Day 1:(FRI) ADDIS ABABA
Flight to Addis and arrival. In the afternoon, you will have a city tour of Addis that includes the National Museum, Merkato (the largest open air market in Africa) and Entoto Mountain for the panoramic view of the city.
Day 2:(SAT) ADDIS ABABA – BAHIR DAR
Fly from Addis to Bahir Dar, after check in to your hotel make an admirable boat trip on Lake Tana to visit the monastery of Ura Kidane Mihret; and in the afternoon drive 32 km to visit the remarkable Blue Nile Falls.
Day 3:(SUN)BAHIR DAR – GONDAR
Morning drive from Bahir Dar to Gondar and visit of the 17th century castles of Gondar, Open Air bath of Emperor Fasiledes and the famous church of Debre Birhan Silassie (Light of Trinity) with its wonderful murals.
Day 4:(MON) GONDAR – SIEMIEN MOUNTAINS
Drive from Gondar to the Simien Mountains National Park up to Sankaber (the first campsite of the park) to see the extraordinary scenery of the mountains. Walk around Sankaber enjoying the endemic Gelada Baboons and the bone breaker giant bird - Lammergeyer.
Day 5:(TUE)SIEMIEN MOUNTAINS – GONDAR
Drive from Debark to Gondar with stops at different sites for excellent sceneries; enjoy the rest of the day in Gondar.
Day 6:(WED) GONDAR – LALIBELA
Fly from Gondar to Lalibela and transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon visit the first cluster of the 12th and 13th century rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, which are considered by many as the 8th Wonder of the World. This takes approximately 3 hours and is likely to be one of the most mind- blowing sights you ever see.
DAY 7:(THU) LALIBELA
Wake up early for a mule ride or walking up to the monastery of Asheten Mariam. This is fantastic fun, taking you high up onto an escarpment above the town where you will not only see this amazing rock-hewn church but also one of the best views in Ethiopia. After lunch, visit the second and third clusters of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela.
Day 8:(FRI) LALIBELA – AXUM
Flight from Lalibela to Axum and transfer to your hotel. After freshening up, we will go for a tour of the sights, starting with the palace and tomb of King Caleb (6th C, AD), the extraordinary stelae field (World Heritage Site) and tomb of King Ramhai (1st to 5th C, AD), followed by a trip to the church of St Mary of Tsion, (17th C, AD) in which the Ark of Covenant is deposited. Continue to visit the palace of the Queen of Sheba (date unknown, some say 7th C, AD, others 10th C, BC) and end the day wandering around the small but excellent museum.
Day 9:(SAT) AXUM – ADDIS ABABA – DEP.
Fly from Axum to Addis and have the rest of the day at Leisure. In the evening, you will be invited to a traditional restaurant for an Ethiopian dinner with folkloric dances and coffee ceremony. After dinner, transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
Day 9:(SAT)ADDIS ABABA – AWASSA
Drive from Addis to Awassa visiting the Rift Valley lake of Bishoftu at Debre Zeit and Lake Ziway to admire the different species of birds. After check in to your hotel enjoy walking along the shores of Lake Awassa to enjoy more of the aquatic birds and the natural beauty of the area on top of the unforgettable sunset at the end of the day.
Day 10:(SUN)AWASSA – LANGANO
Drive from Awassa to Lake Langano visiting the Abijata – Shalla Lakes National park for an interesting bird watching experience. In Langano enjoy swimming in the lake and leisure time the rest of the day.
Day 11:(MON)LANGANO – ADDIS – DEPARTURE
After taking some time in the attractive area of Langano, drive back to Addis. In the evening, you will be invited to a traditional restaurant for an Ethiopian dinner with folkloric dances and coffee ceremony. After dinner, transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
Day 9:(SAT)ADDIS ABABA – AWASH
Drive from Addis to Awash National Park visiting the Rift Valley Lake of Bishoftu at Debre Zeit. After check in to your hotel drive in the park for some game viewing and also to visit the famous Awash River Falls.
Day 10:(SUN)AWASH – HARAR
Drive from Awash to Harar through the scenic Hararghe Mountains looking at the coffee and chat plantations left and right of the road. In the evening go to one of the gates of the Harar wall to see the Hyena Man feeding his hyena friends.
Day 11:(MON)HARAR – DIRE DAWA
Full day visit of Harar which includes the colorful Islam Market, the National and Harari Museums, the house of Ras Mekonen (father of Haile Silassie), a typical Harari house, the 16th century wall of Harar and the house of the renowned poet Arthur Rimbaud. Around the end of the day, drive from Harar to Dire Dawa for overnight.
Day 12:(TUE)DIRE DAWA – ADDIS – DEPARTURE
Drive or fly from Dire Dawa to Addis. In the evening, you will be invited to a traditional restaurant for an Ethiopian dinner with folkloric dances and coffee ceremony. After dinner, transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
