This itinerary offers the opportunity to live an intense experience with the local community: Tesfa organizes several trekking circuits using guesthouses managed by the community. They are clean accommodations, but very simple and with sharing toilets.
Tigray is one of the most fascinating region for trekking lovers, because it offers a combination of landscapes, community life, and historical and artistic visits. Exploring this region with a member from the community is a particularly touching experience. The itinerary is suitable for medium walkers, and it is easy to combine it with all trips that go to Axum or Makalle, but also as extension to all trips starting or ending in Addis Ababa.

VISITED PLACES:

Axum: the capital of Ethiopian Orthodox Church, famous for its spectacular megalithic stelae that witness 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

ITINERARY:

1- Addis Ababa-Axum. Flight and visit of the archeological site and Debre Tsion church. Hotel.
2- Axum-Erar. Transfer and then 3 hours walk uphill to the first guesthouse. Guesthouse. BR> 3- Erar-Shimbretty. Rise and falls in the Erar valley. Possible extension to visit a church. Guesthouse.
4- Shimbretty- Gohgot. Rise and falls, visit of a church. Guesthouse
5- Gohgot- Enaf. Visit of two churches along the road, demanding uphill. Guesthouse.
6- Enaf- Addigrat- Mekelle (or Gheralta). 4 hours downhill to the vehicle and then transfer to Makalle. Evening flight to Addis Ababa or continue to another historical route.

Personalization and extensions
– The itinerary can be shortened to a minimum of 2 nights in guesthouse.
– Add one night or two and enjoy the great hospitality of Gheralta Lodge.
– Extend the trekking to the northern side towards Debre Damo where there are two more guesthouses.
– It is possible to realize this itinerary in the opposite direction: from Mekelle to Axum.
– One night can be reduced by speeding up or omitting the visit of Axum.