The Semien Mountains, rightly known as the “Roof of Africa”, is among some of the natural wonders of the world. With its breath taking scenic beauty and endemic wild life like the Gelada Baboon, Ibex and Mountain Nyala, it is an ideal place for easy as well as serious hikers and mountain climbers.Massive erosion over the years on the Ethiopian plateau has created one of the most spectacular landscapes in the world, with jagged mountain peaks, deep valleys and sharp precipices dropping some 1,500 m.

Book this tour and save 10% compared to booking each attraction on separately! Relax while cruising along the Lovely Grand Canal as well as minorcanals aboard a water taxi for one hour. Explore small back streets & passageways.

Book this tour and save 10% compared to booking each attraction on separately! Relax while cruising along the Lovely Grand Canal as well as minorcanals aboard a water taxi for one hour. Explore small back streets & passageways.

The area is located in the Afar Region of north-east Ethiopia near the border with Eritrea. The climate here can only be described as cruel. But against all odds, people do live here. The Afar people call it their home. The Danakil Depression is a contender for the hottest place on Earth, at least if you measure the average year-round temperature (reportedly 34.4C) rather than focusing on isolated bursts of extreme heat. Worse, it only receives 100 to 200mm of rainfall per year and it is also one of the lowest places on the planet, at 410ft (125m) below sea level. Combined, these factors make it one of the most inhospitable environments in the world. If the climate was not enough, the region's energetic geology makes it look like an alien land. It was the strange geological phenomena that I was there to see. Walking around the area you feel like you are on another planet. There are volcanoes with bubbling lava lakes, multi-coloured hydrothermal fields, and great salt pans that dazzle the eyes. The Danakil Depression is the northern part of the Afar Triangle, a geological depression caused by the Afar Triple Junction: a place where three tectonic plates join.

Tigray Churches are famous for their picturesque location, beautiful history and somewhat difficulty to reach. Whilst some of them are an off-road drive and a 5 minute walk up the stone stairs, others require walking for hours, climbing vertical rock shelves, and an ability to let go of your fear of heights! Although we’re not very religious, we find historical places very moving, and if you can add an adventurous side to it, which would be climbing, we’re definitely up for it. Surrounded by beautiful landscapes and the grounds of the place we stayed in, Gheralta Lodge, we were in an eerie mood, in awe of everything around us - including the wonderful stone huts designed to blend in with nature. After our first night near Gheralta Mountains, we were ready to conquer them! You may know from our previous adventure to the volcano that we’re not the fittest type and we like physical challenges not to last too long… So Abuna Yemata Church looked like a perfect choice. We were told we would walk up for about an hour and we would then have to climb up the rock shelves with or without the rope, this was up to us, to reach to the Church carved in a free standing 300m tall rock. Since this particular Church was very difficult to get to, we were told, nothing inside was destroyed by the battles and intruders. The church itself is said to have been rock hewn about the 4th BC, but the paintings are estimated for 12th century BC (our guide) or 14th century BC (information in the guidebooks). Nonetheless, the paintings have never been re-painted or re-stored - the colours haven’t been touched, they’re completely original as the painter left them in 12th or 14th century. We couldn’t wait to see them - we read some information online but weren’t especially looking for the photographs of the paintings so we weren’t sure what to expect. We were also told that Abuna Yemata is still active - people from the nearby village belong to this church so during Sunday masses or holidays of Saints, the church receives many local visitors.

