ETHIOPIA HISTORIC TOUR

Day 1: Addis Ababa city tour

Meet and familiarization with the group members. City tour of Addis Ababa.

The day is dedicated for sightseeing of Addis Ababa that includes; the National Museum, famous for hosting the Humanoid fossil “LUCY”, Ethnographic Museums, Trinity cathedral and Mercato, the largest open air market in Africa.

After all briefing about the whole tour. Cozy Place Hotel

Day 2: Drive Addis Ababa -Bahir dar

AM drive to Bahir dar.

Enroute you will see the 13th c monastery of Debre Libanos, one of Ethiopian pilgrimage site and the Blue Nile Gorge which is compared to Grand Canyon in America. Gasa Hotel

Day 3: Bahir dar

AM excursion to visit the Blue Nile Falls that takes you out of the city for a drive on a gravel road through the farmlands and small villages of the Amhara People. Meet local people on their everyday activities especially in the mill house where mostly women gather to get their grains grinded. Retrace the same way back to your hotel for late lunch and PM free time for personal activity. Gasa Hotel

Day 4: Boat Trip on Lake Tana and proceed to Gondar

A.M you will have a boat trip on Lake Tana to visit Monasteries on the islands of Lake Tana. You visit the monastery church of Ura Kidane Mihret that is the most famous monastery and has an important collection of religious icons from the 16th to 18th centuries. Ura Kidane Mihret is known for its paintings and small museum. Ura Kidane Mihret, are decorated from floor to ceiling with incredibly vivid images from Christian traditions. Return back to hotel for lunch and transfer over land to Gonder by minivan, with a detour to Awera Amba village; that is becoming famous for advanced rural living style that has first started due to a philosophy of an individual in the village that has dared to change some age old tradition like role division among different genders, and then retrace your way back to main road to continue driving to Gonder which is some 120km far from this point. Hotel

Day 5: City tour in Gondar –proceed to Debark

The day is dedicated for sightseeing of Gonder; the 16th century Royal enclosure famous for its many castles that is known as the “African Camelot”. Fasiledes pool, this is the special place where every year on January the Ethiopian Orthodox church highly celebrated  baptizing on Epiphany/ Timket festival inside the pool. Debre Birhan Selassie church, one of the oldest churches which are known with big eyed angel’s paintings which decorates the roof and had large collections of old manuscripts and crosses.  Late afternoon proceed to Debark for overnight stay. Simein Park Hotel

Day 6: Simein Mountain National park (UNESCO-World Heritage Site)

Simein Mountain National Park is an endangered natural world heritage site as a home for endemic faunas and floras inside.

On your full day excursion inside the park you will see the Spectacular mountain scenery, endemic mammal’s Chilada Baboon in a close up view and photographing, Waliya Ibex, and Red fox. And also have a few hours hiking alongside the escarpment. Simein Park Hotel  

Day 7: Drive to Axum

Drive to Axum alongside the Semien Mountains range with spectacular scenery.

Today you will have a moderate drive on gravel road with leg stretch walk in between. Hotel

Day 8: Axum

Morning you will have a city excursion in Axum.
The archeological sites, single rock hewn steles, the ruin palace of the Queen of Sheba (9th Century BC) and St’ Mary of Tsion (Zion) Church the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. Meet the locals, visiting

villages and you will see the Tigray woman’s known in brewing local beverage known as Tela. Hotel

Day 9: Drive to Lalibela, the home of an extra ordinary architectural rock hewn church via Adwa

A.M drive to the city of Lalibela with admirable beautiful mountain scenery. Enroute you will attend the local cattle market, if the day falls on a market day.

Today you will meet the Amhara people, their way of harvesting, visiting house and village. Red Rock Hotel

Day 10: Visiting Lalibela churches  

The Amazing rock churches of Lalibela rated as the eighth wonder of the world by many authors.

Morning a visit to the first group of Lalibela Churches and Afternoon after Lunch to the second ones. Red Rock Hotel

Day 11: Visit Lalibela surrounding churches

Today you will have a short drive to visit the surrounding rock churches and one of the monasteries outside

Lalibela and local villages.

Moreover, you will have a visit to hermit’s dormitory and how they interact on church education with church students. Red Rock Hotel

Day 12: Drive to Kombolcha 

After a remarkable visit to Lalibela we are on the road again. It is a full day drive to Kombolcha through mountainous area with wonderful vistas. On the way Boat trip on Lake Hayek for the 13th c monastery Hayek Stefano’s on the island.  Tekle Hotel

Day 13: Kombolcha - Addis Ababa

If today is Sunday you will attend Senbete market near Kombolcha.

Drive through the rolling plains of the Shewa plateau along the way visit the Oromo people and village. On the way to Debre Birhan stop at Gemasa gedel for spectacular mountain scenery.

In the evening you will be our guest in one of Ethiopian traditional restaurant with folkloric.

Departure

                                      ………………End Of the Historic Group Tour ………………………

………………End Of the Historic Group Tour ………………………