Visit Historic Routes, Northern Ethiopia 15 Days
Visit Historic Routes, Northern Ethiopia Historic Routes : Northern Ethiopia, Awash national Park, Harar, Babile Dakatta Rock, Dire Dawa…
Table of Contents
ToggleVisit Historic Routes,Northern Ethiopia
Visit Historic Routes, Northern Ethiopia
Historic Routes : Northern Ethiopia, Awash national Park, Harar, Babile Dakatta Rock, Dire Dawa
Itinerary
Program: Historic Routes
Tour Code: North 21
Duration: 14 Nights (15 Days)
Transportation: Land
Tour starts: Addis Ababa
Tour ends: Addis Ababa
Day 1: Drive from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar
Arrive in Addis Ababa in the evening, meet with us & transfer to the Hotel. Breakfast and drive to Bahir Dar. On the way, visit Debre Libanos Monastery, Ras Darge’s Stone Bridge (resembles with 17 century Portuguese bridge at Blue Nile Falls) for a fantastic landscape view standing on the Bridge, Oromo and Amhara villages, Blue Nile gorge. Overnight - hotel - Bahir Dar
Day 2: Blue Nile River Waterfalls, Market & Lake Tana
Breakfast & drive to Tis Abay to see the Blue Nile falls, Portuguese bridge and country side (farms of Amhara peoples). On the way back in Bahir Dar, visit the Everyday Colorful market to see Amhara farmers, Pottery Traditional handmade woven clothes, Woito Basket market. Afternoon Boat trip on Lake Tana to visit Ancient Monasteries: Ura Kidane Mehret and Azwa Maryam monasteries( in Zeghe Peninsula),Kibran Gabriel Monastery(women are not allowed) & Entos Eyesus ( women’s Monastery). Overnight – hotel- Bahir Dar
Day 3: Drive Bahir Dar - Gondar
Breakfast & drive to Gondar – 187 km. On the way just after Bahir Dar – Gondar main bridge, overlook the Palace of Emperor Haile Selassie at Mount Bezawit (panoramic view) .Then continue to Gondar. Again on the way after the town of Woreta, visit the Awra Amba village to discover their unique work division. Afternoon in Gonder, visit the Royal Fasiledes Bath; church Debre Berhan Sellassie, Castles of Gondar, Palace of Empress Mintewab. Overnight Hotel- Gonder
Day 4: Drive Gondar - Simien Mountains National Park
Breakfast & drive to the Semien Mountains National Park. On the way near Gonder, visit Jewish / Felasha village and continue to Debark. Stopover at Kossoye for amazing mountain landscapes. Discover the Semien Mountains until the basic site called Chennek. Overnight – Lodge in the park or hotel in Debark
Day 5: Drive Debark to Axum
Breakfast & drive to Axum through Tekeze River Gorge for scenery and visit Tigrai villages. Overnight in Axum in hotel – Axum
Day 6: The City of Axum
All what is in Axum, visit – Obelisks park( the stelae field), Archaeological Museum, Tombs of King Kaleb, King Basen and King Gebre Meskal, Bath of Queen of Sheba( Mai Shum); ruins of Palace of Queen of Sheba, Cathedral of St. Mary of Zion and Sanctuary Chapel beside, Coronation yard and Aba Pantaleon Monastery – founded on a hill top. Overnight in Axum in hotel – Axum
Day 7: Drive Axum - Mekelle
Breakfast & drive to Mekelle. On the way visit Temple of Yeha, Debre Damo Monastery (women are not allowed) and Negash Mosque (the 1st mosque in Ethiopia). Overnight – hotel Mekelle.
Day 8: Drive Mekelle - Lalibela
After an early breakfast & drive to Lalibela. On the way visit Yimrahine Kristos cave church, over Tigre & Amhara villages. Overnight – hotel – Lalibela
Day 9: Lalibela Rock Hewn Churches
Breakfast & City tour of Lalibela, Lalibela Rock Hewn churches: Asheten Maryam, Nakuto Leàb cave church, & 11 Rock Churches: Bet Golgotha, Bet Mikael, Bet Mariam, Bet Meskel, Bet Danaghel Bet Medhane Alem( Bet Medhane Alem is the largest monolithic rock hewn church in the world, built like a Greek temple! In a corner there are three empty graves symbolically dug for biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), Bete Amanuel, Bete Marqorewos, Bete Abba Libanos, Bete Gabriel -Rufael and Bet Giyorgis is the most elegant of all Lalibela churches, which lies somewhat isolated in the southwest part of the town on a sloping rock terrace. Also visit Nakuto Làabe Cave Church (5km from Lalibela). Overnight – hotel – Lalibela
Day 10: Drive from Lalibela to Kombolcha
Breakfast & drive from Lalibela to Kombolcha, scenic Route. On the way, visit Hayk Estifanos Monastery. Possible one way visits could include, villages, Markets of. Overnight - hotel Kombolcha
Day 11: Drive from Kombolcha to Awash National Park
Breakfast & drive to Awash National Park via Bati – Mille Road. On the way in the town of Bati, visit Bati camel market if this day falls on Monday, stopover for sceneries & possibly for wildlife in Yangu Di Rassa national Park, found on the way to Awash National Park. Game view in Awash Park: Oryx in Oryx plain, Kudu in the Kudu Valley, hot springs Dik Dik, Monkey. Overnight – Awash Falls Lodge (in the Park) or hotel – in Awash Sebath.
Day 12: The walled city of Harar & the Hyena Man show
Early morning; game view in the Awash National Park and drive from Awash t to Harar (300km from Awash Park) and after lunch; visit the walled city of Harar. In the evening, attend the most astonishing and bizarre Hyena Man show. That Man feeds as many as 30 hyenas with his bare hands and with a wooden steak- holding by his mouth. If you feel courageous and no fear at all, you can try it with no any harm. Hyenas in Harar are considered as domestic dogs that anybody has no hesitation to fear them. Overnight –Hotel -Harar
Day 13: Babile and the Valley of Marvels
Morning; drive from Harar to Babile on the Jijiga Road. In the town of Babile, there is e General Market on every Saturday & Camel Market on every Monday. Visit the market if your visiting schedule coincides with the market day otherwise proceed to the Valley of Marvels. The most visited one is the rock formation of Dakata Rock, sited at about 3 km from the town of Babile. A side trip to visit the Elephant sanctuary nearby Babile (only if road condition to the Elephant site becomes good on the day of visit). Drive back to Harar for lunch and drive about 51km for Dire Dawa. The main attraction of Dire Dawa known, also called Queen City of the Rift Valley is: Taiwan Market, the stimulant leaf knows as "Chat” Market and the big market place which is frequented by Oromo, Somali Issa and Afar people. Overnight – at Selam Hotel or similar –Dire Dawa
Day 14: Laga Oda Rock Paintings & fly to Addis Ababa
Morning drive to Laga Oda Rock painting site (32km from Dire Dawa) & discover the prehistoric cave paintings (dated back 700 BC). Lunch in Dire Dawa and fly to Addis. Overnight – Hotel – Addis Ababa
Day 15: Addis Ababa City Tour
Breakfast & city tour of Addis Ababa: Holy Trinity Cathedral, Merkato, National Museum, Ethnological Museum at Addis Ababa University, Mausoleum of Menelik, Mount Entoto with Entoto Maryam Church, Museum & MenelikII Palace. Dinner with live tribal dances & music & transfer to Addis Air port for departure (end of the trip)
Notice: This itinerary can be amended up on request