Itinerary

1. Day 1: Sightseeing of Addis Ababa

   • Arrive at Bole International Airport, get reception by the guide and transfer to hotel for check-in.

   • Do a city tour of Addis Ababa including the panoramic viewpoint Entoto Mountain, Merkato, said to be Africa’s largest market of its kind, and the National Museum (home of Lucy, hominid skeleton dating back 3.2 million years) and the ethnographic museums.

2. Day 2: Addis Ababa Debre Libanos

   • After breakfast, depart north to Bahir Dar via Debre Markos with your Ethiopian tour guide.

   • On the way, visit the Debre Libanos Monastery and the Portuguese Bridge, which was the first bridge in Ethiopia. 

   • After lunch in Debre Markos, you will pass through the scenic Blue Nile gorge.

3. Day 3: Lake Tana Monasteries and Blue Nile Fall

   • In the morning, embark on a boat trip on Lake Tana to explore some of the monasteries hidden on the shores and islands of Lake Tana. 

   • In the afternoon, depart out of town to the Blue Nile Falls for an easy hike in the area. 

   • End the day with a sunset over Lake Tana from the top of Bezawit Hill, next to the former palace of Haile Selassie.

4. Day 4: Sightseeing of the Former Capital, Gondar

   • After breakfast, drive north to Gondar. The drive will take you through rural villages, offering wonderful insight into the Amhara culture and the traditional agricultural methods still in use today. 

   • After arrival in Gondar and brief check-in to the hotel, the afternoon will be spent exploring the sites of Gondar, including a visit to the Royal Enclosure, with six castles and several other buildings. 

   • Additionally, visit Fasilidas’s Pool, still used for Timket celebrations today and the Debre Birhan Selassie church, with the most famous ceiling in Ethiopia.

5. Day 5: Gondar-Simien Mountains National Park

   • Early in the morning, depart for the stunning Simien Mountains National Park. The jagged mountains and deep valleys lend spectacular views to these mountains, to many of the endemic animal species of Ethiopia including the gelada baboon (guaranteed to be seen) as well as the rare Walia ibex and Ethiopian wolf.

   • The afternoon will be available for hikes in the area surrounding the lodge.

6. Day 6: Simien Mountains-Axum

   • After breakfast, continue to Axum, enjoying the final views of the Simien Mountains. 

   • After stopping for lunch in Adarky, proceed driving through the Tekeze Valley to Axum, home of the ancient Axumite Empire, the Queen of Sheba, and the Ark of the Covenant.

7. Day 7: Full Day in Axum

   • Today is a full day visiting the sites in Axum. Sites to visit include the famous obelisks (one that was just erected after being returned from Italy), the Queen of Sheba’s Bath (which supplies water to Axum year-round), King Bazen’s tomb, and the Queen of Sheba’s Palace. 

   • Visit the St. Mary of Zion church, where the Ark of the Covenant is kept, according to local Ethiopian tradition. Men only are allowed to enter the old church. Unfortunately, no one (except one specially chosen guardian monk) is allowed to enter the chapel where the Ark is kept.

8. Day 8: Axum-Yeha-Debre Damo-Gheralta

   • After breakfast, drive to visit the ruins of Yeha, dating from the 8th to 5th centuries BCE, and believed to be the capital of Ethiopian civilization before Axum. 

   • Afterwards, visit the Debre Damo monastery, where the men (sorry! No women allowed.) must climb up a 15-m rope to enter.

9. Day 9: Gheralta - Tigray Rock-Hewn Churches - Mekelle

   • Proceed through the state of Tigray to explore some of the less-visited rock-hewn churches of Ethiopia.

   • Some of the most popular churches are Abuna Yemata Guh and those in the Gheralta cluster. 

   • Continue to Mekele for overnight stay.

10. Day 10: Mekelle-Lalibela

    • Drive from Mekele to Lalibela, passing through the dramatic landscapes of the Ethiopian Highlands. The highlight of the day will be the ascent from Woldia to the stunning ascent to Mount Abuna Yosef.

    • Overnight in Lalibela.