15 Days North and South Ethiopia

Fly to adis, our guides and drivers will pick you from the air and transfer to the hotel. Upon arrival you will check in the hotel then make an excursion to visit part of the sightseeing of Addis Ababa including Merkato the biggest open market in Africa and the hill of Addis Ababa Entoto mountains

Overnight at Bluebird Hotel Addis

After breakfast you will be picked up and transferred to the airport for your morning flight to Mekele after arrival depart from Mekele to the Danakil for 3 days. We drive from Mekelle to – Dodom, We start early drive to Dodom (at the base of Erta Ale). Leave after an early breakfast, possible at 07:30. This is may be one of the worst roads in the world. The 70 km distance may take about 5 hrs passing through changing landscape of solidified lava, rock, sand and occasional palm lined oasis. After you pass several small hamlets scattered here and there in this desert land, Dodom is about 9.5km from ErtaAle and it takes about 3 hrs. trekking. Early dinner around 17:00 and trek up to ErtaAle at 20:00 hours. Camels transport 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. ErtaAle ranks one of the most alluring and physically challenging natural attractions anywhere in Ethiopia. It is a shield volcano with a base diameter of 30 km and 1km square caldera at its summit. ErtaAle contains the world’s only permanent lava lake. ErtaAle is 613 meters, with a lava lake, one of only five in the world, at the summit. It is notable for being the longest existing lava lake, present since the early years of the twentieth century.

Dinner and overnight at the Camp

Waking up early ErtaAle -Dodom　Leave back to Dodom you will reach latest at 8.00 am at the camp, after breakfast time to relax. Then drive to Hamad Ela 100km, picnic lunch on the way on shed of palm tree, reach Hamad Ela 04:30, better village with a total population about 500 people.

You will see lots of camel caravans and you will have the sun set look from the very shallow salt Lake Assale.

Dinner and overnight camping at Hamad Ela Camp.

Morning tour Drive to Ragad (Asebo), the place where the localities are mining salt. 1,200 km2 (460 sq mi) the Afar Depression is covered salt, and you will Look the activity of breaking the salt from the ground, local people are cutting in to rectangular pieces and loading on camels. You drive ahead to Dallol and visit the difference landscape formed volcanic activity; Dallol + Lake Assale + salt canon, camel caravans, follow up camel caravans and　Drive back to Hamad Ela for lunch and proceed Gheralta,

Dinner and Overnight at Gheralta Lodge

Drive and Trek to Abune Yemata. Abune Yemata is 4 kms drive from Megab and a further 30 minutes’ walk will bring you to the foot of the perpendicular rock mountains of Guh. The scenery is breath-taking and the mountains resemble pillars reaching to the sky. The challenging and the only way to the church is footholds and handgrips in the rock face. Just before the entrance to the church there is a narrow ledge carved in the cliff from which one can view a sheer drop of approximately 250m to 300m. Afternoon you will visit Mariam Korkoer and Daniel Koror churches and drive to Mekele for over night

Dinner and Overnight at Mekele Axum Hotel

Morning after breakfast fly to Lalibela at 10 am before the flight you will visit Axum for 2 hours to see the obelisks, then fly to Labella, After arrival start your tour of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, visiting the Northwestern Cluster of churches – Bet Medhane Alem, Bet Maryam, Bet Meskel, Bet Danaghel, Bet Mikael & Bet Golgotha (entry not permitted for women). After lunch, continue with the Southeastern Cluster of churches – Bet Gabriel-Rufael, Bet Merkorios, Bet Amanual, and Bet Abba Libanos. Finally, you will visit the most famous of all the churches – Bet Giyorgis, constructed in honor of the patron saint of Ethiopia – Saint George.

Dinner and Overnight at Lalibela Cliff Edge Hotel

After briefly settling in your hotel, explore the sites of Gondar, including a visit to the Royal Enclosure, with six castles and several other buildings. Additionally, visit Fasilidas’s Pool, still used for Timket celebrations today, Ras Gimb Palace Museum and the Debre Birhan Selassie church, with the most famous ceiling in Ethiopia.

