pygmy Falcon, Vulturine Guineafowl, Kori Bustard, Donaldson Smith’s Nightjar, Star-spotted Nightjar, Yellow-billed Hornbill, Lilac-breasted Roller, Rufous-crowned Roller, d’Arnoud’s Barbet, Red & Yellow Barbet, Northern Grey Tit, Shelley’s and White-crowned Starlings, Abyssinian Grosbeak Canary, Somali Sparrow, Black-capped Social Weaver, Grey-headed Silverbill, Taita Fiscal, Somali Golden-breasted Bunting with possibilities of Coqui Francolin, Overnight:   Yabello Motel.
Day 17:  Yabello
The day will be spent in the Yabello area including the wildlife reserve. We will look again at Streseman’s Bushcrow and White-tailed Swallow and it is possible to encounter other specialities including: Somali Courser, African Bare-eyed Thrush, Little-spotted Woodpecker, Pringle’s Puffback, Little Tawny Pipit, Short-tailed Lark, Fawn-coloured Lark. Mammals that inhabit the reserve include: Burchell’s Zebra, Aardvark, Grant’s Gazelle, Thompson’s Gazelle, Lesser-spotted Genet. Overnight: Yabello Motel.
Day 18:  Awassa
Today we head back up the Rift valley to Awassa, birding the acacia bush and areas of highlands as we go. Overnight: Awassa  Wabisebele Hotel.
Day 18:  Addis Ababa, evening departure
In the morning a visit to Awassa freshwater lake will be made to increase our species list still further. Birds will include many of the following: Pink-backed Pelican, Black Heron, Goliath Heron, African Openbill, Glossy Ibis, Black Crake. It is also a good place to find: Banded Snake Eagle, African Harrier Hawk, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Blue-headed Coucal, Senegal Thicknee, Giant Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Pygmy Kingfisher, Woodland Kingfisher, Carmine Bee-eater, Little Bee-eater, Red-breasted Wryneck, Black-billed Wood-hoopoe, Tropical Bou Bou, Grey-backed Fiscal, Spotted Creeper, Variable Sunbird, Shining Sunbird, Lesser Swamp Warbler, Masked Weaver, Black-headed Weaver, White-browed Sparrow-weaver, Grey-headed Sparrow, Fawn-breasted Waxbill, Rueppell’s Long-tailed Glossy Starling, Wattled Starling, Pied Crow and the king of the lake – the Hippopotamus. After the lake we travel to Debre Zeit, an area of extinct volcanoes with crater lakes, birding along the rift valley looking for any species previously missed. Then after drive from Debre Zeit  to Addis Ababa. Evening a fare well dinner party. Then transfer to   Bole International Airport for departure.