14 Days South & North Ethiopia Tour from Addis Ababa

Day 01 Arrival to Addis Ababa and City Tour

You will meet upon arrival from international flight and begin sightseeing of Addis with a drive up to Entoto Hills for a panoramic view of Addis. Descend down and drive to Ethnological Museum houses anthropological, musicological and cultural objects. The Ethnological Museum is the first university museum in Ethiopia. The Museum is located in the main Campus of Addis Ababa University which houses the Institute of Ethiopian Studies and it was the former palace of Emperor Haile Selassie. Then drive to National museum, it contains many precious local archaeological finds such as the fossilized remains of early hominids, the most famous of which is “Lucy,” the partial skeleton of a specimen of Australopithecus Afarensis. Recently added to the basement gallery is a display on Selam, found between 2000 and 2004. This archaic fossil is estimated to date to 3.3 million years ago. Descend down to St. George cathedral, it’s noted for its distinctive octagonal form. The new church was built on the ruins of an older church from the 15th century. It was named after St. George, after the Tabot (Ark) of the church was carried to the Battle of Adwa against the Italians during which the Ethiopians secured victory. Finally drive to Merkato, established by the Italian around 1937 it’s a large open-air marketplace in Africa, Covering several square miles and employing an estimated 13,000 people in 7,100 business entities.

Overnight Grand Palace Hotel Addis Ababa/Similar

Day 02 Fly Addis Ababa to Arba Minch and drive to Dorze village

after breakfast you will take to airport your flight to Arba Minch. you will meet our team on arrival and you will drive to Dorze village. Dorze people who are expert in weaving called Shammas Weaving are a primary profession for a number of Dorze people. The shape of their house looks Elephant, in order to remember the existence of these animals around the area many years ago. They are known for their traditional weaving of huts made out of local bamboo.  Enset “fake banana” is the stable food for these peoples.

Overnight Haile Resort Arba Minch/Similar

Day 03 Drive Arba Minch – Konso – Turmi

After having your breakfast you will take a boat cruise on the Lake Chamo, the third biggest Lake in Ethiopia. On the Lake you may have a chance to see the Nile crocodiles, hippos and different types of birds. Visit and proceed southwards to Konso village. One of the UNESCO site in Ethiopia know by their terracing in order to protect against soil erosion from the sporadic and often heavy rainfall in the region. The villages are encircled by one to six concentric rings of stone walls, mainly consisting of basalt boulders. One of the best types of coffee for the country is also from this village. Later proceed to the Hamer people. The Hamer they are known for their unique custom of “bull jumping,” which initiates a boy into manhood, practice of body adornment and wearing a multitude of colorful beads. The men of the tribe will often style their hair with clay, creating a sculpture of sorts that is styled with various pigments, mostly red and white, and in smoothing the clay they create very small protruding tube in which they house ostrich feathers from their hunts.

Overnight Paradise Lodge in Turmi/ Similar

Day 04 Drive Turmi to Jinka

This day after breakfast you will drive to Murulle where you can find the Karo people.  Karo People is very famous for their splendid body decoration, which they paint their bodies and faces with white chalk to prepare for a ceremony. The women scar their chest believing it makes them beautiful. The men’s scars represent an enemy or dangerous animal killed. Visit and proceed to Nyangatom people, 17 km away from the Murulle area. To adore their long and lean bodies, the Nyangatom women wear numerous necklaces and long Skirts from goatskins that are richly decorated. Then back to turmi for lunch and proceed to Jinka to visit Ari people, the largest population in the lower omo valley. The women wear skirts from the banana like tree, called Enset are expert in pottery, blacksmith and distillation of traditional Liquor.

Overnight Eco Omo Lodge Jinka/Similar

Day 05 Drive Jinka – Mago – Jinka and fly to Addis Ababa

In the morning we’ll drive straight to Mursi tribe. The Mursi women, like their Surma cousins, live on the other bank of the Omo River, are famous for their large round lip plates worn by women. There are several theories of the wearing of lip plates disfiguring to prevent enslavement by Arabs in antiquity protection against the penetration of evil spirits into the body through the mouth; determination of social status, showing the amount of cattle that the groom must pay as a dowry for the bride owning the plate. Mursi are unsurpassed masters of scarification. The scars on their bodies symbolize social status and past merits. The scars are created by using a razor blade and camel thorn. To achieve a bulge, an ash or a fly larva is planted in the wound, which, among other things, eliminates all possible infections. Later drive to Jinka airport your flight to Addis Ababa.

Overnight Grand Palace Hotel Addis Ababa/ Similar

Day 06 Fly Addis Ababa to Lalibela

After breakfast you will take to airport your flight to Lalibela. After lunch you will Visit the first group of seven churches lie in rock cradles one behind the other: Bet Golgotha, Bet Mika’el, Bet Maryam, Bet Meskel, Bet Danagl and Bet Medhane Alem. Bet Medhane Alem, the largest one, is built like a Greek Temple and its stone floor is so polished by the countless numbers of visitors that it reflects shafts of light from apertures in the walls high above. In a corner are three empty graves symbolically dug for biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Later you will visit of the other groups of Rock churches of Lalibela Bet Giyorgis, possibly the most elegant of all the Lalibela churches which lies somewhat isolated in the southwest part of the village on a sloping rock terrace.

