What is a good 10-day or 2-week Ethiopia itinerary right now?

Ten days to two weeks is enough to see a real slice of Ethiopia, even with the north off the map for now. The route that works best today runs south from Addis Ababa: the crater lakes of Bishoftu, the Rift Valley lakes, Hawassa, and then Arba Minch between Lakes Abaya and Chamo, with a short flight back to the capital at the end.

It is a varied trip: museums and music in Addis, crocodiles and hippos on Lake Chamo, zebras on the Nechisar plains, the Dorze highlands above Arba Minch, and fresh fish by the lake in Hawassa. Our drivers drive to Hawassa and the southern cities regularly, so one car and driver can take you the whole way, with every day planned to finish in daylight.

What does a 10-day itinerary look like?

1. Days 1 to 3: Addis Ababa. Arrive at Bole and rest. Then two full days: the National Museum and Lucy, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Unity Park, the Adwa Victory Memorial, Merkato in the morning, and an evening of traditional music and dancing.
2. Day 4: Bishoftu. A short drive on the expressway to the crater lakes. Lunch on a rim, a lakeside walk and a night by the water.
3. Day 5: The Rift Valley lakes. South past Lake Ziway and its birdlife to Lake Langano, and a night by the lakes; ask us about places to stay.
4. Days 6 and 7: Hawassa. The early-morning fish market, the lakeside promenade, Amora Gedel park, Mount Tabor at sunset, and a half day at the Wondo Genet hot springs.
5. Day 8: Hawassa to Arba Minch. West and south via Wolaita Sodo, down into the Rift Valley again. Allow most of the day, and arrive in time to watch the light over the lakes.
6. Day 9: Arba Minch. A morning boat on Lake Chamo to see crocodiles and hippos, and an afternoon in the cool Gamo Highlands visiting a Dorze village near Chencha.
7. Day 10: Fly back to Addis Ababa. Take the domestic flight from Arba Minch to Addis in time for an evening international departure, or add a night in Addis if your flight is the next day.

What changes with two weeks?

Use the extra four days to slow down, not to squeeze in more driving. Three good options:

• Add the Bale Mountains. Bale Mountains National Park is high Afro-alpine country, much of it above 3,000 m, and home to the rare Ethiopian wolf and the mountain nyala. It is roughly 400 km south-east of Addis. Allow at least three nights and warm clothes. The park is an exception in US advice for Oromia, but the roads to it cross zones where US advice is stricter, so we plan the route with you carefully. Ethiopian Airlines also lists Goba, near the park, in its domestic network.
• More time in Arba Minch. A second full day lets you explore Nechisar National Park by car: its grassy plains hold plains zebra and Grant's gazelle, and the forest by the town is fed by the springs that give Arba Minch, meaning forty springs, its name.
• A lazier lakes stretch. Two nights at Bishoftu and two in Hawassa instead of one, with time just to sit by the water, is a very good holiday in itself.

Why is Arba Minch worth the drive?

Arba Minch is a southern city of the Gamo Zone, about 500 km from Addis Ababa, at the foot of the western wall of the Rift Valley. Its big draw is Nechisar National Park, which covers the land between Lake Abaya to the north and Lake Chamo to the south, including a narrow ridge between the two lakes known as the Bridge of God.

On Lake Chamo, a stretch of shore known as the Crocodile Market is where large Nile crocodiles gather to bask, and boat trips go out to see them and the hippos. Above the town, the Dorze people of the Gamo Highlands are known for their tall, beehive-shaped houses woven from bamboo and for their weaving. Their villages near Chencha are high in the hills, so it is cool up there even when the lakes are hot.

The drive from Hawassa is long but green and interesting, and flying back from Arba Minch saves you the whole return road trip. We drive the south regularly and can book the flight for you in birr.

Which places should you leave out for now?

The north. Lalibela, Gondar, Bahir Dar, the Simien Mountains and Axum are in Amhara and Tigray, where travel isn't advised right now. Closer to this route, Konso and the Gedeo coffee area around Yirgacheffe are under stricter US advice, so we leave them out unless the advice changes. The Omo Valley needs a separate conversation about routes and flights; ask us before you plan it.

How do we plan a long road trip with you?

Before every trip outside Addis, we do our own security check using reports from our drivers across the country. We talk it through with you and decide together on the route, what time to leave, and whether to reroute or wait a day. We have drivers working all over Ethiopia who report closures, checkpoints and fuel queues as they happen, so we often know about a change before it reaches the news. Always check the official advice too.

We also book your hotels and the domestic flight home in birr, so the whole trip comes as one amount you pay us in US dollars or your own currency.

What else should you know before you go?

• Malaria: Arba Minch is at about 1,285 m and the lakes are low and warm. Current CDC guidance recommends tablets for all areas below 2,500 m, including Addis. Ask a travel clinic about the whole route.
• Daylight driving: driving after dark outside Addis isn't advised, so long legs start early.
• Season: Bale's rainy season runs roughly from May to November, and nights on the plateau can freeze. October to February is the most popular time for the south as a whole.
• Cash: outside the big towns, most places take cash only, so carry enough birr for meals and small purchases.