We will meet all clients arriving at the airport and will drop at your hotels and in the afternoon your time to relax.
You will begin your tour the following day.
Day 1: Arrival at Bole International Airport, transfer to your 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.
SIGHTSEEING
- National Museum of Ethiopia
- Holy Trinity Cathedral
- Ethnographic Museum of Ethiopia
- Merkato Open Air Market
Overnight at Ararat hotel or similar in Addis Ababa
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 2: Drive to Bahir Dar
Early in the morning drive to Bahir Dar, 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.
SIGHTSEEING
- Blue Nile Gorge
- Debre Libanos Monastery
Overnight Jacaranda hotel or similar in Bahar Dar
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 3: Bahir Dar 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 Bahir Dar and finish the day with a lovely sunset over Lake Tana.
SIGHTSEEING
- Lake Tana and its island monasteries
- Blue Nile Gorge
Overnight Jacaranda hotel or similar in Bahar Dar
Meals (B, L, D)
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 .
SIGHTSEEING
- Royal Enclosure of Gondar
- Debre Birhan Selassie Church
Overnight stay at Goha Hotel or similar, Gondar
Meals (B, L, D)
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.
SIGHTSEEING
- Stunning Landscapes
- Wildlife and Local Life style
Overnight stay at Sona Hotel or similar, Debark
Meals (B, L, D)
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.
SIGHTSEEING
- Lima Limo Zig Zag Road
- Tekeze River
- Axum Stelae Field
Overnight stay at Sabean Hotel or similar, Axum
Meals (B, L, D)
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.
SIGHTSEEING
- Mary Zion Church
- Wukro Cherkos
- Negash Mosque
Overnight stay at Planet Hotel or similar, Mekele
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 8: Drive to Lalibela
A long but beautiful drive takes us to the highlight of your visit to Ethiopia.
- Some small towns on the way
Overnight at Mount View Hotel or Similar, Lalibela.
Meals (B, L, D)
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 traditional music and you can taste Ethiopian honey vine.
SIGHTSEEING
- Bet Medhanialem(House of the world savior)-The largest monolithic church on the earth
- Bet Giyorgis(House of St. george)-Known for its unique architecture and 9 more churches.
Overnight at Mount View Hotel or Similar, Lalibela.
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 10: Drive to Dessie
After a relaxed breakfast, you will drive to Kombolcha. On the way, you will see small towns of South Wollo and Lake Haiqe and its island monastery.
SIGHTSEEING
- Small Towns on the way
- Lake Haiqe and its island monastery
Overnight stay at Melbourne Hotel or similar, Dessie
Meals (B, L, D)
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.
SIGHTSEEING
- Towns of North Shewa
- Fruit Production farms
Day use at Afarensis International Hotel or Similar, Addis Ababa.
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 12: Drive to Arbaminch, on the way visit Dorze village
On the way visit two different villages, Alaba village and one of the Dorze people who live on the Guge Mountain; they are famous for their beehive bamboo houses and weaving skills. In their society, only the women do the spinning of the cotton, while only the men are allowed to weave the traditional cloth.
SIGHTSEEING
- Dorze Village
- Great Rift Valley Lakes
Overnight stay at Paradise Lodge or similar, Arba Minch.
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 13: Day trip to Nechi Sar National Park
After breakfast drive to Nechi Sar National Park to visit many species of birds and mammals. This Park is located in the Rift Valley. It is enriched with many species of birds and mammals; African orange-bellied parrots, bustards, weavers, Somber rock-chat, yellow-throated serin, Red-fronted barbet, Pygmy baits, Lesser striped swallow, and Anubis Baboon, Black-backed Jackal, Bat-eared Fox, Egyptian Mongoose, Warthog, Soemmering’s Gazelle, Lesser Kudu, Salt’s Dikdik, etc. After lunch you will take a boat trip on the 3rd largest lake in Ethiopia called Chamo; it is famous for big Crocodiles, Hippos, and water birds.
SIGHTSEEING
- Nechi Sar National National Park
- Birdlife and hippos in Lake chamo
Overnight stay at Paradise Lodge or similar, Arba Minch.
