Complete tour to North Ethiopia by ground transportation that allows to appreciate the variety and width of unique Ethiopian plateau sceneries. Two internal flights enable to reduce the transfer time from Addis Abeba. It’s the ideal combination for who has limited time but doesn’t want to sacrifice the beautiful sight of the plateau and the occasions to meet the welcoming Ethiopian people.
VISITED PLACES
Bahr Dar: pleasant city on the shore of the biggest lake in Ethiopia, lake Tana, that hides richly decorated monasteries in its tropical islands.
Gondar: Africa’s Camelot, capital city during the seventeenth-century , it’s unique thanks to its castles and particular style that is a mix between the Asian and European one.
Simien Mountains National Park: Unesco Heritage site since 1979, the National Park offers wide views on the valley of Tekeze’ river, and also a unique overview of endemic fauna and flora of afro alpine ecosystem.
Axum: the capital of Ethiopian Orthodox Church, famous for the spectacular megalithic stele that prove the pre Christian roots of the great Ethiopian civilization
Tigray: Rock-hewn churches excavated in the vertical walls of the spectacular mountains of the less visited region in North of Ethiopia
Lalibela: Jerusalem of Africa, well known for its monolithic rock-hewn churches so rich of symbolism, mystery and spirituality.
Lake Tana
Gondar
Simien Mountains National Park
Market in Axum
Axum
Rock hewn church in Tigray
Landscape in Tigray
Lalibela
ITINERARY
1. Addis Ababa: city tour
2. Addis Ababa-Bahr Dar: flight to Bahr Dar and visit of monasteries and falls
3. Bahr Dar-Gondar: Transfer and city tour
4. Gondar-Simien-Debark: Visit of Simien Mountains National Park
5. Debark- Axum: Panoramic transfer
6. Axum- Gheralta: city tour and transfer to Tigray
7. Gheralta-Makalle: visit of 3 churches and transfer to Mekelle
8. Mekelle-Lalibela: panoramic transfer and visit of a church on the way
9. Lalibela: city tour
10. Lalibela – Addis Abeba: flight to Addis at lunch time and connection to international flight in the evening
PERSONALIZATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
It is possible to combine the itinerary with market days or religious celebrations of Coptic church, to add one night in the pleasant locality of Gorgora and arrive to Bahr Dar by boat, or to add one or two days in Tigray to enjoy the comfortable lodge in the area.
Also the following extensions are available:
Complete itinerary in the South of Ethiopia that includes the interesting visits to Borana and Sidamo to the classic one in the Rift Valley and Omo tribes. It’s an ideal itinerary for photographers and cultural [...]
High mountain itinerary with landscapes full of escarpments and deep canyons that are populated by the Simien walia ibex, the Ethiopian wolf and many droves of Gelada baboons . The landscapes running over the Tekeze [...]
Three days extension that allows you to visit the Dallol area, the black lake, the salt plain, where the local people still manually extract salt, that is then carried by endless caravans and finally the [...]