Photography · Private
Ethiopia Through the Lens
A light-led route through Lalibela, the Simien rim, and the southern Rift — kept deliberately small.
The Journey
8 nights, designed around the hours that matter
Nine days cannot honestly cover Lalibela, the full Danakil and the Omo without rushing. This itinerary stays in the highlands and Rift instead: rock churches at golden hour, Simien escarpment light, and consent-based portrait work around Arba Minch and the nearer Omo approaches. Danakil remains available as a separate expedition.
Who this is for
Active travellers comfortable with 9 Days that include real walking, altitude and early starts.
What this is not
Guests who prefer purely vehicle-based sightseeing, low elevation, or no trail days at all.
Tailor-made journey
Priced to your plans
Quoted individually once we know your dates, lodges and group size.
- Duration
- 9 Days · 8 nights
- Best season
- Oct – Mar
- Group size
- 2 – 4 guests
- Style
- Photography · Private
Final pricing depends on season, room category and group size. No deposit is taken until the itinerary is right.
Day by Day
The itinerary, as it usually runs
A working draft rather than a fixed schedule — we move days around for weather, festivals and how you are feeling.
Day 1
Arrive Addis Ababa
Kit check, backup workflow, and a working dinner on light, logistics and portrait consent protocol.
Day 2
Fly to Lalibela
Afternoon recon of the trenches, then blue hour on Bete Giyorgis once day-trippers leave.
Day 3
Lalibela — dawn & dusk
Northern cluster at sunrise service, long midday edit break, eastern cluster and Asheton Maryam light in the evening.
Day 4
Gondar castles
Flight or drive to Gondar; Fasil Ghebbi and Debre Berhan Selassie ceiling in soft afternoon light.
Day 5
Simien rim
Into the park for gelada and escarpment vistas — Imet Gogo or Chenek viewpoints timed for late light, lodge on the rim.
Day 6
Simien dawn, fly south
Pre-dawn on the cliffs, return to Gondar, flight to Addis and connect toward Arba Minch.
Day 7
Arba Minch & Dorze
Lake Chamo boat light in the morning; Dorze highland portraits and bamboo houses in the afternoon with a mediator present.
Day 8
Konso or nearer Omo
UNESCO terraces at Konso, or a single nearer community visit arranged in advance — never a multi-stop "tribe circuit" in one day.
Day 9
Addis & Departure
Return to Addis, a first edit pass over coffee, and an evening departure.
What Is Included
- A photographer-guide with advance location scouting
- Golden-hour and blue-hour access at every major site
- Domestic flights and a private vehicle fitted for photography
- Consent-based portrait sessions with a cultural mediator in the south
- Lodges chosen for the quality of their light, not just their comfort
- RAW file backup and field storage support
Not Included
- International flights and Ethiopian visa fees
- Travel insurance (required)
- Camera hire and personal equipment
- Optional Danakil extension (quoted separately)
Enquire
Make Ethiopia Through the Lens yours
Send us your dates and we will confirm availability, quote precisely, and suggest the two or three changes we would make if it were our own trip.
Runs Oct – Mar · 2 – 4 guests · priced to your plans
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Speak With a Designer
Questions before you enquire?
Altitude, road time, how hard the walking really is, whether the children will cope. Ask us anything — a designer will answer honestly.
Or call us directly on +1909-450-7246