12 Days SIMIEN MOUNTAIN-LALIBELA-DANAKIL-TIGRAY CHURCHES
Duration
12 days
Group Size
1 to 10 people
Ages
11
-
120
yrs
Languages
English
Tour Overview
Enjoy this tour with a visit to four stunning attractions in Ethiopia... if your criteria includes both landscapes (Highland and Lowland). Other than that there is a visit to one of the wonders of the world which is the rock hewn churches of Lalibela and Tigray, a medieval monolithic churches
Additional information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Pickup
What's included
Entry fees to sights of interest as per itinerary
Transfers and sightseeing’s in tourist standard vehicle
Danakil and Simien Mountain Full Board
Lunch: 6
Dinner: 4
Breakfast: 11
Domestic flights Three flight with Ethiopian airlines
Guide services by our professional English speaking local staffs
All taxes
Accommodation with breakfast outside Simien and Danakil
Other
Itinerary
We will fly from Addis to Gonder and Pick you at Gondar Airport. In the afternoon a city tour of Gondar
including a visit to the Royal Compound, where enchanting 17th century castles stand.
Overnight Hotel at Gondar
Drive along a good paved road from Gondar to the park headquarters in Debark. The 100 km journey will take around two hours. At the headquarters we will arrange our permits to the park and pick up our scout. After that we will drive for another hour before we start our first day introductory walk. This first hike is an easy one along the northern edge of the escarpment with a nice view points over the foothills and plains of northern Ethiopia. You will encounter gelada baboon along this hike. Drive to Simien Mountains National Park.
Overnight Camping
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
We follow the northern escarpment eastward, before we descend a little into the Kaba Valley. After that we climb up before we reach Gich Abyss and continue over a narrow ridge to a cliff where we have a spectacular view of the abyss towards the Simien foothills. We also find a large waterfall here, where the Jinbar River plunges 500 m into the abyss. We proceed for about two hours and have lunch at the Jinbar River. After lunch we walk through fields of barley before we arrive at the idyllic village of Gich. Here we can enjoy a traditional coffee ceremony in one of the huts and learn more about local farm life. From Gich village it is a short walk to Gich camp which is a good area to look for lammergeyer and thick billed raven. After a relaxing afternoon, we will take a short hike up to Kedadit to enjoy sunset plus the gorgeous shaded landscapes down to the cliff side towards to the eastern direction and return to the camp for dinner.
Overnight Hotel in Gonder
Lunch:
Breakfast:
Dinner:
We follow the northern escarpment eastward, before we descend a little into the Kaba Valley. After that we climb up before we reach Gich Abyss and continue over a narrow ridge to a cliff where we have a spectacular view of the abyss towards the Simien foothills. We also find a large waterfall here, where the Jinbar River plunges 500 m into the abyss. We proceed for about two hours and have lunch at the Jinbar River. After lunch we walk through fields of barley before we arrive at the idyllic village of Gich. Here we can enjoy a traditional coffee ceremony in one of the huts and learn more about local farm life. From Gich village it is a short walk to Gich camp which is a good area to look for lammergeyer and thick billed raven. After a relaxing afternoon, we will take a short hike up to Kedadit to enjoy sunset plus the gorgeous shaded landscapes down to the cliff side towards to the eastern direction and return to Gonder.
Overnight Hotel in Gondar
Breakfast:
Lunch:
We will visit the holy land of new Jerusalem-Lalibela, We will met you at the Airport in Lalibela and drive about 23 km to the small town of Lalibela for check in and refreshment, after you will visit the Northern Group: Bet Medhane Alem, home to the Lalibela Cross and believed to be the largest monolithic church in the world, probably a copy of St Mary of Zion in Aksum. It is linked to Bete Maryam (possibly the oldest of the churches), Bete Golgotha (known for its arts and said to contain the tomb of King Lalibela), the Selassie Chapel and the Tomb of Adam after break proceed to visit the second group of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela called Western Group: Bete Giyorgis, said to be the most finely executed and best preserved church &the third group called The Eastern Group: Bete Amanuel (possibly the former royal chapel), Bete Merkorios (which may be a former prison), Bete Abba Libanos and Bete Gabriel-Rufael (possibly a former royal palace).
Overnight Hotel in Lalibela
Breakfast:
The drive will take 8 hours
Overnight Hotel in Mekele
Breakfast:
We start early 9:00 AM, drive to Dodom (at the base of Erta Ale). This is may be one of the roughest roads in the world. The 80 km distance may take about 6 hrs passing through changing the landscape of solidified lava, rock, sand and occasional palm-lined oasis. After passing several small hamlets scattered here and there in this deserted land, you will arrive at Dodom camping site, located about 17km from Erta Ale.
Dinner will be served around 17:00 o’clock. After a short break, 30 minutes trek up to Ertale. Camels will be transporting 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. You will spend the night on top of the mountain, at the rim of the Volcano.
Overnight Camping
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
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 summertime) 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
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
On this day you will visit the place where the salts are mined. Observe the breaking of the salt from the ground, cutting in to 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.
Overnight Hotel in Mekele
Breakfast:
Lunch:
To visit Abuna Yemata Guh, walking for about an hour to commence a steep ascent up the side of the Gheralta massif. This steep ascent soon turns into a climb using footholds and handholds chipped into the sandstone rock by the passage of many hands and feet. The climb and the walk along very narrow ledges with sheer drops to the side is not one for the faint-hearted. The church itself can be reached by walking out on a ledge one meter wide and with a 200m drop to the left-hand side. At the entrance, there is a small cave and a wooden door built into the rock.
Of the three, Maryam Korkor is the most impressive architecturally. A huge, high ceiling is supported by 12 free-standing pillars. Looking at it you could not help but wonder how the architect managed to carve so high from the ground.
Drive to Mekele
Hotel at Hawzien
Breakfast:
Morning trek around rock churches of Tigray. Then drive to Axum.
Overnight at Branna Hotel
Breakfast:
Catch a morning flight from Mekele. We offer the city walking or car with driver/guide where you’ll meet the local and visit all the best sightseeing with coffee and lunch breaks on your way, which will lead by a tour guide, as an escort.
Start the day looking down on Addis Ababa from Entoto Mountain, the capital of Ethiopia before Addis Ababa. Here you will have panoramic views of the city with fresh air from the eucalyptus forests.
Breakfast:
FAQ
If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.<br>If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.<br>If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
- Min 6 days: 100%
- From 2 to 6 days: 50%
- From 0 to 2 days: 0%