Ethio land tours - 12 days Historical & Natural Travel Tour in Ethiopia
Day-By - Day itinerary
Arrival - Bole international Airport in Addis Abeba. Mike meets all guest. For morning flights we transfer to the given Hotel. For afternoon or evening arrivals, you may begin your tour the following day.
Day 1 - Addis Abeba
Visit Trinity Cathedral, resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie. The tour goes to the Ethnographic Museum, a great introduction to Ethiopian culture and history. We make a short drive to Entoto Hills an altitute of 3,2000 meters for a view of the city and visit Maryam Church. En-route , stop Sheromedia traditional cloth market. We visited the Mercato or the Sholla Market, two of Addis Abebas main markets and the end of Addis Abeba city tour.
Day 2 - Addis Ababa to Gondar (by flight) to Sankanber (Semien Mountain)
In the morning, transfer to Addis Abeba Airport for your flight to Gondar. At Gondar airport the driver will pick you up and drive you to the Simien mountains nation park. We will make a short stop in debark whrere we will arrange your visit with the park office and then we drive into the park to arrive at Sankaber. You can either drive all the way in to Sankaber or the car drope you off near Buyit Ras for a short hike. If you chooseto hike in you will take in beautiful views of the landscape and the endless mountain ridges and you likely see some gelada baboons. When we arrive in Sankaber you will be meet with your supplies. Sankaber wil be the first campsite on your trip.
Day 3 - Sankanber to Geech Camp (Semien Mountain)
From Sankanber you will beginn hiking following the ridge and look out over the foothills 800m down. From the ridge you will desceend down into the valley and be able to view the Jinbar River plunging into the Greech Abyss. After some time at the waterfall you will continue on the Geech villagewhere you will find your second campsite.
Day 4 - Geech Camp to Ambaras (Semien Mountain) and to Gondar
Today`s hike will avarage about 6 to 7 hours. Many hikers agree that the route from Geech to Ambaras is the most magnificent hike the simiens have offer. In route you will pass through Imet Gogo. Here you will have reached an altitudw of 3,926m and able to look out at the amazing landscape from 360 degrees. All this height and view point you can see the canyone below, distant ridges, and view the seemingly never ending valleys. Here you will break for lunch and hike the rest of the break for lunch and hike the rest of the way to Ambaras where you will be met by a car to bring you back to Gondar and over night in gondar.
Day 5 - Gondar - Addis Abeba - Semera (by flight) to Hamedela (Danakil Tour)
The driver will pick you up from Semera airport where you will start your Danakil Tour. we will drive to Ragad (Asebo), the place where the localities are mining salt. Look at the activity of workers breaking salts from the ground, cutting in to rectangular pieces and loading on camels. You drive ahead to Dallol and visit the different landscapes formed by volcanic activity (Dallol + Lake Assal + camel caravans). Excursion to Dallol (116meters below sea level, one of the lowest place in the world) colorful salts mining, visit Lake Assal, follow up camel caravans (no camel caravans on July, August and early September) and walk with the Afar people. Drive to Hamedela. Overnight at Hamedela.
Day 6 - Hamedela to Erta Ale (Danakil Tour)
We start our day by driving to Erta Ale (which means smoky mountain in the Afar language). Erta Ale ranks one of the most alluring and physically challenging natural attractions anywhere in Ethiopia. It is a shield volcano with a base diameter of 30km and 1km square caldera at it´s summit. Erla Ale contains the word`s only permament lava lake. It is 613meters, with a lava lake, one of only five in the world`s, at the summit. It is notable for being the longest existing lava lake, present since the early years of the twentieth century. we start early at 9:00am, drive to Dodom (at the base of Erla Ale). This is maybe one of the roughest roads in the world. The 80km distance may take about 6 hrs passing through changing landscape of solidified lava rock, sand and occasional palm lined oasis. After passing several small hamlets scattered here and there in this deserted lan, you will arrive at Dodom caming site, located about 17km from Erta Ale. Dinner will be servered around 5:00 o`clock (pm). After a short break, trek up to Erta Ale at 8:00pm. Camels will be transporting all the camping materials and some food (sleeping materials like light, mattresses and mat and water) to the rim of the volcano, where we spend the night watching the dramatic action of the boiling lava. You will spend the night on the top of the mountain, at the rim of the volcano.