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 14: Drive to Jinka, on the way visit tribes and depending on the date, their local markets
After breakfast drive to Weyto via the town of Key Afer. On the way visit the Konso village, where the people wear colorful costumes, and use their steep land through impressive terracing; through annual wooden grave marks they express their status. Their three-storey community house called Mora is impressive; all the young boys above 12 years old stay there every night inside till they marry. – Have lunch in Weyto and continue driving to the town of Jinka.
SIGHTSEEING
- Key Afer
- Weyto
- Konso Village and landscape
Overnight stay at Jinka resort or similar, Jinka
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 15: Excursion to Mago Park to visit the Mursi tribe, the afternoon spend at museum
Drive to Mago National Park to visit the Mursi people in their village. The Mursi are well known for the large clay discs their women wear inserted in their lower split lip. The Mursi women start cutting their lips between the age of 12 and 16 and thereafter, they put small wooden plugs into the hole and change it every night with the bigger one to stretch the lips till it can hold a 6 inch (15cm) round clay disc. The Mursi men wear very little, although a cotton wrap is becoming more common now. After lunch drive to Turmi via Dimeka. If the day is Saturday or Tuesday, you will have a chance to see the colorful weekly market at Dimeka.
SIGHTSEEING
- Mago National Park
- Mursi tribe
Overnight stay at Jinka Resort or similar, Jinka.
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 16: Drive to Turmi, on the way visit Bena tribes and possibly local market
Just like most of the indigenous tribes in the lower Omo Valley, the Bena practice ritual dancing and singing. The men often have their hair dressed up with a colorful clay cap that is decorated with feathers. Both the men and women wear long garments and paint their bodies with white chalk. Women of the tribe wear beads in their hair that is held together with butter.
SIGHTSEEING
- Bena Tribes
- Available Local Market
Overnight stay at Buska Lodge or similar, Turmi.
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 17: Excursion to Omorate, cross Omo River to visit Dassanech tribe, afternoon Hammer village
First time, in the Omo Valley, travelers witness Ethiopia’s many ethnicities and cultural traditions. The Southern Cultural Route takes travelers to the heart of the most remote tribes, whose animist beliefs strike a chord with the true African experience.
In the afternoon drive to Hammer people who have a bull jumping ceremony; This ceremony is a transformation for young boys from young to adulthood; During the ceremony, you see the real Hamer traditional dance called Evangadi; and also the women from the jumper’s family are being beaten by his friends to show their love to the Jumper and that he is ready for adulthood.
SIGHTSEEING
- Desanech Tribe
- Hamer Tribe
Overnight stay at Buska Lodge or similar, Turmi.
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 18: Drive to Yabello on the way visit Arbore and Borana tribes and villages
Arbore people are pastoralists (livestock farmers). They believe that their singing and dancing eliminates negative energy and with the negative energy gone, the tribe will prosper. The women of the tribe cover their heads with a black cloth and are known to wear very colorful necklaces and earrings. Young children wear a shell type hat that protects their heads from the sun. The Abore use natural colors made from soil and stone for their Body paint. Traditional dancing is practiced by the tribe and wealth is measured by the number of cattle a tribesman owns.
SIGHTSEEING
- Arbore Tribes
- Borana Tribes
Overnight stay at Yabello Motel, Yabello
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 19: Drive to Langano via Wondo Genet
After breakfast drive to Wondo Genet via Awassa. The route is breathtakingly beautiful and leaves you with a lasting experience of the surrounding nature. Wondo Genet is situated in the mountain chain and jungle, which is the best place for nesting of various species of birds. It is also famous for its hot springs and the modern swimming pool makes your stay unforgettable. Bishangari Eco Lodge is a truly beautiful and tranquil place where you will have a great time. It combines four unique ecological zones: a secluded setting that is host to over 400 bird species; a diverse range of wildlife; a spectacular array of plant life; and un-spoilt biodiversity.
SIGHTSEEING
- Wondo Genet Spring water
- Lake Awassa
- Lake Langano
Overnight stay at Bishangari Eco Lodge or similar, Langano.
Meals (B, L, D)
Day 20: Drive back to Addis, in the afternoon shopping, evening dinner at cultural restaurant, then departure home.
Depending on your interest and time availability, you will drive to some local gift and traditional cloth shops. Evening farewell dinner party and then transfer to airport for night departure.
….End of the tour!