Harar Tour – 2-Day Trip
On this guided tour, get an enriched local insight into the history and cultural experience of the walled city of Harar, Ethiopia.
This Harar tour is a great way to discover the walled city. It provides enriched local insight into its history and cultural experience. You will be guided by a local expert while the history and culture of the city are explained to you.
Harar is an ancient trade center, famed in Ethiopia for its welcoming culture toward new people. Thousands of people live within just 1 km².
To defend the city and its people from constant aggression by neighboring tribes and kings, Emir Nur built a protective wall called Jegol in the 1560s. The old city is still surrounded by this wall, with newer areas extending beyond it. There are five gates to enter the old city. Inside, you will find narrow streets, colorful houses, numerous mosques, and shrines.
People from Harar are considered simple, loving, and welcoming. They are known for making friends easily—even with the famous hyenas of Harar. The hyena is a formidable predator in Africa, yet here they are fed and coexist peacefully with the local community.
Harar Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Addis Ababa – Harar
Fly from Addis Ababa to Dire Dawa, meet your guide/driver at the airport, and drive to Harar. Alternatively, take a 5:00 AM bus from Addis Ababa to Harar. Our representatives will wait for you (at the bus station or airport) holding a sign with your name.
Drive to Harar and check in to your hotel or traditional guesthouse. After some rest, go out for a city tour of Harar.
During the Harar city tour, you will walk through narrow alleyways, passing colorful houses, and visit the Sherif Museum (former Ras Teferi honeymoon house), Rimbaud House, and the Harari National Cultural Center. You will also explore traditional Harari houses and the local market.
One of the best experiences in Harar is visiting the famous Hyena Man. He is known for taming wild hyenas and is usually found at his place after 6:30 PM. Every night, he feeds meat to the wild hyenas—sometimes even holding the meat in his mouth as a hyena comes to grab it. The hyenas obey him and only approach when he calls them by name. It is a unique and exciting experience, and visitors may even have the chance to feed the hyenas themselves.
Overnight: Hotel or Harari Traditional Guesthouse
Day 2: Harar – Babile – Addis Ababa
In the morning, drive from Harar to the Babile Camel Market and the Valley of Marvels. Babile hosts the largest camel market in the region, held every Monday and Thursday. Somali and Oromo farmers come to sell camels, goats, and cattle.
Continue to the Valley of Marvels, known for its unique landscapes and balancing rock formations. It is fascinating to see massive stones perfectly balanced on narrow points.
If it is not a market day, and visiting Babile is not worthwhile, you will instead visit Koremi on your way back to Dire Dawa. Koremi is a village older than Harar itself. Its houses are built of stone in a very old architectural style, reflecting the area’s ancient heritage. The people of Koremi cultivate qat and coffee.
Finally, drive back to Dire Dawa Airport for your return flight to Addis Ababa.