Day 7 - Erta Ale to Semera (Danakil Tour) and fly to Addis Abeba
Every morning sunrise at the northern one corresponds to the main pit crater and walk 5 minutes for the southern and central pits could either corresponds to an ancient pit, ort to a simple collapse structure. The main pit-crater, 200m deep and 350m across, is sub-circular and three-storied. The smaller southern pit is 65m wide and about 100m deep. Descend from Erta Ale around 9:00 am - leave back to Dodom after an early breakfest, if possible at 7:00 o`clock. You will reach the latest at 10:30 o`clock at the camp, where will be realaxing. As soon as possible, drive to reach the mythical Lake Giuletti (or Lake Afrera; optional may not be available during summertime), a saltwater lake located more than 100 meters below sea level, in one of the deepest depressions of the planet. Because of the picturesque landscape, it is interesting to visit the salt flats where the Afar people obtain the salt by evaporating the water of the lake, continue to Semera. And fly back to Addis Abeba and overnight in Addis Abeba.
Day 8 - Addis Abeba to Arb Minch (by flight) to Konso (South Tour)
On arrival at Arb Minch we will be driving to the Dorzy Village. This people set high up in the Gughe Mountains where we see the traditional Dorze. Overnight we spend in Eizana Hotel.
Day 9 - Konso to Turmi (South Tour)
After breakfast you will take a boat trip in Lake Chamo to visit the crocodile market, it is a local name for a place in Lake Chamo that the crocodiles went out of the lake and chill, there no buying or selling, also you will see hippos and different kinds of birds late drive to Tumi then you will have a chance of seeing the Konso Village one of the UNESCO site in Ethiopia know by their terracing. One of the best types of coffee for country is also from this village. Proceed to the Bana Village. The Bana who are indigenous pastoral and semi-nomadic people living in the harsh environment of lower Omo Valley. The men often have their hair dressed up witch a colorfull clay cap that is decorated with feathers. Then proceed to the Turmi where the Hamer tribes. Overnight we spend in the Turmi Lodge.
Day 10 - Turmi to Omorate (South Tour)
After Having your breakfast, you will have an excursion to Omorate to visit the Dessanech people "people of the delta", who lives on the northern shore of Lake Turkana. Visit and drive back to Turmi for lunch then drive to Jinka. Then we will be drive to the Ari people, the largest populationin the lower Omo Valley. The women wear skirtsfrom the banana like tree, called Enset are expert in pottery. Later you will be transferred to the Jinka Airport for flight to addis Abeba and overnight in Addis Abeba.
Day 11 - Addis Abeba to Lalibela (North Tour)
Fly to Lalibella on Ethiopian Airlines 700km north of Addis Abeba. The driver willpick you upfrom Lalibella Airport to your hotel. After the checking in to your hotel we will take a full day tour to the magnificent rock-hewn churches of Lalibella a UNESCO World Herritage site. This group of eleven monolithic and semi-monolithic structures were carved directly into the stone of the mountainside at least 800 years ago. This complex boasts the largest monolithic church in the world, amaze of passageways and tunnels, intricately carved reliefs and fabulous examples of icon paintings. After a short break at your hotel we will go to see traditional and cultural live music in one of the famous local bar of Lalibela. We spend overnight in Lalibela.
Day 12 - Lalibela to Addis Abeba (North Tour)
After breakfast in the morning you will take a short walk around Lalibela Market and villages and take a flight back to Addis Abeba. You spend overnight in Addis Abeba or fly back to home. End of the tour!