Go Further Tours — Local services in Addis Ababa

We just completed a private day city tour of Addis Ababa with Go Further and highly recommend this for anyone visiting the city. We were taking advantage of a day in the city as part of the Ethiopian Airlines layover programme. This is a great option if you want to break up your travel or just experience something different. We flew from Hong Kong to ADD and then on to Toronto with 17 hours in ADD. After arriving at around 5am we found the Ethiopian Airlines customer service desk near the transfer area and were issued a voucher for the Skylight Hotel. This voucher also acts as a visa so you can go through normal immigration lanes and then find the hotel transfer desk after customs. From there it is a short complementary bus ride to the hotel when they take your voucher and give you room for the day. All of this is included in your airfare with Ethiopian Airlines.

As we had the day in Addis Ababa we decided to do a private tour and found Go Further. We met Joseph our driver at a coffee shop near to the hotel and then met up with Birhanu our guide for the day. Prior to this the booking with Go Further had been super easy and they were able to come up with an option that met our needs perfectly. Birhanu had been in touch on WhatApp prior to our visit so we knew we could get in contact should anything happen with our flights or plans.

The tour itself was super interesting and gave a good feeling for the city. We started at Shola Market and then did a visit to the national museum. Birhanu was extremely knowledgeable about both and really brought them to life compared an unguided visit. After the museum was a delicious lunch, coffee shop visit and then more city sights including a drive up to one of the highest points in the city. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate for views but the visit was extremely interesting.

We were eventually dropped back at the hotel in the afternoon in time for a quick nap and chance to freshen up before our onward journey to Toronto at 11pm. Luggage was checked through all the way from Hong Kong so made the day nice and easy (just remember to pack a change of clothes and toiletries in your carry-on).

We plan to do the food tour with Go Further on our way back to HKG and are really looking forward to that.

I would highly recommend both the layover with Ethiopian Airlines and of course the tour with Go Further. The private option worked well for us as it gave a bit more flexibility should anything in our inwards travel be delayed (thankfully it was all on time -...

Outstanding is the least I can say. Planning a trip to a country like Ethiopia is no small feat; considering the complexity of such far away destination, the number of things to see, the fear of getting around in such an exotic place, and if it happens to be in your Bucket List, the must-be-perfect concern, seems to be an overwhelming task. Nonetheless, after coming back from a 20 days trip organized with Go Addis, I can say we made the perfect choice! My wife and I wanted to see many different things, and having a passion for photography knew we were going to be a bit of a pain taking longer than usual in every place as well as along the route. Through a lengthy exchange of emails previous to the trip we made all that clear to the people of Go Addis and at the end agreed on an itinerary that on paper was perfect. Now, 20 days later, more than 2,400 Klms (1,500 miles) traveled by land, 5 domestic flights, 3,371 pictures, and 8 hotels from North to South, I can say it was way better than expected. We took a direct flight from Washington DC to Addis Ababa and after landing the adventure began. Every day was a trip by itself, our guides were always on time and although we had a detailed itinerary we always had room to change it depending on how things developed or how we felt. Wanted to spend more time here or there, fine; tired and wanted to cut it short, fine; wanted to add this on the route, fine also; it was a perfect routine where we always felt that the main objective was for us to enjoy the experience. We went to Lake Tana, the Blue Nile, Gondar, Simien Park, Lalibela, Harar, and spent a week traveling among tribes in the Omo Valley. Every place was incredible but the fact that we did this in close contact with the people of the country made a huge difference. The work done planning with Xavier, and on the ground experience with Bre and Alex was just out of this world. Very professional, dependable and truly concerned with us fulfilling our objectives of the trip. We avoided a couple of areas due to either time constraints or concerned with the conflict up North (which by the way does not limit in any way your ability to plan your trip) and now we know whom to call! Thanks for an...

This review is mostly about touring with Go Addis OUTSIDE Addis, and appears to be the first non food/market review written in Google Review for about a year. Bottom line up front: TRAVEL WITH THEM. Whether you are exploring Addis with their excellent (and hugely informative) Addis Market Tour or delicious Food Tour, or if you hope to see some of the country with them, you can expect to receive prompt and professional service. Options for customization exist and Go Addis will tweak your tour to highlight your interests. In my case I spent Day 1 in Addis, then flew on Day 2 to Bahir Dar to visit the Lake Tana monasteries and Blue Nile Falls. Day 3 was a breathtaking drive through the Ethiopian Highlands to Lalibela and Day 4 was spent exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Lalibela Rock-Hewn churches. Day 5 was an early start to experience part of a church service at one of the previous day’s churches, then a quick flight back to Addis. Should you want to slow the pace and simply kick back for a day or two at one of the great resort locations they offer, I’m sure that’s possible too. Finally, my guide Birhanu was exceptional. Not only was he friendly, knowledgeable and helpful (and carried a WiFi hotspot as well!), but he allowed me to see things at my own pace while still keeping our trip on schedule. Tourism during the pandemic is challenging, but Go Addis makes it simple, straightforward and enjoyable. You will not be...