2-Day Harar Tour: Walled City & Hyena Feeding
Hand-feed wild hyenas under the stars: a ritual found nowhere else on Earth.
A 2-day private tour of Harar, Ethiopia's walled city, led by a local Harari guide who navigates the labyrinthine alleys and shares the stories behind each gate, mosque, and market. You'll hand-feed wild hyenas at night, explore the 16th-century walls and five historic gates, visit a preserved Harari home to learn about local customs, and eat traditional Harari cuisine in a family setting. All transport from Addis Ababa, entrance fees, accommodation and meals are included.
Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Travel to Harar and evening hyena feeding
- Fly from Addis Ababa to Dire Dawa
- Meet guide at Dire Dawa airport
- Visit Kezira European Cemetery
- Explore Dire Dawa Railway Station and Museum
- Drive to Harar with stop at Khat market
- Attend evening hyena feeding show
Day 2: Explore Harar and return to Addis Ababa
- Visit Harar Jugol gates and walls
- See Emir Nur’s Tomb
- Tour Harari traditional houses
- Visit Rimbaud House museum
- Have lunch at local restaurant
- Shop at Harar Market and craft shops
- Visit Basajin Amulet Market
- Explore Sherif Harari City Museum
- Relax at Feres Magala coffee café
- Transfer to Dire Dawa for flight back
The experience
The tour starts with a flight from Addis Ababa to Dire Dawa, where your guide meets you at the airport. Before heading to Harar, you stop at the Kezira European Cemetery (a burial ground for early 20th-century settlers, railway workers and diplomats from France, Italy, Greece and Armenia), and then the Dire Dawa Railway Station and Museum to see vintage locomotives and exhibits from the historic Ethio-Djibouti railway. A scenic 1.5-hour drive takes you through Ethiopia's largest Khat market, a lively trading hub, before you reach the walled city itself.
In the evening comes the hyena feeding: a centuries-old tradition where wild hyenas approach close enough to eat from your hand. This is not a staged show but a real interaction rooted in local culture, offering a rare chance to observe these scavengers up close and understand the complex relationship between the city and its predators. You spend the night at Ferej Hotel, a 3-star property in Harar.
On day two, you explore Harar Jugol's five historic gates (Assum Ber, Argob Ber and others), and the 16th-century defensive walls that encircle the old city. You visit Emir Nur's Tomb, a key figure in Harar's fortification, and step inside a preserved Harari traditional house with its distinctive colorful jars built into the walls, intricate woodwork and cultural artifacts. Your guide explains Harari customs, wedding traditions and the unique Harari language. You also see Rimbaud House, the museum dedicated to the French poet Arthur Rimbaud, who lived in Harar in the 1880s. Lunch is at a local restaurant where you try dishes like Beyaynetu, Harar biryani or spicy Doro wat. In the afternoon, you wander the bustling Showa and Gidir Magala markets for spices, woven baskets and silver jewelry, visit the Sherif Harari City Museum to see manuscripts, coins and royal relics, and end with coffee at a rooftop café overlooking the old city before transferring back to Dire Dawa for your flight to Addis Ababa.
What’s included
- Transfers and ground transportation during the tour.
- all entrance fees.
- one night accommodation at Ferej Hotel.
- breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- and an English-speaking professional guide throughout.
Before you book
Prices and times updated today
Operated by Majesty Ethiopia Tours
Is this one for you?This is a private tour with a single guide, so the pace and stops are set by your interests rather than a group schedule. Choose it if you want to linger in the markets, ask detailed questions about Harari customs, or adjust the rhythm of the day without waiting for others.
Traveler reviews
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3).
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What exactly happens during the hyena feeding?
Wild hyenas approach and eat from your hand in the evening: a centuries-old ritual unique to Harar where humans and these scavengers have coexisted for generations. It is a real interaction, not a staged performance, and offers a rare close look at how the city and its predators have learned to live together.
Do I need any special experience or fitness level for this tour?
The tour suits all physical fitness levels. You spend two days walking through the walled city's alleys and visiting sites on foot, but the pace is set by your guide and there are no strenuous climbs or long hikes required.
What is the Dire Dawa Railway Station Museum about?
The museum displays vintage locomotives and exhibits from the historic Ethio-Djibouti railway, which connected Ethiopia to the port of Djibouti in the early 20th century. It is a must-see for history and train enthusiasts and tells the story of how the railway shaped the region.
What kind of food will I eat in Harar?
You eat traditional Harari cuisine, including Beyaynetu (a vegan platter), Harar biryani and spicy Doro wat (chicken stew). One meal is served in a traditional Harari home so you experience the food and setting together, and coffee is served where the brew was born: in the heart of the old city.
Are the five gates of Harar all different from each other?
Yes. Assum Ber, Argob Ber and the three other historic gates each have their own history and character. Your guide explains the story behind each one and the role they played in the 16th-century defensive walls that still encircle the walled city today.
2-Day Harar Tour: Walled City & Hyena Feeding
2d · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 400 per person
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