Day 1: Gondar-Goha Hotel
Early morning flight from Addis Ababa to Gondar, you will be met and transported by Yemgeta representative to check in to your hotel. After a quick lunch you will begin your excursion of Gondar, known as the ‘Camelot’ of Africa. Gondar was the 17th and 18th century capital city of Ethiopia and was home to a number of emperors and warlords, courtiers and kings who built several castles and palaces around the area.
Nestled in the foothills of the breathtaking Simien Mountains in North- west Ethiopia, Gondar became the capital during the reign of Emperor Fasilidas (1632-1667) and emerged over the years as an important administrative, commercial, religious and cultural centre. Its importance declined in the 19th century and in 1880 it was looted by the Sudanese Dervishes.
The oldest and the most impressive Gondar structure is the two-storied palace of Emperor Fasilidas, built of roughly hewn brown basalt stone held together with mortar and is said to be the work of an Indian architect. Several notable Gondarine structures - the ‘Bath of the King’ and the ‘Debre Birhan Selassie’ can be seen.
Day 2 & 3 -Jerusalem Guest House
Mid-morning flight to Lalibela, you will be met and transported by Yemgeta representative to check in to your hotel. After a quick lunch you will begin your excursion of Lalibela. Lalibela is a ‘World Heritage Site’ and there is every reason for it to be one. The 12th century rock-hewn churches have been dubbed the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’.
There are 1000 churches in the Lasta region of Lalibela, some hidden in enormous caves, but it is exceptional to find 11 churches of such master craftsman- ship in one locale in the town of Lalibela. Seeing all of Lalibela’s churches takes a long time, but they are well worth the effort, particularly during the Ethiopian Christmas (7th January) and Timkat celebrations (19th January).
The first group of six churches lie in rock cradles one behind the other: Bet Golgotha, Bet Mika’el, Bet Maryam, Bet Meskel, Bet Danaghel 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.
Bete Giyorgis, possibly the most elegant of all the Lalibela churches, lies somewhat isolated in the South-west part of the village on a sloping rock terrace. It can only be reached through a tunnel. The oldest of the churches, dedicated to the Virgin
Mary, Bet Maryam is the only Lalibela monolith with a porch. The remains of exquisite early frescoes can be seen on the ceiling and upper walls, and there are many elaborately carved details on the piers, capitals, and arches.
Early morning trip to explore more of the rock-carved church of Yemrehane Christos, 42km north of the town of Lalibela, a striking church sited within a black basalt rock cave built by King Yemrehane Christos (let Christ show the way) who ruled before King Lalibela in the 10th Century. The cave is situated on hill where we have to hike by foot for 30 minutes on walking trail. The excursion will take us about 3-4 hours. After lunch we will continue visiting the rest of the sites in the town of Lalibela.
Day 4: Lalibela to Addis - DepartureToday you will enjoy a relaxing morning, breakfast before your mid-morning flight back to Addis Ababa.
Find out More about Lalibela and it's Churches at Wikipedia
Tour ET-N03002
Included (Where Applicable)
* Accommodation in twin room
* Full meals with bottled water
* Ground transportation with latest model 4x4 SUV
* Camping fees
* Scout fee in the national parks
* Portage at each place
* Professional English speaking escort guide and driver all throughout the trip.
* All excursions to sites of interest with entry fees as per itinerary
All the necessary camping gears; sleeping, dinning, cooking and shower tents; mattresses, pillows and sleeping bags; dinning chairs and tables; cooking utensils, and in short all the necessary equipment.
Difficulty Level: Medium
Not recommended for children under 13 or people above 65 years old.
Trip Notes
Wear
comfortable loose fitting clothing, covered walking or hiking shoes and
bring a hat for the sun. To reach some of these churches we must hike a
short distance up rather steep terrain.
This
itinerary has been designed to be as comfortable as possible, but this
part of the world is still underdeveloped. Our four-wheel drive
vehicles are well maintained, but there will be some travel over
unpaved roads.
We
have carefully chosen hotels that are the best available, but they
frequently are not up to Western standards - there will be times when
the rooms will not have hot water, or perhaps will have no water at
all; the standards of cleanliness will occasionally be less than you
would like; and electricity might be sporadic.
Many of the religious
buildings in Ethiopia are not open to women, and we have intentionally
included sites in which all are welcome.
Disclaimer
Weather, road conditions and/or bridges could prevent us going through certain routes or reaching certain location within this itinerary. Yemgeta will make every effort to reroute to complete the itinerary.
$325.00 (per person, based on double occupancy)
Single Supplement: $163.00
Prices
based on double occupancy and includes all hotels, guide services, most
meals, water, entrance fees, and ground transportation to and from
airport(s) within Ethiopia.
Cost Does Not Include
Domestic
Flights, alcoholic drinks, video and camera fees if applicable, food
not on regular menus, laundry, excess baggage charges, personal tips,
or departure taxes.
Download Brochure (ET-N03002)
