The Marvel East
Harar & Dire Dawa
Harar & Dire Dawa
Description
The Marvel East Harar & Dire Dawa
The tour to Harar and Eastern Ethiopia will take you through the savannah to reach Awash National Park, where you can easily spot wildlife and nature, and continue to Dire Dawa, important link to Djibouti in other times and current industrial centre with several markets. The old railway station is the meeting point of this colourful city, surrounded by merchants, camels, donkeys and spiritual people. Finally, the journey ends up in Harar, a major commercial centre that has served as a link to the rest of the country and the Horn of Africa for centuries. The old walled city, known as Harar Jugol, is included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO due to its recognition as a cultural heritage. In this enclosure, you can also find Arthur Rimbaud’s house during his stay in the 19th century. Sneaking around Harar’s streets will take you to medieval times and being surrounded by its colourful native clothes will definitely make you feel cheerful. End up your tour with a visit to the hyena-man, a peculiar spectacle that takes place every night by the city wall.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ROUTE
Dire Dawa’s train station
Sneak around Harar’s hallways
Feeding hyenas in Harar
Itinerary
3 Days
Day 1 Fly to Dire Dawa with Ethiopian Airlines early in the morning and continue to Harar by car with optional stop at the largest chat market in Aweday. Afterwards, visit the 16th century walled city of Harar, one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Ethiopia and the house of the renowned French poet Arthur Rimbaud during the 19th century. Overnight in Harar (hotel or harare pension).
Day 2 In the morning, visit the colorful Islamic market and the house of Ras Mekonnen, father of Emperor Haile Selassie. In the afternoon, visit the National and Harari museums or drive outside the city (around 35 km) to visit the countryside village of Argoba, also known as the Stone Village for its peculiar houses. In the evening, see the famous “Hyena Man” outside the city of Harar. Overnight in Harar (hotel or harare pension).
Day 3 Drive back to Dire Dawa with optional city tour and transfer to the airport for departure to Addis Ababa in the afternoon. Arrive at Addis Ababa with some time for souvenir shopping.In the evening, Inside Ethiopia Tours offers you a farewell dinner at a traditional restaurant with local dancers and musicians representing some of the country’s ethnic groups. End of tour.
4 Days
Day 1 Drive to Dire Dawa. After lunch, proceed to Harar with time to see the singular spectacle of the hyena-man in the evening. Overnight in Harar (harare pension or hotel).
Day 2 Visit the 16th century walled city of Harar, considered as one of the World Heritage sites by UNESCO, including Arthur Rimbaud’s house during the 19th century and the National and Harari museums and end the tour with a visit to the house of Haile Selassie’s father, Ras Mekonnen. Overnight in Harar (harare pension or hotel).
Day 3 Visit the colourful islamic market of Harar and drive to the cliffside village of Koremi to visit the market in Hajifaj before reaching Dire Dawa for overnight (hotel).
Day 4 Drive back to Addis Ababa with time to do some souvenir shopping or sightseeing. In the evening, Inside Ethiopia Tours offers you a farewell dinner at a traditional restaurant with local dancers and musicians representing some of the country’s ethnic groups. End of the tour).
the evening, Inside Ethiopia Tours offers you a farewell dinner at a traditional restaurant with local dancers and musicians representing some of the country’s ethnic groups. End of the tour.
