11 Days Typical Historic North Ethiopia

List of Itineraries from Cultural & Historical Tours

Cultural & Historical Tours Itineraries

11 Days Typical Historic North Ethiopia

Title: Typical Historic North Ethiopia

Transportation: Drive

Duration: 11 Days and 10 Nights

Accommodation: Hotels and Lodge

(Click for detail)

Day 1: Arrivals at Addis Ababa airport, Met by our staff transfer to Hotel

After breakfast, drive to visit the National Museum, where you see the famous fossil Lucy, who is 3.2 million years old; visit the Ethnographic Museum, visit Entoto St. Mary Museum, St.Trinity Cathedral church, and Merkato market, the largest open-air market in Africa.

SIGHTSEEING

The National Museum of Ethiopia

Holy Trinity Cathedral

Ethnographic Museum of Ethiopia

Merkato Open Air Market

Overnight Stay at Swiss Inn Nexus Hotel or Similar, Addis Ababa.

Day 2: Drive to Bahir Dar

Early in the morning, drive to Bahir Dar, en-route visit Blue-Nile Gorge and Debre Libanos monastery. If you think the Grand Canyon is impressive, compare it to its African cousin – the Blue Nile Gorge. Situated 210 km north of Addis Ababa and being about one mile wide and deep, the Blue Nile Gorge is one of the most spectacular gorges in the world. After a 100 km drive on the way lies the renowned monastery of Debre Libanos, founded in the 13th century in a magnificent 700m-deep canyon.

SIGHTSEEING

Blue Nile Gorge

Debre Libanos Monastery

Overnight Stay at Jacaranda Hotel or Similar, Bahir Dar.

Day 3: Bahir Dar boat trip and drive to Blue Nile Falls

Have a boat trip on Lake Tana. On Lake Tana, there are 37 islands and 32 of them having churches and monasteries of considerable historical and cultural interest. We visit the monastery church of Ura Kidane Mihret, which is the best known of the monasteries and has an important collection of religious icons from the 16th to 18th centuries A.D.

In the afternoon drive to the Blue Nile Falls, this is known locally as Tissisat (smoking waterfall): 100 m (328 ft) wide, the water plunges for 45m, giving rise to steam clouds and rainbows. Early in the afternoon drive back to Bahir Dar and finish the day with a lovely sunset over Lake Tana.

SIGHTSEEING

Lake Tana and its island monasteries

Blue Nile Gorge

Overnight Stay at Jacaranda Hotel or Similar, Bahir Dar.

Day 4: Drive to Gondar

After lunch we will visit Gondar, the first capital city with the reign of Fasilides. In Gonder, there are a dozen castles built by various emperors over the course of 236 years. The city seems more of European than African origin. In the afternoon, we visit Fasiladas’ Palace, probably the most impressive of all the castles found in the area and the oldest one! We continue going to the Church of Debre Berhan Selassie (Light of the Trinity). The interior is decorated with beautiful frescos, cherubs and paintings. Debre Berhan Selassie is rumored to once have been the proposed final resting-place of the Ark of the Covenant of the Ethiopian Empire, which began in 1632 .

SIGHTSEEING

Royal Enclosure of Gondar

Debre Birhan Selassie Church

Overnight stay at Goha Hotel or similar, Gondar.

Day 5: In the morning Drive to Simien Mountains and late afternoon drive back to Debark

After breakfast, drive to Simien Mountain National Park. Debark is a small market town at an altitude of 2700 meters close to the boundary of the Simien Mountains National Park. Corrugated–iron–roofed buildings surround the colourful and busy market area. Before entering the park, you have to register at the park headquarters just outside town. Here, an armed scout – one of the park regulations, joins you. Then drive to Sankaber for the best view. En route, pass through pretty country, the foothills of the Semen Mountains, with carefully tended fields, open pasture with grazing horses, stands of trees and distant rocky peaks. At the high point of the road, there are superb views across the weirdly eroded foothills of the range and you may also be lucky enough to spot your first Lammergeiers and Gelada Baboons of the trip.

SIGHTSEEING

Stunning Landscapes

Wildlife and Local Lifestyle

Overnight stay at Simien Lodge or similar, Simien Mountains National Park.

Day 6: Drive to Axum

Here you will enjoy driving across Simien Mountain National Park and the fascinating river basin of Tekeze, one of the biggest rivers in Ethiopia.

SIGHTSEEING

Lima Lima zig zag Road

Tekeze River

Axum Stelae Field

Overnight stay at Sabean International Hotel or similar, Axum.

Day 7: Axum and Debre Damo Monastery and Proceed driving to Mekele

After breakfast in Axum, you will have a city tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Legends narrate in the Kebra Nagast (Book of Kings) how the city of Axum as early as the 10th century B.C. was already the city where the Queen of Sheba resided. It is told that the son of Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, Menelik, brought the Ark of the Covenant from Jerusalem to Axum and it remained there to this day, preserved in a sanctuary. Famous long before the time of Christ, Axum was the capital of the long Axumite reign, one of the oldest African empires and represented a crucial trade connecting-point between Africa and Asia for almost a thousand years. Visit the Granite stone Stele of Axum, the Tombs of King Kaleb and his son King G/Meskel, the Ezana’s stone inscriptions, Queen of Sheba’s palace and Swimming pool, and the Church of Zion, the final resting place of the True Ark of the Covenant. Proceed driving to Mekele for an overnight.

SIGHTSEEING

St. Mary Zion Church

Wukro Cherkos

Overnight stay at Planet International Hotel or similar, Mekele.

Day 8: Drive to Lalibela

A long but beautiful drive takes us to the highlight of your visit to Ethiopia. En route, we will have a few stops for authentic village tours.

SIGHTSEEING

Some small towns on the way

Overnight at Panoramic View Hotel or Similar, Lalibela.

Day 9: Exploring Lalibela

The Rock-Hewn Ethiopian orthodox Christian churches of Lalibela, are one of the eighth wonders of the world. It’s a collection of churches, some connected by fascinating internal channels, with hermit holes where people lived and died. The connecting walls are full of religious symbols.

The city contains 11 monolithic churches that were built in the 12th century. Some are beautifully painted inside. Visit the first and the third group of churches, they include seven rock churches. After lunch visit the second group of four rock churches.

After dinner, you will visit cultural houses and be entertained with Ethiopian traditional music and you can taste Ethiopian honey vine.

SIGHTSEEING

- Bet Medhane Alem(House of the world savior)-The largest monolithic church on the earth

Bet Giyorgis(House of St. George)-Known for its unique architecture.

Nine More rock hewn churches

Overnight at Panoramic View Hotel or Similar, Lalibela.

Day 10: Drive to Dessie

After a relaxed breakfast, you will drive to Dessie. On the way, you will see small towns of South Wollo and Lake Hike and its island monastery.

SIGHTSEEING

Small Towns on the way

Lake Hyke and its island monastery

Overnight stay at Sky Gate Hotel or similar, Dessie.

Day 11: Drive to Addis Ababa

Today, we drive back to the capital. On the way, you will visit towns known for fruit production. You will be arriving late afternoon in Addis Ababa. Depending on your interest and time availability visit the local gift and traditional cloth shops, Evening farewell dinner party and then transfer to the airport for night departure. End of the tour!

SIGHTSEEING

- Towns of North Shewa

Fruit Production farms

Cultural & Historical Tours Itineraries

11 Days Typical Historic North Ethiopia

(Click for detail)

Feel free to contact us for a comprehensive analysis and assessment of your plan.

+251 930110 004

Destinations

Leisure Travel

Corporate

About