Day 1: Arrivals at Addis Ababa airport, Met by our staff transfer to Hotel
After breakfast, drive to visit the National Museum, where you see the famous fossil Lucy, who is 3.2 million years old; visit the Ethnographic Museum, visit Entoto St. Mary Museum, St.Trinity Cathedral church, and Merkato market, the largest open-air market in Africa.

Day 2: Drive to Bahirdar
Early in the morning drive to Bahirdar, en-route visit Blue-Nile Gorge and Debre Libanos monastery. If you think Grand Canyon is impressive, compare it to its African cousin – the Blue Nile Gorge. Situated 210km north of Addis Ababa and being about one mile wide and deep, the Blue Nile Gorge is one of the most spectacular gorges in the world. After 100 km drive on the way lays the renowned monastery of Debre Libanos, founded in the 13th century in a magnificent 700m-deep canyon

Day 3: Bahirdar boat trip and drive to Blue Nile Falls
Have a boat trip on Lake Tana. On Lake Tana are 37 islands and 32 of them have churches and monasteries of considerable historical and cultural interest. We visit the monastery church of Ura Kidane Mihret, which is the best known of the monasteries and has an important collection of religious icons from the 16th to 18th centuries A.D. In the afternoon drive to the Blue Nile Falls, this is known locally as Tissisat (smoking waterfall): 100 m (328 ft) wide, the water plunges for 45m, giving rise to steam clouds and rainbows. Early in the afternoon drive back to Bahirdar and finish the day with a lovely sunset over Lake Tana.

Day 4: After breakfast drive to Gondar
After lunch we will visit Gondar, the first capital city with the reign of Fasilides. In Gonder, there are a dozen castles built by various emperors over the course of 236 years. The city seems more of European than African origin. In the afternoon, we visit Fasiladas's Palace, probably the most impressive of all the castles found in the area and the oldest one! We continue going to the Church of Debre Berham Selassie (Light of the Trinity). The interior is decorated with beautiful frescos, cherubs and paintings. Debre Berham Selassie is rumored to once having been the proposed final resting-place of the Ark of the Covenant of the Ethiopian Empire, which began in 1632.

Day 5: In the morning Drive to Simien Mountains and late afternoon drive back to Debark
After breakfast drive to Simien Mountain National Park. Debark is a small market town at an altitude of 2700 meters close to the boundary of the Simien Mountains National Park. Corrugated–iron–roofed buildings surround the colourful and busy market area. Before entering the park, you have to register at the park headquarters just outside town. Here, armed scout – one of the park regulations, joins you. Then drive to Sankaber for the best view. En route, pass through pretty country, the foothills of the Semen Mountains, with carefully tended field, open pasture with grazing horses, stands of trees and distant rocky peaks. At the high point of the road, there are superb views across the weirdly eroded foothills of the range and you may also be lucky enough to spot you first Lammergeiers and Gelada Baboons of the trip.

Day 6: Drive to Axum
Here you will enjoy driving across Simien Mountain National Park and the fascinating river basin of Tekeze, one of the biggest rivers in Ethiopia.

Day 7: Axum City Tour and Proceed driving to Mekele
After breakfast in Axum, you will have a city tour in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Legends narrate in the Kebre Nagast (Book of Kings) how the city of Axum as early as the 10th century B.C. was already the city where the Queen of Sheba resided. It is told that the son of Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, Menelik, brought the Ark of the Covenant from Jerusalem to Axum and it remained there to this day, preserved in a sanctuary. Famous long before the time of Christ, Axum was the capital of the long Axumite reign, one of the oldest African empires and represented a crucial trade connecting-point between Africa and Asia for almost a thousand years. Visit the Granite stone Stele of Axum, the Tombs of King Kaleb and his son King G/Meskel, the Ezana’s stone inscriptions, Queen of Sheba’s palace and Swimming pool, and the Church of Zion, the final resting place of the True Ark of Covenant. Proceed driving to Mekele for overnight.

Day 8: Drive to Lalibela
A long but beautiful drive takes us to the highlight of your visit to Ethiopia.

Day 9: Exploring Lalibela
The Rock-Hewn Ethiopian orthodox Christian churches of Lalibela, are one of the eight wonders of the world. The connecting walls are full of religious symbols. The city contains 11 monolithic churches that were built in the 12th century. Some are beautifully painted inside. Visit the first and the third group of churches, they include seven rock churches. After lunch visit the second group of four rock churches. After diner you will visit cultural houses and be entertained with Ethiopian

Day 10: Drive to Kombolcha
After a relaxed breakfast, you will drive to Kombolcha. On the way, you will see small towns of South Wollo and Lake Hyke and its island monastery.

Day 11: Drive to Addis Ababa
Today return drive to the capital city departs in the morning after breakfast. On the way, you will visit towns known for fruit production. You will be arriving late afternoon in Addis Ababa. Stay at the hotel, and prepare for the departure early next morning.

END OF TOUR


The program can be customized upon request.