3-Day Unique Journey through the Danakil Depression
Highlights
Addis Ababa, Semera, Dallol, Erta Ale
Locations Covered
Addis Ababa, Semera, Dallol, Erta Ale
sightseeing, Desert, Volcano
Group Tour
3 Days
Challenging
English
Description
Embark on an unforgettable 3-day journey through the Danakil Depression, one of the most extreme and otherworldly landscapes on Earth. Over three days, you'll explore the unique geological formations, experience the vibrant culture of the Afar people, and witness the raw power of nature in one of the hottest and lowest places on the planet.
Itinerary
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Day 1- Addis Ababa to semera
- Morning tour Drive to Ragad (Asebo), the place where the localities are mining salt.
- Look at the activity of workers breaking salts from the ground, cutting in to rectangular pieces, and loading on camels.
- You drive ahead to Dallol and visit the different landscapes formed by volcanic activity, Dallol + Lake Assal + camel caravans.
- Excursion to Dallol (116 meters below sea level, one of the lowest places in the world), colourful salts mining, visit Lake Assal, follow up with camel caravans (No camel caravans in July, August, and early September), and walk with the Afar people.
- Drive to Hamed Ela. Overnight at Hamadella.
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Day 2- Dallol To Erta Ale
- Dallol To Erta AleWe start our day by driving to Erta Ale (which means smoky mountain in the Afar language).
- Erta Ale ranks as one of Ethiopia's most alluring and physically challenging natural attractions. It is a shield volcano with a base diameter of 30 km and a 1km square caldera at its summit.
- Erta Ale contains the world’s only permanent lava lake. It is 613 meters, with a lava lake, one of only five in the world, at the summit. It is notable for being the longest existing lava lake, present since the early years of the twentieth century.
- We start early at 9:00 AM and drive to Dodom (at the base of Erta Ale). This is maybe one of the roughest roads in the world. The 80 km distance may take about 6 hrs, passing through a changing landscape of solidified lava, rock, sand and occasional palm-lined oasis.
- After passing several small hamlets scattered here and there in this deserted land, you will arrive at the Dodom camping site, located about 17km from Erta Ale.
- Dinner will be served around 17:00 o’clock.
- After a short break, trek up to Ertale at 20:00 hours.
- Camels will be transporting all the camping materials and some food (sleeping materials like light mattresses and mats and water) to the volcano's rim, where we will spend the night watching the dramatic action of the boiling lava.
- You will spend the night on top of the mountain, at the rim of the Volcano.
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Day 3- Danakil To Semera
- Early Morning sunrise at the northern one corresponds to the main pit crater and walk 5 minutes for the southern and central pits could either corresponds to an ancient pit, or to a simple collapse structure.
- The main pit-crater, 200 m deep and 350 m across, is sub-circular and three-storied.
- The smaller southern pit is 65 m wide and about 100 m deep.
- Descend from Erta Ale around 9 am Dodom – Leave back to Dodom after an early breakfast, if possible, at 07:00 o’clock.
- You will reach the latest at 10:30 o’clock at the camp, where you will be relaxing.
- As soon as possible, drive to reach the mythical Lake Giulietti (or Lake Afrera)(optional may not be available during summertime), a saltwater lake located more than100 meters below sea level, in one of the deepest depressions of the planet.
- Because of the picturesque landscape, it is interesting to visit the salt flats where the Afar people obtain the salt by evaporating the water of the lake, continue to Semera.
spend over Night
What's Included
What's Excluded
What To Bring
Meeting Point
Cancellation Policy
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For cancellations upto 2 days before the tour -
Refund of 80% of the tour price.
Price
Adult | |
---|---|
1 to 10 | /person |
Child | |
1 to 10 | /person |
This is a group tour |