Coffee
Coffee, in the forest it came from
Wild Arabica under the Kaffa canopy, washing stations in Sidama at harvest, and a ceremony at home where the third cup is the blessing. Stay for it.
The coffee origin page
Ethiopia · The south & east · Private journeys
Ethiopia on its own terms, by its own calendar, and honest about where to go
01 · Own time
የራሷ ጊዜ
Ethiopia keeps its own time: its own calendar, its own clock, its own New Year. We plan private journeys by it, through the south and east.
- 13 months
- Twelve of thirty days, and Pagume of five or six.
- 7 to 8 years
- The Ethiopian year runs about seven years behind the Gregorian: it is 2019 in Addis.
- 6 hours
- The Ethiopian clock starts at dawn: 7 a.m. is one o'clock.
02 · Where we go
Six ways in
The south and east of Ethiopia, outside every zone where the UK and US governments advise against travel. Hover or tap to open each one.
01
አዲስ አበባAddis Ababa
A highland capital at 2,355 metres, founded in the 1880s and still being rebuilt: the start and end of every trip we plan.
Explore
02
ሐረርHarar
A walled Muslim city on a ridge in the east: five old gates, coloured lanes, coffee with salt, and hyenas called by name after dark.
Explore
03
ባሌBale Mountains
The largest area of Afro-alpine moorland in Africa, home to more Ethiopian wolves than anywhere else, falling away into a cloud forest where coffee grows wild.
Explore 04 ከፋ እና ጅማKaffa & Jimma
The montane forests of the south-west, where Coffea arabica still grows wild under the trees. Many people argue the drink takes its name from here.
Explore
05
የስምጥ ሸለቆ ሐይቆችRift Valley lakes
A chain of lakes in the floor of the Rift, from Ziway to Hawassa, joined by one road we are able to use: birds, fish markets, hot springs and the way south to coffee country.
Explore
06
ኦሞOmo Valley
The Lower Omo and the Konso highlands: market towns, river forest and some of the oldest human fossils known. Visited with local guides, on community terms, or not at all.
Explore03 · Ways in
Days worth the journey
Bale
Wolves before breakfast on the Sanetti Plateau
At 4,000 metres in the first two hours of light, Ethiopian wolves hunt mole-rats among the giant lobelias. Hot coffee in the car, frost on the heather.
Discover moreHarar
Harar after dark
The walled city empties at dusk, the hyena men call their animals by name outside the gates, and coffee comes with salt.
Discover moreCalendar
Two o'clock, or eight? It depends whose clock
The Ethiopian day begins at dawn, so two o'clock is eight in the morning. We plan by the Ethiopian calendar and clock, and time trips to Meskel, Genna and Timkat.
Convert your dates04 · Where we won't send you yet
Where we go, and where we won't send you yet
The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Tigray, Amhara and Gambela, and to parts of Afar, Oromia, Somali and Benishangul-Gumuz. The US says do not travel to Tigray and Amhara. That closes the classic northern route: Lalibela, Gondar, Lake Tana and the Simien Mountains.
We plan only outside those zones, re-check every route before we quote it, and date the page so you can see when we last looked.
Checked 26 October 2026
Open the map05 · Sample journeys
Four journeys to start from
Every trip is private and built around your dates. These are the shapes that work best, all on routes outside the advised-against zones.
Walls and Wolves
The walled city of Harar after dark, then wolves on the Sanetti Plateau at first light. Two places that could not be more different, joined by short flights.
October to March
Where Coffee Began
Wild coffee in the Kaffa forest, then the washing stations of Sidama and Gedeo at harvest. A trip for people who care what is in the cup.
October to January (harvest)
The Deep South
Dorze weavers, the stone-walled towns of Konso and the markets of the Lower Omo, visited with local guides and on community terms.
June to February (avoid the long rains)
The Calendar Weekend
Addis Ababa timed to one of the great feasts, with the museums, Merkato and an Ethio-jazz night around it. Read our note on crowds first.
Meskel (late Sept), Genna (7 Jan), Timkat (mid Jan)
06 · A note
We would rather tell you no than send you somewhere we wouldn't go ourselves. When the north reopens, you'll hear it from us first.
07 · Journal
From the journal
Calendar · 4 min
Two o'clock, or eight? It depends whose clock
Ethiopian time, the thirteenth month, and how to read a date in Addis without missing your lunch.
Coffee · 5 min
The third cup is the blessing
A coffee ceremony in an Addis living room, round by round, and why you shouldn't leave after the first.
Planning · 6 min
When to go: the south and east, month by month
Dry season, harvest, the small rains and the long ones, read against the thirteen months.
Before you write
Four quick answers
Is Ethiopia safe to visit right now?
Parts of it, with care. The FCDO advises against all travel to large areas of the north and west and to several border zones, and warns of terrorism, unrest and crime across the country. We sell only routes outside the advised-against zones, re-check before every quote, and change plans if the advice changes. See the map.
Why don't you sell Lalibela?
Lalibela is in Amhara region, where the UK advises against all travel and the US says do not travel. Flights to Lalibela were suspended in September 2026. Most travel insurance lapses there. Read more about the north.
Do we need a visa?
Most visitors need a visa and apply online through Ethiopia's official e-visa platform before travelling. Your passport should be valid for at least six months after arrival. Rules vary by nationality, so check the official site and your government's advice.
When is the best time to go?
October to February for most of our routes: dry, clear and, in coffee country, harvest time. The calendar converter shows festivals and seasons for your exact dates.
Start with a conversation
Tell us roughly when, for how long and what draws you. A planner replies within two working days with an honest view of what is possible.
Start an enquiry