Thanks to their remote location, the monasteries of Lake Tana have remained hidden for centuries, guarding their treasures against intruders from foreign lands and the passage of time. For those who know where to find them, however, a short boat trip across the lake is all that is needed to discover these hidden gems of antiquity. Step on board and your local guide will take you on a travel back in time.
Debre Maryam
The monastery of Debre Maryam is one of the newer monasteries of Lake Tana, having been built by Emperor Tewodros in the 19th century. A friendly priest welcomes all visitors and is happy to show you the ancient manuscripts stored there. It can be accessed by boat and a short walk through coffee, mango and fig trees that line the path. More adventurous travellers can rent a tankwa papyrus boat from locals, 20 minutes on the road towards Gondar, just before the Nile bridge.
Daga Estefanos
Set on a hill around 100m above the lake, a short trek up a winding path brings you to one of the most sacred monasteries, the monastery of Daga Estefanos. This monastery is of real historic interest, housing brightly coloured ceremonial robes, a 16th century painting of the Madonna and the mummified remains of five Ethiopian emperors, displayed for visitors to view in modern, glass-sided coffins. It will take 2:30 -3:00 hours by moderate speed boat from Bahir Dar to reach this monastery. Only men are permitted to enter this monastery due to religious reasons.
Narga Selassie
Narga Selassie, which means ‘Trinity of the Rest’, was built on Dek Island, the largest island of Lake Tana in the late 18th century. The church is one of the most peaceful and atmospheric on Lake Tana and is set in an extremely beautiful location. It will take 3:00 -3:30 hours by moderate speed boat from Bahir Dar to reach this monastery.
Tana Cherkos
Tana Cherkos is a small island monastery where it is said the Ark of the Covenant was hidden for 800 years before being brought to its final resting place in Aksum. The shores of the island are covered with a dense forest strip which is home to majestic fish eagles. It takes around three hours to reach this monastery by boat from Bahir Dar.
Kebran Gabriel
Sadly, although it is said to be one of the most beautiful and atmospheric of the monasteries of Lake Tana, Kebran Gabriel is no longer open to the public. It was founded in the 14th century and rebuilt in the 17th century. It is located the closest to Bahir Dar. The round roof is supported by twelve pillars made from carved stones symbolising the twelve apostles. It will take 20 minutes by moderate speed boat to reach this monastery and is often visited on the way to Zege peninsula. Only men are permitted to enter this monastery due to religious reasons.
Monasteries on the Zege Peninsula
The rich forests on the Zege Peninsula are home to seven ancient monasteries waiting for you to visit. The peninsula can easily be reached by boat or bicycle from Bahir Dar. Do contact the local guide association (Getaneh – +251 – (0) 918701906, English and Amharic) to arrange for guided tours to Ura Kidane Mihret and special tours (e.g. on coffee, hiking, etc.).
Ura Kidane Mehret Monastery
Is has been said that the inside of the Ura Kidane Mehret monastery is the most impressive and beautiful in the whole region. Just a 25 minute walk from the boat landing point will take you to the monastery, winding through coffee plantations under tall shady trees. The monastery is highly decorated with beautifully painted, colourful and vibrant frescoes depicting Ethiopian saints and the history of the Ethiopian-Orthodox Church. Both men and women are permitted to enter and there is also a small museum, the Zege Satekela Museum, for visitors to learn about hand-crafted objects and musical instruments that are still used be the local communities today.
Bete Maryam Monastery
A short walk on a path through coffee and lemon trees leads you to the oldest monastery on the peninsula, the Bete Maryammonastery. Attractive murals are sheltered behind stone columns here.
Azuwa Maryam Monastery
This round church has a thatched roof which makes it one of the most attractive churches around Lake Tana. Step inside and watch its paintings come alive.
Bete Selassie & Tekla Haimanot
Just a 45 minute walk uphill from the shore takes you to these two hidden treasures. These two monasteries are slightly off the beaten track, making a trip to see the vivid frescoes inside even more special.

Ethiopia's most important biodiversity hotspot, Bale Mountains National Park supports a rich mosaic of high-altitude habitats including lush evergreen forest, stands of giant bamboo, pastel-shaded moorland, and sheltered river valleys swathed in fragrant juniper-hagenia woodland. Nominated as a tentative UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site in 2009, the park is the most important stronghold to three endemic large mammal species - the charismatic Ethiopian wolf, handsome mountain nyala and delightful Bale monkey - while its incredible avifauna is reflected by the African Birding Club having listed it as one of the continent’s top five birding hotspots.

Erta Ale volcano is a large basaltic shield volcano in the Erta Ale volcanic range in the central northern Danakil depression (NE Ethiopia). It is famed for its persistent lava lake which has been active during most of the past decades since it was first discovered in the 1960s. Erta Ale is only 613 m high, but as typical for a shield volcano has a very gentle slopes and a large 40 km diameter base. The summit is truncated by a complex, elongated 1700 x 600 m wide caldera which contains vast lava flows and several larger and smaller pit craters, most notably the active north and south crater, which contains the lava lake at present. Erta Ale is one of the main attractions of the Danakil, and had became a popular tour destination in recent years. Unfortunately, the deadly attack on 4 January 2012 against tourists and scientists camped on the crater rim, in which several were killed, illustrates that the area is politically unstable and can be subject to terrorist attacks. Anyone visiting the volcano should be aware of this.

Book this tour and save 10% compared to booking each attraction on separately! Relax while cruising along the Lovely Grand Canal as well as minorcanals aboard a water taxi for one hour. Explore small back streets & passageways.