Overnight Maribela Hotel lalibela/Similar

Day 07 Drive Lalibela to Asheten Maryam and Na’akuto La’ab

After breakfast you will visit Na’akuto La’ab Monastery, it’s attributed to Na’akuto La’ab, the successor to King Lalibela. Inside, there are various artifacts believed to have belonged to Na’akuto La’ab, including crowns, gold-painted drums, crosses, a large painted canvas depicting ancient kings and an old, illuminated Bible. Intriguingly, the monastery has some ancient stone receptacles that gather the water that drips from the cave’s roof, thought to be holy water. Later drive to another ancient church, there are many sacred items found at Asheton Maryam, including crosses and a Bible illustrated with colorful, intricate drawings, presented by the priest for visitors to see. In the afternoon you will visit the remaining churches of Lalibela like Bete Gabriel, Bete Marqorios, Bete Emmanuel, and Bete Aba Libanos.

Overnight Maribela Hotel in Lalibela/Similar

Day 08 Drive Lalibela to Gondar

After breakfast you will drive to Gondar passing through the adventurous road. After the lunch you will begin visit Gondar the Royal Capital of Ethiopia. Gondar was founded in 1636 by Emperor Fassiladas. In the afternoon you will visit the city of Gondar with the drive to the Castles and Churches built by Emperor Fassiladas and his descendants.  Proceed to the fascinating Debre Birhan Selassie (The Enlightening of Trinity) with Wonderful murals art and the swimming pool of Emperor Fasisiladas.

Overnight Haile Resort Gondar/Similar

Day 09 Gondar Excursion to Simen Mountain National Park

After breakfast the trip starts from Gondar to the famous and beautiful Simen Mountains National Park. The park is known as the roof of Africa and contains several high mountains and the only place in Ethiopia registered by the UNESCO as a natural beauty. After two hours’ drive from Gondar we will start hiking on the Beautiful landscapes and mountains and admire the nature. There will be a chance to see some wild animals especially the endemic Gelada Baboons. Later you will be drive back to Gondar.

Overnight Haile Resort Gondar/Similar

Day 10 Drive Gondar to Bahir Dar

This day after breakfast you will drive to Bahir Dar. After lunch drive to Tis Isat Village to visit the Blue Nile Falls, make a small trekking loop along the river side to view the water fall in every angle then drive back to Bahir Dar. (Note that the volume of the water could be minimal because of the construction of the new dam.) After Lunch have a Boat trip on lake Tana to visit two monasteries on Zege peninsula, Ura Kidane Mihret and Azewa Mariam which are a 14thc  monastery and famous for their mural paintings depicting the Old and New Testament. While walking to the monasteries visit the wild coffee plantation in the peninsula.

Overnight Naky Hotel Bahir Dar/Similar

Day 11 Fly Bahir Dar to Axum via Addis Ababa

After breakfast you will take to the airport your connection flight to Axum You will be met upon arrival and after refresh and lunch at the Hotel Sightseeing. Axum a city more than 2500 years of history, once the center of a great empire and ancient civilization, home of the original Ark of covenants. Axum is the prime historical site in the north of Ethiopia. Take a city tour that include the St. Mary’s Church, the sanctuary Chapel which is the repository of the ‘Ark of covenant’, the coronation yard, Stelae Park, Tomb of Kaleb and his son Gebre Meskel, Ezana’s Inscriptions, Queen of Sheba’s Bath, Queen of Sheba’s palace ruins and Axum Museum.

Overnight Sabean Hotel Axum/Similar

Day 12 Axum Drive to Gheralta via Visiting St Aba Gerima Monastery & Yeha Temple

This day after breakfast you will visit Abba Garima Monastery .It was established in the sixth century by one of the Nine Saints, Abba Garima, and built by Gebre Meskel. The monastery became known for its early manuscript copy of the gospels and its treasury. After lunch you will drive to Hawzen visiting en route Yeha 5th century Temple displaying incredible skills in stonework and is in fact the oldest building still standing in Ethiopia.

Overnight Vision Hotel Gheralta/Similar

Day 13 Visit Gheralta Cluster Churches of St Abune Yemata then Drive to Mekelle via Visiting Abrha Wasba Churches

This day after breakfast you will visit the church of Abuna Yemata Guh. It is a monolithic church dedicated to Abuna Yemata (also referred to as Abba Yem’ata), one of the Nine Saints. It is situated at a height of 2,580 meters and has to be climbed on foot to reach. It is notable for its dome and wall paintings dating back to the 5th century and its architecture. Then process to the Church of Abreha wa Atsbeha their bodies are claimed to be entombed in the church. At one time the church served as a monastery but now operates as a parish church the ceiling was blackened by soot due to Queen Gudit setting a fire in the building nine centuries earlier. Later drive to Mekelle airport your flight to Addis Ababa.

Overnight Grand Palace Hotel Addis Ababa/Similar

Day 14 Departure

In the evening, you’ll attend a folkloric dinner where you will have a chance to taste several national dishes and watch dances of the various ethnic groups of Ethiopia. The traditional coffee ceremony will also be served. Finally you will take to airport for your Flight to home.

Note: – The price of domestic flights is if your international flight is with Ethiopian airlines however if your international flight is not with Ethiopian airlines the price will be high.

Package Price

Price includes

• Local Flight
• Hotel accommodation with breakfast
• Car with professional Drivers
• English Speaking Professional Guides
• Entrance and scout fees
• Boat trip on Lake Tana and Chamo

Price excludes

• Lunch and Dinner
• Alcohol drinks
• Video and photographing fees
• Entrance fee to any cultural ceremony or festival
• Gratitude, and other related expense for per personal nature