Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrive at Addis Ababa

   • Meet at the Bole International Airport and be escorted to your hotel, where you will have time to settle in.

2. Day 2: Fly to Bahir Dar

   • Fly to Bole Airport to board one hour flight to Bahir Dar. 

   • Go on a scenic drive to the Blue Nile Falls, which is about 35 km due south of Bahir Dar. Explore typical tukuls, round huts whose walls are made of cow dung, grass, and clay whose pointed roof is formed from strong grass. The falls best live up to their reputation during September- December, after the heavy rains swelled the lake and river.

   • Visit the Bezawit Palace and the local market of the town.

3. Day 3: Travel to Lake Tana

   • After breakfast, the Ethiopian tourist guide will take you on a boat trip to the monasteries of Lake Tana. On these islands, you will see old and interesting paintings plus artifacts once belonging to kings and queens.

   • Arrive at Kebran Gabriel Island which takes about 40 minutes by boat from Bahir Dar and 1 ½ hour to Zeghie Peninsula by boat from Bahir Dar.

   • Visit Ura Kidane Mehret, a 17th-century monastery church to see its vivid recent paintings.

   • Travel to the largest Dek Island which takes 3 ½ hours from Bahir Dar to explore several churches and semi mummified remains of King Fasiledes and his infant son in an open sepulchre.

   • Visit Daga Island and its monastery of Daga Estifanos on the top where no females are allowed near.

   • Besides the leisure time at the monasteries, you will have a late afternoon drive to the old city of Gondar.

4. Day 4: Explore Gondar

   • Enjoy a leisurely morning which will give you time for shopping.

   • Go for an afternoon city tour which includes the Castle compound, built by Emperor Fasiledes, Debre Birhan Selassie Church, and explore its wonderful ceiling painting depicting144 angels, stories of old and new testaments.

   • Finally, visit the bath of King Fasilides, the pool where the people of Gondar celebrate the Ethiopian epiphany.

5. Day 5: Fly to Aksum

   • Fly to Aksum and check into the hotel.

   • Visit the famous Obelisk of Aksum and the tomb of king Remhai which was meant to mark the grave of different noble persons of the Axumite period.

   • Marvel at the Archeological Museum of Aksum and see different pottery, stone altars, rings and parchments, and other tombs of kings.

   • See the church of St.Mary Zion and the Ark of the Covenant with your Ethiopian tour guide.

   • In the afternoon, visit the bath and palace of the Queen of Sheba, and finally the tomb of King Kaleb and Gebre Meskel. 

6. Day 6: Fly to Lalibela

   • Board a 30-minute flight to Lalibela.

   • Pay a visit to the first group of rock-hewn churches, which comprises seven churches such as Biete Medhane Alem, Bete Maryam, Biete Meskel, Biete Denagel, Debre Sina-Mikael, Biete Golgota-Selassié, and the Selassie Chapel. These groups of churches are mostly excavated from below the ground and are surrounded by courtyards and trenches so that they mimic normal buildings. Several of these churches are monoliths.

7. Day 7: Stroll across Lalibela

   • Travel by car or by mule to Asheton Maryam monastery and to the cave church of Naktala.

   • In the afternoon, visit the second group of churches in Lalibela consists of five churches namely Biete Emmanuel, Biete Qeddus Mercoreus, Biete Abba Libanos, Bette Lehem, and Biete Gebrial-Rufael. A thirteenth church, St. George stands discrete from the two main clusters.

8. Day 8: Fly to Addis Ababa

   • After enjoying breakfast, your driver will transfer you to the airport for your return flight to Addis.

   • Pay a visit to the Entoto Mountains, the National Museum of Ethiopia, and Trinity Church.

   • If time permits, visit Merkato, the biggest open-air market in Africa, and shopping.