12 Days Historical Tour and Danakil Depression

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Addis Ababa

Stop At: Addis Ethiopia Tours, Churchil Avenue Near Thewodros Square, Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Day 01 Arrival - Addis Ababa
Up On arrival we will pickup our customers regardless of the arrival time, our representative will meet all customers at the airport and transfer to the Hotel.

Optional visit to the Ethnographic Museum, a great introduction to Ethiopian culture and history. If time allows, visit the Mercato, one of Africa's largest outdoor markets, and Trinity Cathedral, resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie.
 Overnight Hotel
Duration: 6 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight Hotel

Day 2: Addis Ababa - Bahar Dar

Stop At: Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Visit the marketplace in Bahar Dar. Take a boat tour on Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, and tour ancient island monasteries.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight Hotel

Day 3: Drive Bahar Dar - Gondar

Stop At: Gondar City Hall, Gondar, Ethiopia
Tour the Royal Enclosure, a UNESCO World Heritage site featuring five castles built by a succession of Ethiopian Kings beginning in the early 17th century.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight Hotel

Day 4: Fly Gondar - Lalibela

Stop At: Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela, Lalibela 1260 Ethiopia
Tour the magnificent rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This group of eleven monolithic and semi-monolithic structures were carved directly into the stone
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight Hotel

Day 5: Lalibela

Stop At: Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela, Lalibela 1260 Ethiopia
Take a morning hike with mules to Mount Asheton, with its 13th century rock-hewn monastery and great views of the town
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight Hotel

Day 6: Fly Lalibela - Axum

Stop At: Obelisk of Axum, Aksum, Ethiopia
Fly to Axum on Ethiopian Airlines. Tour the ancient stelae fields, standing for 2000 years. Visit the new and impressive Archeological Museum. Visit other tombs and archeological sites as time permits.
Duration: 8 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 7: Axum – Tigray Church

Stop At: Abuna Yemata Guh church, Hawzen Ethiopia
Drive from Axum to Hausein via Adwa and Adigrat. Visit Abba Garima, Yeha,Debra Damo and the Gheralta plains. You can use the town as the base from which to visit the rock hewn churches at Gheralta.
Duration: 3 days 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight Hotel

Day 8: Tigray Church

Stop At: Abuna Yemata Guh church, Hawzen Ethiopia
In one day you will visit three churches; Abuna Yemata Guh; Maryam Korkor and Daniel Korkor
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight Lodge

Day 9: Church - Mekelle – Ahmedela

Stop At: Mekelle Hotel, Hadnet, መቐለ, Ethiopia
Mekelle Meet the support Vehicle and Drive to Ahmedela via Berhaile. Make camp, and see camel caravans passing against a backdrop of dramatic sunsets.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight Camping

Day 10: Hamd Ela – Dodom

Stop At: Dalol depression Hamedela and Lake Asale, Dalol, Ethiopia
We start early, shortly after a 06:30 breakfast, and drive to Askoma (150 meters) at the base of new Erta Ale. The 80 km distance may take about 6 hrs passing through changing the landscape of solidified lava, rock, sand and the occasional palm-lined oasis. You pass several small hamlets scattered here and there in this desert land, before reaching Askoma village or parking area. You will trek from Askoma to the new Erta Ale which takes about 3 hrs. It is a 9 km trek from Askoma to Erta Ale. Early dinner around 17:00 and trek up to the new Erta Ale reach around 20:00. Camels transport all the camping materials and some food, sleeping materials, mattresses, and water, to the rim of the volcano, where we spend the night watching the dramatic action of the boiling lava. New 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 30 km and 1km square caldera at its summit. New Erta Ale is part of the world’s only permanent lava lake and you will spend an unforgettable night on the top of the mountain. The magma flow moved 3.5 km south from old Erta Ale to the New eruption point.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 11: Sunrise at the volcano and Lake Afdera

Stop At: Erta Ale, 6611 Ethiopia
(102 meters) Early morning you will rise with the sun with time to walk around pits and craters. The main pit-crater 613 meters above sea level/, 200 m deep and 350 m across, is sub-circular and three-storied. The smaller southern pit is 65 m wide and about 100 m deep. You will leave around 7:00 to head back to Askoma for breakfast. You will reach the latest at 10:30 am at the camp and after some time to relax you will drive to Lake Afdera (optional may not be available during summer time) the mythical Lake Giulietti (or lake Afrera), a saltwater lake located more than100 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.on continue to Hamad Ela, a village with a total population of about 500 people. Overnight camping at Hamed Ela.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Ovvernight Camping

Day 12: Return to Mekele – Addis Ababa

Stop At: Mekelle Hotel, Hadnet, መቐለ, Ethiopia
Morning driving tour to Ragad (Asebo), the place where the salts are mined. Observe the breaking of the salt from the ground, cutting into rectangular pieces and loading on camels. You drive ahead to Dallol (-130 m) and visit the difference landscape formed by volcanic activity, Dallol + Lake Assal (-130 m) + camel caravans (No camel caravan on July, August, and early September). Excursion to Dallol (116 meters below sea level, one of the lowest places in the world) colorful salts mining, visit Lake Assal, follow up camel caravans and walk with the Afar people. Drive back to Hamedela and proceed to Mekele. Transfer to Airport for evening departure to Addis Ababa
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.