If you want to take the full advantage of exploring Ethiopia by road this tour might suit you. This tour has the shortest possible itinerary which takes you to all the important historical sites of northern Ethiopia without flying. You will enjoy the extraordinary natural beauty and meet the fascinating people of the country while traveling by car.
Itinerary
We will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel for check-in. The first day we spent in the fascinating capital of the country: Addis Ababa. Depending on your time of arrival we take you on a half day or full day city tour visiting some sites of your choice like the Ethnographic Museum, National Museum, Trinity Cathedral, Mercato (the largest market of Africa) or the Entoto Hills just outside Addis Ababa.
Breakfast will be very early today as we leave Addis Ababa for a long drive to to the north. The journey leads us through the rolling hills of the Ethiopian Highlands where a lot of agricultural activity is taking place. We will enjoy the natural beauty of the Blue Nile Gorge on the way. Just before sunset we arrive in Bahir Dar.
The Blue Nile Falls near Bahir DarAfter an early breakfast we drive for about one hour to reach the small village of Tissisat. Here we enjoy a lovely walk in the cooler morning hours. We cross the Nile by the 17th century Portuguese Bridge and continue the walk to the falls, meeting local people on the way. After admiring the falls we cross the Nile by small boat to find our car waiting for us. We are heading back to Bahir Dar for lunch and in the afternoon we embark for a boat trip on Lake Tana to explore some of the beautiful churches.
Inside Uhre Kidane Mihret It is about one hour by boat to reach Zeghe Peninsula where we visit the most famous church Uhre Kidane Mehret. We enjoy a walk on the forested peninsula to the other churches and might meet monkeys and beautiful birds on the way. At the other side of the peninsula the boat is waiting and takes us to Kibran Gabriel Island (unfortunately women are not allowed). Before we are heading back to Bahir Dar the boat takes us to the the source of the Blue Nile where we find many water birds and maybe a hippo, meanwhile enjoying the sunset.
The castle of FasilidasThis morning we proceed to our next destination: Gondar. We will spent the afternoon to visit the highlights of Gondar: the Royal Enclosure, Fasilidas Bath and Debre Birhan Selassie, the church with the angel faces painted on the ceiling.
A Gelada baboonThe Simien Mountains are the next place we visit. On the way from Gondar we encounter already spectacular scenery as a good preparation for this afternoon. After an early lunch we spent the afternoon to enjoy the natural beauty of the Simien Mountains. There are several opportunities to explore the park, on foot or by car. It is almost guaranteed you see the gelada baboon. We enjoy the sunset at our destination the Simien Lodge.
(budget/ tourist class accommodation is available in Debark, a 45 minutes drive outside the park. It is possible to add any number of days for additional hiking in the Simien Mountains)
A long but spectacular day takes us to Axum. Just outside Debark we start our first decent down the Italian build Lima Limo road and the rest of the day goes up and down until we finally cross the Tekeze River gorge. The scenery is awesome.
Axum is the place where facts and legends meet. Is the Ark of the Covenant found in Axum? We take you in the footsteps of the famous Queen of Sheba and Ezana, the emperor who converted to Christianity. You will see the spectacular stelae of Axum and visit the Maryam of Tsion churches. (unfortunately the old church is not open for woman). Many more sites are available to visit or you might take a couple of hours at leisure to digest your overwhelming experiences of Ethiopia.
Today we continue our journey through breathtaking scenery of Tigray. On the way we first visit the Yeha Temple, the oldest structure found in Ethiopia. En route to Mekele a small detour leads us to the Abreha Atsheba church, one of the best excamples of the rock-hewn churches of Tigray.
Instead of one of these places it is possible to visit Debre Damo, the monastery on the top of a cliff. Only accessible by a 15 meter long rope and unfortunately for men only.
(it is possible to add additional days to explore more of Tigray)
A long but beautiful drive takes us to the highlight of your visit to Ethiopia: Lalibela. If the day goes smoothly we might have time to visit Yemrehane Kristos church en route.
The 12th century rock-hewn churches are the legacy of king Lalibela. It is said his visit to Jerusalem inspired him to build the 11 churches. A full day is necessary to get a good impression of these truly amazing places of worship.
(it is possible to add additional days to explore more of Lalibela and the surrounding area, excellent hiking opportunities are available)
After a remarkable visit to Lalibela we are on the road again. It is a full day drive to Kombolcha through mountainous area with wonderful vistas.
(when you arrive in Kombolcha on a Sunday it is recommended to add one day to you tour to visit the Bati market on Monday and spent one extra day in Kombolcha)
The last day of your unforgettable visit to Ethiopia brings us back to Addis Ababa. A hotel room for day-use is available. We say goodbye to dear friends with a visit to a cultural restaurant, enjoying the great Ethiopian food together with traditional music and dance from all over this fascinating country. After diner we take you to the airport for your flight back home.
(it is possible to fly from Lalibela to Addis on day 11)