Diner and overnight in Gondar hotel.

After morning breakfast you drive to the Simien national parks Spending one day in the Simien Mountains allows you to witness amazing views of the landscape, and potentially the opportunity to view the endemic Geleada Baboons or the “bleeding heart baboon”. From Gondar you will take a drive into Debark, pay park entry fees and head straight into the park.

The car will drop you off in Sankaber where you will take an easy kike to see Geech Ass. Here you will find a spectacular waterfall, Jinbar Waterfall. After lunch you will drive back to Gondar.

Diner and overnight in Gondar hotel.

After breakfast you drive Gondar to Baheradr which is around 2 hours’ drive After arrival Take a boat trip on Lake Tana to visit a selection of the monasteries hidden on the islands and shores of this sacred lake. Visit the Zege Penninsula and the monasteries of Azuwa Maryam and Ura Kidane Mehret and the island monastery of Debre Maryam near the outlet of the Blue Nile River. In the afternoon, drive out to the Blue Nile Falls for a short hike in the area. Finish the day with the sunset over the lake.

Dinner and overnight in Bahir Dar (hotel).

After morning breakfast you fly to Addis and afternoon fly to Arba Minch to start the Omo valley tour. Upon your arrival, you will be picked up from airport and check-in to the hotel. Then start driving to the dorze village

We drive from the fertile soils, across the dry plains until reaching Abra Minch known for its Ensete (false) bananas Arba Minch, meaning Forty Springs, it is a fertile fruit producing valley. Drive into the Chencha mountains tovisit a Dorze village. Noted for their fine weaving in wool and cot-ton (great shopping).

Dinner and Overnight Paradise Lodge

In the morning depart from Arba Minch to Turmi. On the way you will pass through the village of Weyto (market day Saturday), which is home to the Tsemai tribe. Finally, proceed to Turmi, home of the Hamer tribe afternoon visist the hamer village, if there is at night you can see the traditional night dancing of the Hamer tribe, known as evangelic.

Dinner and Overnight at Emerald Lodge Turmi

This day we travel out to the dasanech people crossing the Omo River to visit the dasanch trip. This evening we visit a Hamer Village near to our accommodation. The Hamer are fine looking people taking great pride in their appearance Driving across dry sandy plains to Key Afar then into more fertile rolling hills to the small town of Jinka.

We visit a small museum which gives valuable insight into some tribal customs then take an optional walk down to the town meeting the people on the way, before driving out to our accommodation.

Dinner and Overnight at Jinka Eco Omo Resort

In the morning, drive through the Mago National Park to a local village of the Mursi tribe. The Mursi are known for their lower lip and earlobe plates. In the afternoon, after returning to Jinka, you can visit the South Omo Museum & Research Center to learn more about the local tribes. Alternatively, take a hike in the surrounding hills to visit a local Ari village.

Dinner and Overnight at Economy Omo Resort.

After breakfast, depart from Jinka to Arba Minch via Key Afar and Konso. Thursday is market day in Key Afar, where you will see the Benna and Tsemai tribes trading goods. This is another very popular market in the region. After the visit, proceed to Konso (market days are Mondays and Thursdays).
The Konso people are known for their wooden statues, known as wakas, which are erected in honor of dead heroes as well as their innovative agricultural terracing. Today you will have a brief opportunity to visit a local village and the cultural museum displaying many waka statues. After the visit, proceed driving to Arba Minch.

Overnight in Arba Minch Paradise Lodge.

Morning take a boat trip to Lake Chamo to visit the crocodiles and hippos, Lake Chamo is a lake in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region of southern Ethiopia. Located in the Main Ethiopian Rift, it is at an elevation of 1,110 meters. The Chamo Lake is just to the south of Lake Abaya and the city of Arba Minch, east of the Guge Mountains, and west of the Amaro Mountains.

After lunch you will be transferred at the airport and for a flight back to Addis Ababa