Arrival Bole International Airport
Extraordinary Ethiopia Tours will meet all clients arriving at the airport regardless of arrival time. For morning flight arrivals you may begin your tour after checking into your hotel. For afternoon or evening arrivals, you may begin your tour the following day.
Day 01: Addis Ababa
The tour starts with a pick up from your hotel/airport, and then drive to the National Museum of Ethiopia for visiting the long age history of Ethiopia and the oldest human ancestor, Lucy. Set within Haile Selassie’s former palace and surrounded by the beautiful gardens and fountains of Addis Ababa University’s main campus is the enthralling Ethnological Museum. Even if you’re not normally a museum fan, this one is worth a bit of your time – it’s easily one of the finest museums in Africa. Before lunch, drive to Holy Trinity Cathedral Church which has unique architectural style
Immediately after a relaxed lunch, drive up to Entoto Mountains, the best location to observe the panoramic view of the capital. It is also a historical place where Menelik II resided and built his palace. It is notable as the location of a number of celebrated churches, including Saint Raguel and Saint Mary (Maryam Church). The return drive will be via Piazza with an enroute visit to St. George Church and Menelik II Square towards the largest open air market, Merkato. This site will enable you have an experience of shopping in Ethiopia. The tour ends with a drop off at your hotel.
Overnight Stay at Getfam Hotel ,Addis Ababa
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 02: Flight to Bahir Dar
After you reach Bahir Dar you will have a boat trip on Lake Tana. On Lake Tana there 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 Bahir Dar and finish the day with a lovely sunset over Lake Tana.
Overnight Stay at Jacaranda Hotel, Bahir Dar
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 03: 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’ 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 Berhan Selassie (Light of the Trinity). The interior is decorated with beautiful frescos, cherubs and paintings. Debre Berhan Selassie is rumoredto once having been the proposed final resting-place of the Ark of the Covenant of the Ethiopian Empire, which began in 1632 .
Overnight stay at Goha Hotel, Gondar
Meals (B, L, D)
04: Flight to Axum
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.
Overnight stay at Sabean Hotel, Axum
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 05: Flight to Lalibela-Excursion to Yemrehanna Kristos
The Rock-Hewn Ethiopian orthodox Christian churches of Lalibela, are one of the eighth wonder of the world. It’s a collection of churches, some connected by fascinating internal channels, with hermit holes where people lived and died. The connecting walls are full of religious symbols.
After lunch you will drive out 45 km and see Yemrehanna Kristos. The church is unusual because it’s built rather than excavated. Seeing the stepped Exterior facade, created from alternating wood and stone layers.
Overnight stay at Sora Lodge, Lalibela
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 06: Explore Lalibela
After breakfast, you will start visit the world wonders of lalibela rock hewn churches. the churches are classified in three groups. Began from 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 traditional music and you can taste Ethiopian honey vine.
Overnight at Sora lodge , lalibela
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 07: Flight to Addis Ababa and drive to Langano Hawassa
Taking the morning flight from Lalibela to Addis, you will reach Addis in the midday. After lunch, you will proceed driving to Langano for a leisure night.
Overnight stay at Sabana Beach Resort, Langano
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 08: Abijatta Shalla National Parks-Shashemene
Abiata and Shala, which form part of the 887-sq-km national park. Identical twins these lakes are not: Shala’s 410-sq-km surface sits within a collapsed volcanic caldera and depths exceed 260m in some areas, making it the deepest lake inEthiopia, while Abiatta’s highly alkaline waters rest in a shallow pan no more than 14m in depth. And Abiata is shrinking dramatically as water is diverted to irrigation projects and a soda-ash factory. The increased salinity has killed off the fish and forced most birds to go elsewhere to feed.
Afternoon, proceed driving to Shashemene for overnight.
Overnight stay at Haile Resort, Shashemene.
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 09: Shashemene and Drive to Hawassa
Shashemene does have one trick up its sleeve, however: it’s the Rastafari capital of Africa and if this interests you, you’re going to love it. You will visit the Rastafarian houses.
After lunch in Shashemene, you proceed driving to Awassa via Wondo Genet. The name of this hot springs resort 16 km southeast of Shashemene translates as ‘Green Heaven’, which was more applicable before the hills were cleared of most of their forest.
Overnight stay at Haile Resort , Hawassa
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 10: Lake Awassa, Fish Market and leisure Time
With its mountainous backdrop, Lake Awassa is a lovely sight. You could easily spend a Few pleasant hours strolling the lakeshore trail at the end of town, watching men fishing from papyrus rafts, seeing the various shorebirds feeding in the reeds and stopping for Fried tilapia and a coffee ceremony at one of the many rustic restaurants. Lake Awasa’s Fishermen head out in their little wooden boats in the afternoon and return the next Morning laden with tilapia and catfish. The men are amazingly deft at gutting, scaling, Skinning and flicking the eyes out of their catches.
Overnight stay at Haile Resort, Hawassa
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 11: Drive Back to Addis Ababa
After breakfast you will drive to Ziway will visit the overview of lake Ziway then, proceed to Addis Ababa.
Afternoon depending on your interest and time availability visit the local gift and traditional cloth shops . Evening (based on your departure time) farewell dinner party and then transfer to airport for night departure.
Meals (B, L, D)
…End of tour!