Itinerary

1. Day 1: Mekelle to Afdera

   • Drive from Mekelle to Afdera (220km). Danakil Depression can be said to 'begin' here. It is one of the spectacular most inhospitable regions of the world but is spectacular.

   • Drive to Afdera via small village of Eribt. Afderais one of the city in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the saline Lake Afdera, located in the southern part of the Afar Depression.

   • Swim on the salt lake and enjoy the hot spring near the lake.

   • Camp near the lake.

2. Day 2: Afdera to Erta Ale

   • Drive from Afderat to Dodom (70km).

   • Visit the Salt Mainers (local people pumping the saltwater and evaporating the water) near the lake.

   • Drive to Dodom (at the base of Erta Ale), about 8.5km from Erta Ale, and it takes about 3 hrs trekking. 

   • Early dinner around 5 pm and trek up to Erta Ale at 8 pm. Camels transport all the camping materials and some food (sleeping materials like light mattresses and water) to the rim of the volcano, where we spend the night watching the dramatic action of the boiling lava. Erta Ale contains the world’s only permanent lava lake. Erta Ale is 613 meters high, with a lava lake one of the five in the world with two creates north creator with a native (sleepy) creator. It is notable for being the longest existing lava lake, and south creator is the most active with lava lake summit.

   Overnight camping on the top of the volcano.

3. Day 3: Erta Ale to Hamad Ela

   • Wake up early for sunrise and visit the north crater. Descend from Erta Ale around 7:00 am.

   • Leave back to Dodom, reach latest at 09:30 am at the camp.

   • After breakfast, have some time to relax.

   • At 10:30 am, drive to Hamad Ela (100km).

   • Have a picnic lunch on the way to the shed of a palm tree.

   • Reach Hamad Ela at 04:30 pm, a better village with a total population of about 500 people.

   • See lots of camel caravans, and you will have the sunset look from the very shallow salt lake Assale.

   Overnight camping at Hamad Ela.

4. Day 4: Hamad Ela to Dallol to Mekelle

   • Go on a morning tour drive to Ragad (Asebo), the place where the localities are mining salt.

   • Look at the activity of breaking the salt from the ground, local people cutting them into rectangular pieces and loading on camels.

   • Drive ahead to Dallol and visit the different landscape formed by volcanic activity.

   • Drive back to Hamad Ela for lunch and proceed to Mekele.