Aspire Ethiopia Tours — Local services in Addis Ababa

It has been a dream of mine forever to visit Ethiopia, and Aspire Tours made that first time experience so much better than I could have ever imagined! Though I was only able to spend a day touring Addis, I had so much fun on my private tour with my guide Gashaw that I truly can’t wait to return and go on one of the company’s longer trips to see the entire country! I have traveled all over the world, and this was easily one of the best tour experiences I have ever had.

Gashaw was very easy to communicate with over email and WhatsApp, and he responded to all my requests quickly. I booked the full day experience in Addis, and told him some of my particular interests. The prices are super affordable for the level of quality. Gashaw is truly a phenomenal guide! From the moment he picked me up at my hotel, he was an absolute wealth of knowledge about Ethiopia’s culture, history, politics, religion, and much more. It was fascinating to learn so much from him- so much great information that I almost wanted to take notes so I wouldn’t forget!

We started with a literal private tour of the National Museum first thing in the morning when there were no other guests there, and we saw art, cultural artifacts, and of course the archeological finds like Lucy! Next we visited Addis’ famous church, where I learned about religion, got to wear traditional robes, and had a beautiful candlelight tour of the church museum. We visited the highest viewpoint of the city and did a mini hike through a gorgeous eucalyptus forest. Next, was so excited to eat some of the best food I’ve ever had at an authentic restaurant, and drink the best coffee ever at the oldest coffee shop in the city. We ended the tour with a drive through Merkato and saw some of the other notable buildings in the city before Gashaw dropped me at the airport for my return flight to the US. Even did some quick stops to check out souvenirs and buy coffee beans. Gashaw even helped me out with a portable Wi-Fi transmitter so I could deal with some flight delay issues over the phone. The tour was the perfect mix of highlights and off the beaten path spots that I wouldn’t have been able to navigate on my own. It never felt touristy and was perfectly tailored to my time and interests.

I am so glad I was able to do this experience, as I really fell in love with Ethiopia, the kind people, and of course the amazing food and drink! Gashaw was not just a guide; by the end of the day I felt like I had made a great new friend in Ethiopia. He was always kind, professional, patient, and super interesting to talk to. This is definitely a must do in Addis and the best way to...

Gashaw (Aspire) organised a three week solo private tour for me covering as much of Ethiopia as possible. He worked closely with me to make sure that the programme met my needs and was very helpful in ensuring that my preconceptions did not allow me to miss an essential part of the tour. This was an important consideration when choosing a tour provider out of the many that are available. Communications were excellent and payments easy and flexible.

Ethiopia is an intriguing, exciting and unique country for many reasons, even for the most experienced traveller, and the people are as friendly, warm and welcoming as any in the world but an expert guide is an essential requirement if you are to get the best out of your trip and travel safely.

Because of my desire to see as much as possible the schedule was complex with numerous internal flights and local guides at every destination. It would have been no surprise if things had not gone entirely to plan but with Gashaw’s close attention to the detail and constant monitoring of progress everything went remarkably smoothly. Minor issues such as a slightly delayed domestic flight transfer were handled personally by Gashaw who even offered to provide transfers himself.

Though Gashaw was never my personal guide on the ground he was always in contact with me and met me at my hotel in Addis Ababa to ensure that I was happy. We also met for dinner on my last night to review the trip before Gashaw took me to the airport for my flight out of the country. The local guides were friendly, knowledgeable and invariably on time. They were flexible, keen to make sure I was happy and made me feel personally safe at all times including during the 1,700 kilometre journey by car through the Omo Valley. I was very pleased with all of them.

If you are looking for a reliable, flexible and safety conscious company to show you the delights of Ethiopia then look no further than Aspire and Gashaw who I can wholeheartedly recommend. Thank you Gashaw and thank you to all my local guides. I have many very happy memories of Ethiopia...

Aspire Ethiopia's day tour of Addis Ababa was exceptional. I've travelled extensively and prefer to book small tours offered by locals. This tour, which was a private one for my husband and I, was one of THE best tours I've ever experienced, anywhere.

We were piloted around Addis in the back seat of our guide's car, which was the ideal vehicle for darting in and out of busy Addis traffic and for tucking into tiny parking spaces. Our guide, named Gashaw, is co-owner of this gem of a company, and his enthusiasm when showing visitors the wonderful sites of his city was infectious.

Gashaw, whose English is excellent, regaled us with fascinating stories and facts about the history of Addis Ababa, and the uniqueness of Ethiopian culture. He took us to the nostalgically fading palace of Haile Selassie, the last Emperor of Ethiopia, which houses fascinating cultural artefacts and happens to be a Mecca for Rastafarians who regard Emperor Haile as their saviour. We had an insider peek into an Ethiopian orthodox cathedral, St. George's, which was unlike any European cathedral I’ve ever visited; we stopped for fragrant coffee (which Gashaw assured us was the best in the city) at a funky coffee shop that felt very Ethiopian. As well, Gashaw drove us through the different districts of the city (the street scene is lively to say the least) up to the gorgeous Entoto Park, which offers a stunning view over the city, as well as restaurants and coffee shops, trails, and the ever-present fragrance of eucalyptus arising from the surrounding forest.

Our tour with Gashaw was for six hours. We were in Addis on an 18 hour lay-over, travelling from South Africa to Toronto. Even in this short time, we felt we had a genuine experience of Addis Ababa thanks to Gashaw’s superlative guiding. It’s a fascinating city, and impressed me in ways I wasn’t expecting. I highly recommend you visit Addis…and if you find yourself with a lengthly layover, do yourself a favour and book a day tour with Aspire Ethiopia. I’m certain you will have a day that will live long and well in...