Complete Ethiopia by Air and Surface
Duration: 20 Nights/21 Days
The traveler who truly wants to “experience” all Ethiopian offers’ needs to check EAET’s complete Ethiopian Tour. In just under three weeks, travelers can participate in the tribal culture on the southern culture route and afterwards travel through time on the northern historic route.
Day 1: Arrival in Addis Ababa, you will be welcomed by our stuff and given transfer to your Hotel. Full day visit National Museum the Haile Selassie Chrch and One of Africa’s largest outdoor market, Merkato and Mount Entoto, part of the Entoto mountain chain, reaching 3200 meters above sea level, it is also a historical place where Menelik ll resided and built his palace. Overnight Hotel
Day 2: Our northern journey begins in Addis Ababa where visitors will catch the first flight to the regional capital of Bahirdar on the shores of Ethiopian largest lake, Lake Tana. After checking in your hotel, visitors are whisked away by boat to various nearby islands home to 800 years old monasteries. These churches will also give travelers their first taste of Ethiopia’s own Christian Orthodox faith. Overnight Hotel
Day 3: Visitors will travel an hour’s drive south to the Blue Nile Falls a moment to continents greatest river, the Nile, which flows north through Sudan and Egypt. Then drive north to the city of Gonder. Gonder was once home to Ethiopian kings during the 17th and 18th centuries. Here visitors can visit the castles of Ethiopia known as Fasiledes. The series of castles were all built by the Ethiopian royal family before Gonder lost its power and the capital was eventually moved to Addis Ababa in the late 19th century. We will then see the stunning paintings of Debre Berhan Selassie Church. In the evening, enjoy Gonder’s night life and overnight Hotel.
Day 4: Drive to Semein Mountain National Park one Ethiopians wonder registered as world heritage home of Waliya Ibex, Mountain Niyala, Gelada Baboon (bloody heart) all are endemic, vultures and endemic plants, the highest peak of Ethiopia also found in this park. Overnight Sankaber Camping
Day 5: Drive back to Debark and continue to Axum on the scenic byway passing through the Semein Mountains, Tekeze river gorge and the spectacular cliffs of Tigray. Overnight Hotel
Day 6: Full day visit Axum: where ancient civilizations flourished during 1000BC. The Axumite kingdom was one of the world greatest states on earth, on present day Axum you can see the remain of Archeological findings, such as Queen of Sheba Palace, king Ezana and Kaleb Tombs and inscription, a group of steals, St. Mary Zion Church where the Ark of the covenant kept. Overnight Hotel
Day 7: Drive to Gherhalta Valley: en route visit the ancient ruins of Yeha Temple (5th Centuty BC) the churches Debre Damo and other rock churches in Tigray. Overnight Hotel
Day 8: Then Drive to Mekele: en route visit the rock churches of Tigray, including Wekro Cherkos and the monumental church. Overnight Hotel
Day 9: Drive to Lalibela on the scenic byway through the town of Sekota. Overnight Hotel
Day 10: The tour continues to Ethiopia’s history and the Orthodox faith. Lalibela was founded in the 12th century by king Lalibela who mandated the building of a dozen rock-hewn churches magnificently carved out of basalt bedrock. Still today Lalibela’s churches are considered one of the world’s greatest but least known sites. Spend the day exploring the tunnels and rooms of these architectural master pieces. Spend the night and watch the sunset from the terraces of the Hotel.
Day 11: Our second day in Lalibela involves either a half days hike or mule ride to Asheten Mariam church located at the base of dramatic basalt towers hovering above the village. Spend the rest of the afternoon at your leisure either returning to the churches or relaxing in the Hotel.
Day 12: Fly back to Addis Ababa then you will have rest and get ready for southern trip. Overnight Hotel
Day 13: Morning drive to Arba Minch: and then on the way you will visit Tiya archeological site where a group of pre historic stale stand, continue to Dorze/Chencha. Overnight Lodge
Day 14: Morning visit the mountainously people nearly 3000m chencha which is the main village of the Dorze people. Take a local guide to visit the village and learn about the Dorze way of life. See how they weave their huts, textiles and the cultivation and production of the False banana tree from which the Dorze make their traditional bread (Kotcho), in the afternoon boat trip on lake Chamo to see Hippos and Crocodiles. Overnight Lodge
Day 15: Leave Arba Minch in the early morning. Two hours to south of Arba Minch, visit the Konso people and their museum. The Konso people are famous for their villages and community cooperation to work together and protect one another. Continue driving and stop for a short visit to the Tsemay, a culture of mixed subsistence farmers who practice flood cultivation villages. Then after another three hours arrive to Jinka. Overnight Resort
Day 16: We will drive visitors through the Mago National Park en route to the isolated Mursi Tribe nestled between the Mago and Omo rivers. The Mursi are perhaps the most well known and photographed of the Omo Valley Tribes due to the plates placed in their women’s Lower Lip, spend the rest of the day among the tribe visiting the village and the Market and then return to Jinka. Overnight Resort
Day 17: Get up early to drive five hours south to Turmi. En route visit the village of Demeka home to the Hamer people where on market day, dozens of tribes from the region convert to barter and trade. Continue the drive to Turmi, the Hamer’s most important village. In the evening, visitors may witness a marriage ceremony as well as Hamer’s cultural dance known as the “Evangadi Dance”. Overnight Lodge
Day 18: Day excursion from Turmi leads west some 70km to Omorate. Here visitors will experience the austere conditions of the Omorate tribe and the Dassenech people living on the other side of the Omo River. Visitors can take a small boat across the river to see this tribe, originally nomadic by nature now living in dusty huts constructed mostly from tree branches. Return to Turmi and overnight Hotel.
Day 19: Leave the Omo Valley area and drive eastwards through the Great Rift Valley to the town of Yabelo, located in Borena territory. In this region, visitors can see how salt is extracted from the Elsod salt flats and possibly visit a “singing well” where the Borena people sing while extracting water from the earth. Overnight in the Motel
Day 20: Get up early to leave the dry climate of the deep south for the lush Ethiopian highlands on the main road to the town of Yirgalem and En route pass through Yirga Chefie, a place for the highest quality of coffee plants. After a half day drive relax and enjoy the views from the Aregash Lodge, located in a beautiful forest teeming with birds and primates.
Day 21: On the tour’s final day we will make our way back to Addis Ababa passing through the lakes of the Great Rift Valley. Enjoy lunch at a resort on the banks of Lake Langano, one of the most popular lakes visited by Addis Ababa weekend warriors. On return to the capital city, spend the rest of the day shopping before a farewell dinner in a cultural restaurant. Then transfer to the airport to fly back to home. End of The Tour.
