This is the highlight of the ancient Ethiopia which is found in the northern part of the country. The trip consists of a Bahir Dar tour, then visit the Gondar, Lalibela, Axum and the rock-hewn churches in Tigray region. Both flight and surface are used as means of transportation.
Morning fly to Bahir Dar. Meet your driver at the airport and head to the spectacular waterfalls 35kms in a Bahir Dar tour and 30 minutes’ walk per way to the view point of the waterfall. Enjoy taking pictures of the landscape, streams, clouds and rainbows. Afterward, drive back to Bahir Dar and after lunch have a boat trip on Lake Tana to visit one of the most impressive churches of the area-Ura Kidanemihret church with beautiful paintings of murals. Continue your Bahir Dar tour and walk for at least 25 minutes per way through the coffee forest to the church. Back to the city and check in at Abayminch Lodge or similar. After a great experience on this Bahir Dar tour, enjoy dinner and overnight stay at the lodge. Read more
After breakfast, drive north of Bahir Dar to Gondar through the beautiful plains, breath-taking hilly landscape of Teragedam Mountain, and some stops for views. Transfer to Goha Hotel or similar to check-in and for lunch. In the afternoon explore the 17th century capital of Ethiopia. Visit the castle compound where you can explore the medieval palaces/castles of Emperor Fasiledas, Yohannes, Eyasu, David, Bakaffa and Queen Mentuab. Also visit the church of Debre Birhan Selassie with its famous murals and paintings of more than 80 winged-angels covering the ceiling. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel. Read more
After breakfast start driving to embark on a Simien Mountains tour in its spectaculous National Park. On the way stop at ‘Weleka’- the former Ethiopian Jewish village and see works of pottery and an old synagogue. Continue driving through the breathtakingly beautiful region of the Simien Mountains with many peaks above 13,000 feet. The vast and unique highland plateau is capped by a dramatic skyline of jagged volcanic plugs and split by deep gorges and gullies. The striking tower formations have been described as the “chess pieces of the gods.” On this Simien Mountains tour you will also discover that it is also an area rich in flora and fauna, home to the Gelada Baboons, Walya Ibex, Klipspringers, grey duikers and Wattled Ibis. Check in at Simien Lodge and have lunch. Continue your Simien Mountains tour and trek around Sankaber and enjoy the spectacular landscapes at different viewpoints. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge. Read more
After the Simien Mountains tour adventure, enjoy your breakfast start driving to Axum. Enjoy the beautiful panoramic views and pass by villages of the Tigray people. Lunch en route and arrival in Axum is late in the afternoon. Transfer to Yared Zema Hotel or similar. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel and get ready for the Axum tour the next day. Read more
After breakfast go out for the Axum tour. Begin your tour with a stop at the archeological museum, the church of St. Mary of Zion, built on the site of an older church, dating from the 4th century, the stele park to see the obelisks carved from single blocks of granite. Also explore the remains of what was once a massive Palace of the Queen of Sheba. Nearby are a number of granite slabs and giant stele said to be the burial place of the queen. Afterwards, continue your Axum tour and drive to the remains of a fortress from the 6th century and its underground catacombs, reportedly the tombs of the Ethiopian Emperor Kaleb and his son Gebre-Meskel. After the impressive Axum tour, enjoy dinner and overnight stay at the hotel. Read more
After breakfast start driving to Hawzen. Shortly after turn to visit Yeha, the first capital of the Axumite, a pre-Christian temple 12 meters high, which dates from about the eighth century BC and called the Temple of the Moon; in the small museum of the adjacent church of Abuna Aftse you can admire a collection of ancient artifacts such as stone inscriptions in language sabea, crosses in gold and silver manuals dating back hundreds of years ago and some illuminated manuscripts. Lunch from your lunch box and continue your visit and see the church of Medhani Alem Adi Kesho, one of the most beautiful and ancient rock churches of Tigray, famous for its architectural details, in particular the coffered ceiling decorated with carvings and reliefs. Arrive late afternoon for dinner and overnight at the lodge Gheralta. Read more
After breakfast go out for the visit of the three churches of Tigray. The first will be 'Dugem Selassie which boasts a beautiful decorated ceiling above the altar. The church, unlike the majority of the rock churches of Tigray found in altitude, is built in the plain and carved from a block of granite. Lunch from your lunch box. Then explore the church of Abraha Atsbeha; one of the most beautiful in the region, is famous for its beautiful carved ceiling supported by 13 large pillars and many arches superbly decorated. Within the structure are cruciform three shrines dedicated respectively to St. Gabriel, Michael and Mariam. Among the many treasures that the church has, the most important is the manual cross belonged to the first bishop of Ethiopia, Abuna Salama. Finally visit 'Wukro Cherkos which is a monolithic church of sandstone, dating from the eighth century and famous for cubic capitals and the Axumite frieze decorating the walls. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge. Read more
After breakfast, drive to Lalibela. Along the way enjoy the view of mountains and see the villages of Agew and Tigray people. Tigray villages have the particularity 'to be built entirely of stone which' makes them look from a distance like little forts. The Agew instead have a population of old Jewish influences, known for their precious incense and trade of gold nuggets sifting in their rivers. Lunch en route and arrival in Lalibela is late in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Tukul Village Hotel or similar and get a rest to be ready for the Lalibela tour the next day, Read more
Morning, go out for the visit of the first group of rock-hewn churches of Lalibela which includes Bete Medhanealem, Bete Maryam, Bete Meskel, Bete Denagil and the “double church” of Debre Sina, Bete Gologota and the Selassie-Chapel. After lunch, continue your Lalibela tour and explore the second group of rock-hewn churches- Bete Emanuel. Bete Mercurios, Bete Abba Libanos, Betelhem, and the double church of Bete Gebreiel-Rafael. Also, on this Lalibela tour visit the famous cross-shaped church of Bete Giorgis which stands separately from the two main groups. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel, ending here the fantastic Lalibela tour. Read more
Morning, after breakfast, drive to the airport to check in for your flight to Addis. END OF SERVICE.
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